Annabel Groom begins a three-part series looking at a Westcountry huntsman, his horses and his hounds.

Hunting may have been a hobby as a boy but it's now a full-time job for Ian Pearse who is huntsman and sole master of the South Devon Hunt.

His school offered riding as an option on Wednesday afternoons and for "some strange reason" – this boy wanted to ride. "It's how it all started and hunting was a natural progression," said Ian who grew up to be a livestock and arable farmer in Hertfordshire.

"F&M restrictions hit us hard and perhaps like many farmers I just lost heart in the job. The hunting ban was on the horizon too and I thought if I wanted to live my dream of hunting with hounds then now was the time to do it," said Ian who took up residence at the South Devon Hunt's Kennels in the lovely little hamlet of Pulsford, after successfully applying for the job and he is now in his ninth season.

For someone who is passionate about hunting with hounds, being out approximately 100 days a year sounds pretty good, in fact "heaven" in Ian's words but it's a tough job too.

"It's fantastic but bloody hard at times – I have to remind myself sometimes that I'm actually doing it because I want to, but as all jobs you have good and bad days."

He likens the job to being a manager of a football club. "I organise the day-to-day running of the hunt, I'm answerable to the board and when everything is going well I'm top dog...but when it goes wrong my head is chopped off at the shoulders, if I'm lucky." But he smiles... "that hasn't happened yet, in fact I'm very lucky because I'm surrounded by very supportive people."

As far as his country goes, it couldn't get much better. "We've got lovely lanes where we can exercise the hounds and horses seven days a week and go a different way each time," he says.

"We hunt three days a week on the moor and in country – it's heaven compared to Hertfordshire.

"The moor is beautiful and the in country is very different, with much smaller fields and farms."

Ian says that to clear a day's hunting in Hertfordshire, he would normally have spoken to about eight people, whereas now he has to speak to up to 40 people. "We could then end up going the opposite direction!" he quips.

The Kennels employs two full-time people all year round and one full-time in the winter, as well as some part-time help. This involves the kennel huntsman to look after the hounds, kennelman/groom and a full-time groom in the winter – there are nine horses, half of them ex-racehorses.

The Kennels takes fallen stock and half a man's week is taken up doing the flesh round. "It's what we feed the hounds for most of the year," explains Ian.

He admits he has only missed hunting the hounds three times since he has been at Pulsford and he is renowned for coming home in the dark.

"We get on at 10.30am and quite often we don't get off until 6.30pm. It's a long day but that's why I love the Thoroughbred because they just keep going. They are so agile, good on their feet and have got really big engines."

His favourite is Bold Leap – John at home – who although 19, "has a heart the size of a 45 gallon drum".

"He's an incredible horse," adds Ian who recognises the old boy will need to slow down soon...but like his master he is passionate about the job too.

The huntsman admits: "The day that my hair doesn't stand up on the back of my neck when I hear the hounds hunting, is the day I'll stop. I hope that day is a very long time away..."

Next week we look at Ian's horses.