Wild hunter applies whip to a horse (9)

I believe the answer is:

catamount

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'wild hunter applies' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'whip to a horse' is the wordplay.
'whip' becomes 'cat' (cat o' nine tails, cat for short is a type of whip).
'to' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'horse' becomes 'mount' (mount is a kind of horse).
'cat'+'a'+'mount'='CATAMOUNT'

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I've seen this clue in The Independent.

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