wholley wrote:Ok,
you lot got me to bite.
I'm going to break this down into three points.
1)
Fox hunting is not a sport.
It is a discipline learned over years.
You start(if your lucky enough to find a hunting stable)
as a stable lad where you get to throw lots of shit around,groom,feed,hoof and get kicked by some very big animals.
then as part of your education you get to clean and polish tack.
This helps you to understand the animals you will eventually ride and trust your life to.
2)
Riding to Hounds is not a sport.
It is a tradition.
Only the best riding members of a hunt(Thats no easy thing on an English Saddle,again discipline,"left leg,right shoulder"HEELS DOWN!) are invited by the"Master of the Hunt"To participate.
This not only saves injury to horses and other members but also can save your own life.
3)
Fox Hounds are beautiful animals,but not known for their intelect.
90%of the the time the wily old fox gets away.
The ones that are caught and"Torn apart" are generally old or injured.
That's just nature.
I'll just round out this little diatribe by saying
that anyone who thinks horsemanship is something any"Joey"can do has never barrelled at an 8ft hedgerow at thirty-odd mph on a Thorughbred hunter-jumper that weighs more than 1400lb's,not knowing what's on the other side.
Now THAT's excitment.
As to Tabs point regarding lamping,
it's been illegal to hunt with a lamp or low-light device in most states in the US for at least 15 years,ie,you don't hunt at night.
I'm afraid that the UK is on a second slippery slope.
First handguns which led to most guns,now hunting to hounds which will lead to a ban on hare hunting with long dogs,then ferreting with nets.
Soon you won't be able to walk your animals in parks,followed by banning
all pets from housing developments.
No field-craft training,no camping-orienteering,no contact with nature and its wonders at all.Unless you get a license of course.
Sorry,bit of a rant
Wholley.
