bloodsports

digger · Post by **digger** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 2:24 pm

only 14 votes have been cast. and just a couple can have such an effect....I reckon

Lesley Jean · Post by **Lesley Jean** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 3:04 pm

Well, I don't feel that I really can add that much to this debate. Other than to say that I do not hunt and I don't agree with it.
Yes I own horses, but only because I worked damn hard to raise the money to do so. I am not a 'toff' or 'upper class' person, just an ordinary lady who has lived in the country most of my life although I was born near London.
I enjoy riding and have friends who do hunt, they all know I don't agree with the way the fox is killed as I am sure there are better ways to control foxes that become a pest to farmers and livestock owners. We have a drag hunt in Somerset but the 'hunting people' won't go as they say it takes away the thrill of the chase. I only wish one of them could be chased the same as a fox, maybe they wouldn't think it so great then.
I do think it is a barbaric sport and should be banned just as badger baiting and dog fighting have been.
The whole Blair thing I don't feel I have the knowledge to be able to participate in this, other than to say that the fox hunting ban has been on the books for some years now, and has been debated and voted on for some time, so for it to be pushed through now is only the end of quite a few years work for the anti hunting lobby.
I agree that the Hunt can cause damage to the landowner who's land they go chasing over. I don't have much in the way of land, a small 2 acre field and a garden of about 1 acre but I have had the hounds in full cry, chasing through my back garden, causing damage and frightening my cats nearly to death. Spooked my horse who then wouldn't eat for nearly a week as he was so upset. So no I don't like the Hunt or foxhunting.

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Mon Oct 18, 2004 9:12 pm

KLB1 wrote:Graham have you not yet realised. TONY. B. LIAR does not want a second house nor a first one for that matter. No Dictator ever does.

If you stop frothing at the mouth for a mo and read what you wrote, you ought to realise what complete twaddle it is. Do you make this stuff up by yourself, or do the other patients help?

digger · Post by **digger** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 10:41 am

Lesley Jean wrote: I have had the hounds in full cry, chasing through my back garden, causing damage and frightening my cats nearly to death. Spooked my horse who then wouldn't eat for nearly a week as he was so upset

.........sound horrific!!!!..........(I dont care about the cats)....but your horse !!!!!!.......not a good advert for the hunt

mac · Post by **mac** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:00 am

My horse has been upset by hounds nearby too. I think it's the sound of the hounds and hunting horn. She gets very excited and one reason I wouldn't hunt is that I don't think I could stop her! She once saw 3 dogs in the distance and immediately set off after them. I found it very difficult to control her to do the speed I wanted her to, not the flat out gallop she wanted.

Maybe I must have imagined it but I once saw a hunt drawing a covert. I was walking my dog (a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) who also happened to be chestnut and white, so I picked him up as hounds were all around and I really didn't realise how big they are! Then he got too heavy to I put him back down again. No hound came after him. Anyhow, I stood and watched for a bit. Only the hunt people were in the covert and the followers were back on the road. There were a couple of other people watching and a National Trust pickup. Anyway, there we all were when all of a sudden, this big gorgeous looking fox ambled out of the covert. He sauntered towards us, stopped, looked back at all the palaver going on in the covert with hounds going the wrong way, this way, that way, all ways. Then he just continued walking off through the bracken.

Now, who was it said hounds chasing a frightened, terrified creature? Not what I saw. The few of there looked at each other with raised eyebrows but none of use halloa'd the hunt. It was a fit, strong fox.

I think they're very attractive animals which is why, possibly, there's this anti ban feeling. I don't see people trying to save rats in the same way, they're just not 'cute' enough.

One other thing, the majority of people who hunt do so because of the riding. You wouldn't be able to ride over such gorgeous countryside because these days most places are closed off to you. All you have left are roads and we all know drivers don't want horses on the road and as the horse and rider come off worst in any accident, I know where I'd prefer to ride.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 3:05 pm

lesley jean sorry for dragging you into this..just formed a wrong opinion..you know with the horse ..should have realised retired race horse wasn,t a hunter ...i still have this image of him playing hide and seek with you in the long grass.

gerry cullen.
ps peter ..perhaps you have this vision of a henhouse as being like something from a cartoon ..when your talking about dozens of turkeys geese ducks several varieties of each plus the same of hens and some of the rarer fowl its a couple of acres of fenced paddocks etc not a doghouse on sticks with a door ..i probably should have explained that earlier

digger · Post by **digger** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 3:33 pm

mac wrote: Now, who was it said hounds chasing a frightened, terrified creature? Not what I saw. The few of there looked at each other with raised eyebrows but none of use halloa'd the hunt. It was a fit, strong fox.

I think they're very attractive animals which is why, possibly, there's this anti ban feeling. I don't see people trying to save rats in the same way, they're just not 'cute' enough.

I’ve seen it too, and the fox enjoys the sport….will outwit the hounds more often than not

mac · Post by **mac** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 4:42 pm

Yes, Digger. That's exactly what it was like. Now I'm sure some foxes who are hunted are terrified but they're the sick or old ones who really can't get away. Mind you, I've seen one like that being attacked by a group of crows and horrible that was. The fox was just slinking slowly away with the group of crows following and biding their time to fly in and peck his eyes out, I guess. The same as they do to lambs, etc.

This ban will not be for animal welfare - far from it. But we seem to live in an envious society where people are jealous of so-called 'well off' people and want to seem them put back in their place. What a lovely world we live in now

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 4:50 pm

No gerry, I thought you were talking about a commercial operation with barns. I suppose your friend is between a commercial farmer and someone with a few chickens in the garden.
However, hunting is not going to eradicate all predators, nor is it supposed to as they would do themselves out of a job, so either your pal needs to accept the situation or protect the birds at night.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:06 pm

Hi Mac

Could not agree more with your comments.

We live in a Sad society.

Ellie · Post by **Ellie** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:09 pm

Why dont you care about the cats Digger?

A man in this village was recently very distraught that a dog belonging to a bonkers woman(next door but 1, who thinks shes doing dogs a favour by taking in 100s of strays..which shes not

)...said dog practically tore this poor fellas cat to pieces.
But reading Lesleys post reminded me of another hunt I watched in Essex countryside....a rottweiller(belonging to a friend nearby) 'joined in' with the hounds..excited by the chase & the 'pack..only to be horse-whipped by one of the huntsman.The poor creature was badly injured.. and never really recovered.
another thing that gets on my bloody nerves here on this 'debate' is that 'townies know nothing about ountrylife'..loads of cobblers...come & visit me and youll witness just how much so-called country folk 'care' about their surroundings..'zilch'!!
How about covering Charles& Camilla in fox scent? Id gladly join the hunt then!

petermeachem · Post by **petermeachem** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 5:47 pm

The pro-hunters arguments seem to be
1) Tony Blair won't let us have two houses.
2) Foxes like being hunted.
3) Hunting is done by rich/posh people. Anti-hunters are only jealous that they are not rich/posh. The rich/posh should be allowed to hunt if they want because if it wasn't for them we would still be peasants.
4) Hunting is done by ordinary country folk. Anti-hunt people don't understand the country and ordinary country folk should be allowed to hunt because they always have.
5) If it wasn't for hunting we would be overrun by foxes.
6) Hunting is not about killing foxes anyway.
7) People hunt because it is fun riding across country, not to kill foxes.
8 ) Drag hunting is not fun.

Don't have to have a particularly logical mind to see that this is, to put it mildly, a bit inconsistent.
The first two are just ludicrous.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:04 pm

Peter

I think if you looked at the otherside of the argument as well, there has also been some silly postings.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:11 pm

Can't you just see him, propped up against the bar nursing his half pint of bitter for the whole night, smugly talking in a loud voice and looking down at the people around him, half listening to them with contempt in his gaze, full of his own importance, intolerant of those who disagree with him and loving to discomfort them. A legend in his own lunchtime

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 19, 2004 6:13 pm

Sorry Peter

The whole argument on both sides is totally ludicrous.

There are so many more important issues that we as a country should be protesting about with the same passion. I cannot believe so much time has been devoted to this whole bill in Parliament when people are losing their pensions and face old age in poverty.

What about the care of the elderly in general?

I somehow think we have our priorites all wrong in society now. IMHO

bloodsports

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