To not want my Grandchild to hunt?

[salsmum]

I am very much into animal rescue and hate to see cruelty against humans AND animals. DIL is pregnant with my 1st Grandchild which I'm obviously very excited about, I texted her today to ask how she was and how DS and 'bump' are and she said she was fine...etc.. and then excited tells me that her Nephew aged just a month into his 8th year is going out on his first hunt . Her family are country people and my DS will be moving to the country once GC comes along. I really hate the thought of any child going hunting especially my GC because I think it's not something a child should see nor be encouraged to take part in. My DIL knows my feelings on animal cruelty and feel upset that she should mention 'the hunt' to me (in an excited-so proud of DN way).

The OP doesn't say what sort of hunting.

Suspect the post is a lot to do with what appeared in the newspapers recently re Susannah Constantine's daughter, and rather less to do with the OP's daily devotion to animal welfare, as evidence by her clearing up their poo on a daily basis and all the dirty mundane stuff you have to do if you actually bother to look after large animals.

I don't think anyone has a problem with people merely riding cross-country do they?

YANBU at all not to like the idea of your grandchild hunting but as others have said you can't do anything about it.
Very subtle influence through the right story books etc is your only way forward. If you are too vocal you will see little of your grandchild and have no influence at all.

Personally, the three times I hunted were to educate a particularly backward thinking horse

But no impact on the backward thinking owner.

Juneau fox hunting still goes on every weekend in season, in case you hadn't heard...

I'm perplexed that posters are assuming the OP wants a good relationship with her DIL. I'd have thought that was fairly impossible given the way her DIL behaves.

"I also did it because I didn't want to be one of those ignorant people who condemns something they haven't tried."

What a peculiar logic. What other things are you refusing to condemn without trying first? Burglary? Murder? Female genital mutilation?

Never been fox hunting in the UK, foxes and cats are something we cull rather than hunt.

That's all we need to know. That and the fact that she chose to rub OPs face in it.

I don't need authority

I think theres a few dictators who have said similar throughout history.

Do you have any idea how you behave around young animals that you are trying to train at all? About body language and how animals read it? And you really think people go around slapping their thighs around horses?! Good god woman.

Or do you imagine they take up the sport because they enjoy it?

I don't tend to imagine things about other people, because I'm not a trained psychologist, I'm likely to be wrong, and if they aren't in court for breaking the law, it doesn't matter. I don't have the right to judge other people.

You are aware hunting is actually designed to catch only the slower, older, more diseased foxes, the ones that are likely to take easy and repeated prey from breeding stock outside in fields. Not that we have many of them left in some areas of this country. Maybe you think lambs should be kept indoors all their lives instead of being outside targeted by that one rogue fox? Maybe you think we should engage a bunch of Kenyan Olympic athletes to race around the country, guns in hand, leaping over hedges after foxes, instead?

I have drag hunted and it is fantastic fun. Based on that, I suspect most of the fun of real hunting is nothing to do with liking chasing and killing things

It is the thrill of riding your horse at speed in a group over unknown and beautiful countryside, both of you unsure of where you are going and where you will end up, but trusting each other and building the most incredible bond it is possible to have between an animal and a human.

The horses love it, it is fantastic training and fittening for them, social and booze is supplied. All in all, as much fun as it is possible to have with your clothes on .

I would be scared if my child/grandchild were to go hunting, as with all equestrian activities it is a risk sport. But it is also a wonderful opportunity, so I wouldn't try and stop them - I'd follow them with a brandy flask!

hack "I also did it because I didn't want to be one of those ignorant people who condemns something they haven't tried."What a peculiar logic. What other things are you refusing to condemn without trying first? Burglary? Murder? Female genital mutilation?

You have never heard of cultural traditions, the countryside and the concept of reasonableness? I can see you have a good idea of how to balance tolerance and equity right there. My God. This place really is becoming a repository of the bizarre.

Well bloody said Chelsyhandy.

Worra I don't think anyone has a problem with people merely riding cross-country do they?

Actually, I do. I think eventing (which incorporates riding competitively across country at speed to meet a pre-set time) is unnecessarily dangerous and hard on horses, and results in far too many deaths. I should think that farmers would have quite a bit of a problem with people riding cross-country though. Would you mind if I rode through your garden instead?

Juneau fox hunting still goes on every weekend in season, in case you hadn't heard...

I'm sure it does on private estates, but most hunting is drag hunting these days.

I think the most bizarre responses are from you ChelsyHandy what the heck was the thing about serial killers and you're argument "I did it because I didn't want to be one of those ignorant people who condemns something they haven't tried" is ludicrous.

Juneau

It really isn't.

It's hardly bizarre to oppose bloodsports since the majority of people in this country oppose bloodsports, despite what the hunting lobby tries to make its members believe. The only bizarre people here are those who have no problem with bloodsports.

You're funny Chelsy

It's as though you're actually falling over yourself to deny the fact that people who hunt for sport, actually enjoy it.

If you enjoy hunting and killing then as a previous poster said, 'Just own it'.

Job done.

Juneau - no it isn't. You should possibly educate yourself on a topic before you opine with such misplaced confidence.

Would you mind if I rode through your garden instead?

Since when does a private garden stop the hunt. They are generally go wherever they like.

Can I ask you again Worra, how do you think animals are transported to slaughter in the UK?

I campaign on this and related issues, in other words, I actually do something that spout off and insult people on an internet site, and its amazing the people who love to trot out the line about being animal lovers and interested in animal welfare contribute to prolonged and hideous deaths of farm animals, of which live mass transportation over long distances is a heavily contributing factor.

I do think this obsession with fox hunting is actually harmful to animal welfare, because it diverts attention away from real issues which affect far greater numbers of animals, and makes people think they are paragons of virtue, when in reality, the opposite is often the case.

Unless you eat very ethically sourced meat and animal products, you are contributing to mass cruelty. Maybe this is a fact you would rather turn a blind eye to?

I suspect most of the fun of real hunting is nothing to do with liking chasing and killing things. It is the thrill of riding your horse at speed in a group over unknown and beautiful countryside, both of you unsure of where you are going and where you will end up

Could you actually be more contradictory with this statement?? When the hunt are riding at speed across country why the fuck do you think they are doing this

Can I ask you again Worra, how do you think animals are transported to slaughter in the UK?

What does that have to do with people killing for kicks?

What does it have to do with people getting a buzz out of taking a life for sport and entertainment purposes?

Are you having trouble keeping your mind on the topic of bloodsports, or are you just determined to take the thread off on a tangent?