... to feel disgusted at fox-chasing toff-twits!

[counterpoint]

On my way to a local town for lunch today, we had to slow down and stop as a horse came galloping up towards us in the middle of the road. On his back sat a dandified twit who was looking for his hounds. In the nearby field some 100 (I kid you not) other starched twits sat on brainwashed horses with hungry hounds running amok. Traffic swayed and stopped as these twits had clearly lost the little sense they had and were dispersing all over the highway, horses looking dazed at being led among cars at great speed on slippery tarmac. Hounds confusedly sniffing all over the road and verges. How much had these twit-toffs drunk? It was not yet noon!

My friends in our car tried to calm me down saying it must be a drag when all of a sudden a poor defenseless fox jumped on the dry-stone wall looking wild-eyed as it tried to determine whether he was safer making a run for it across a busy road or turn back into a field of crazed, uncontrolled hounds and drunken (British?) twits. The fox froze and the driver of my car sped on as I screamed with panic for the predictable fate of the fox.

Why the f*ck is a supposedly civilized country allowing this kind of savagery to continue?

Sabs do injure horses hounds and riders oh well... might deter them from breaking the law in the first place! Yanbu OP.

Crikey he doesn't get out in the countryside much does he. They shoot birds, pull fish from rivers, put ferrets down holes, gas moles, poison rats and kill clay pigeons!

I am interested in how to brainwash a horse OP.
I've ridden hundreds of horses and none were brainwashed they were beautiful intelligent creatures except one. We thought she had a tumour and advised the owners not to let the fourteen year old girl have it as it had nearly killed me. This was after patient working for months.

Since the ban on fox hunting, the welfare of foxes has not improved. In many cases it has gotten worse. Foxes have no natural predator. The old, weak and sick do not have a great death.

I do not agree with fox hunting per se. However, the current legal methods of fox control mean healthy foxes are killed, often not cleanly and other animals are killed accidentally. Whilst I am not saying hunting should be brought back, it was as least more effective than current methods.

As for sabs. As long as they are targeting bloodhounds (scent dogs, zero chance of fox kill), then they have no credibility in my eyes. They target bloodhounds frequently which just goes to show how little regard they have for animals. It's just an argument to be had and other animals to be put in danger

well said Pardalis

Oh I love to see a hunt

not bothering reading the full thread...
you screamed with panic? really? you screamed? and the people in the car ignored the screaming and let you stay in the car? really??

I've been drag hunting quite a few times since the ban came in (drag hunting is where the hounds follow a pre-laid scent trail, not chasing a fox). Not once have I ever seen the fox chased, let alone caught. I have seen the hounds pick up the hunt scent and had to be called back. Not everyone who follows the hunt wants to see a fox hurt- hence taking part in drag hunting.

I'm not naive enough to believe that hunts never chase/kill foxes (and I think some hunts probably worse than others in that regard). If the hunt does break the law I have no issue with the police being involved. Nor am I naive enough to think sabs are always as virtuous as OP thinks. Wrongs on both sides exist.

"swaying cars" - had they been drinking too?

And the Tory cunts want to make this legal again. Be aware, they will try to slip this legislation in under the radar when something ‘bigger’ in terms of headlines is going on. Cunts.

It's a shame the OP was written in such a manner, it takes away from the gravity of this issue.

I have witnessed/known of:
Horses dying from horrific injuries or permanently lamed due to reckless riders.
Hunt horses taken out with nasty saddle sores because their owners wouldn't but a properly fitting saddle and the yard I briefly worked at were more concerned about losing livery money than dealing with the welfare issue.

Pets killed by hounds (yes those 'scent' hounds). My own dog was once attacked by the terriers that are sent down holes (if hints are just drag hunting why do they still use terrier men?).

Foxes being chased by hunts. Yes, a few hunts drag hunt; drag hunting existed before the law changed. But traditional hunts are still about the 'sport' of ripping an animal to shreds. And not just the old/ill/injured. Is it really more ok for a pack of dogs to kill a frail animal by ripping it to shreds than it is a healthy one?

I've personally known hunting folk and sabs. Sabs care about all animals, not just the foxes. They care about the poor horses and the poor hounds who also suffer for the 'sport' of hunting.

On another note, foxes are not a pest; they belong in the countryside and are part of the food chain. They do sometimes kill chickens that haven't been secured enough. They are opportunistic hunters that leave their kill to return to at a later time, which is why people think they don't always kill for food (oh the irony of human fucktards). Humans kill hundreds of millions of chickens every year and many (a few years ago I read an article that said 86 million) are wasted. Foxes are not the problem here.

How can people who dress up in fancy coats and plait up their horses to gallop round fields (ruining land in the process at times) justify it by saying that foxes don't just kill what they need to eat? Humans are the worst culprit for that, and have a level of consciousness that means they can make moral decisions.

Obviously reading this thread while unable to sleep was a bad idea

Disclaimer: types on my phone and not proof read before posting!

"swaying cars" - had they been drinking too?

If the cars hadn't swayed out of the way, they would have struck the horses that were barely under control or the hounds that were all over the road oblivious to any danger.

It's a shame the OP was written in such a manner, it takes away from the gravity of this issue.

Really? Did you want me to temper to sensitivities and paint a pastoral scene?

Oscar Wilde described fox hunters eloquently: "The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable."

OP thankyou for highlighting this story.

Despite best attempts to belittle you, supporters are still unable to defend this or give a justifiable defence, hence some of the juvenile answers.

Mind, if somebody enjoys the thrill of this 'sport' how can we expect them to reply with any humanity or the maturity to write anything other than ODFOD?

Oh dear - ‘toffs’!

Anti hunt people are more about hating rich people rather than it being about foxes. You are aware that the richest ‘toffs’ in the UK are all Russian, Chinese, Saudi, etc. Unlikely to be out fox hunting. But they also have security guards so the violent hunt stabs attack people doing something LEGAL on thier horses, people who are generally ordinary working people like farmers etc.

I have never been fox hunting only drag huntin somewhere with no foxes - get a life - or a hobby

Oh and we're not fooled by trail hunting

www.independent.co.uk/voices/boxing-day-hunts-trail-hunting-foxes-animal-cruelty-a8127611.html

Anti hunt people are more about hating rich people rather than it being about foxes.

Why should I hate rich people? That's most of my family and friends. I used the term "toffs" precisely because it's a derogatory term for a subsection of people that carry out such activities.

I care that this is happening on British soil as we SHOULD be better! I don't want Russians or Arabs or whoever thinking they can come here and "play" at such "sports".

What a lovely 'hobby'

My favourite pro hunting argument is a) hunting is essential to keep down the fox population b) hunts very rarely kill anyway.

Which is it?

Not everyone who follows the hunt wants to see a fox hurt

That would be the twits then. Or, perhaps, they just avert their eyes, huh?

@countpoint No, I think that your use of dramatic, inflammatory and emotive language is a little inappropriate.

@personwithhorse No, anti hunt people are against hunting for sport, especially in a manner that leads to unneccessary risks for horses, hounds, pets, land and uninvolved bystanders in addition to the innocent foxes who have as much right to their life as you do.

Not all farmers will allow the hunt on to their land, never mind get involved. Hunting is certainly not reserved to the so called upper class, but think back to days gone; the 'upper' class rode the horses in fancy dress. This is what most people think of when they think of fox hunting. They may not be aware of all of the other parties involved as they are focusing on the red coats and horses. These days the people on horse back can of course come from any background.

Of course I 100% agree that anybody using language such as 'toffs' is not helping any cause.

unicorn

"The Hunt is a countryside tradition, keeping fox populations down."

"It’s very rare they actually catch anything"

So which is it? These are the two arguements used to justify fox hunting the most yet they're completely counter productive. If it's being used to keep numbers down, it's hardly affective if they rarely catch anything is it?

If a fox is terrorising your animals, by all means, take a shotgun and deal with it quickly and respectfully. There is no way of justifying the way the hunt "deals" with the poor creature.

Ha, cross post berta

I agree with you OP. The hunt apologists on the thread should be ashamed. There isn’t a single intelligent defence of hunting here, just insults and petulance.

I thought Fox hunting was banned in the UK?

So the argument here is the use of the word "toffs" and OP's original post?

And the humour is in their writing and the terror of an animal guised as sport?

Glad the priorities are straight then.