RF, William, Kate and cruelty to animals

[JumpingJiminy]

We don't often hear much about what the RF are up to with blood sports and sports that involve animal cruelty.

There's another thread on her about polo which I had no idea was such a cruel sport.

Yet William's happy to play. I know he believes his life's grift is pretending to save the environment and end poverty.

But in this age of increased awareness, more young people being vegan, or just more people more aware of cruelty, how does the Wales' involvement in cruelty to animals place them for future success as monarchs. Particularly when said younger people don't support them in the same way older people do.

Or is this all going to be underreported, and they'll do the usual shooting, and polo playing, etcetera, widening the gap between their relevance and younger people's expectations.

Wills in action! Prince of Wales shows off his polo skills in annual Windsor charity match - as cousin Peter Phillips and his new flame Harriet Sperling turn out in support | Daily Mail Online https://share.google/nsikS4mu2WWF6dEHs

Hmm yes, definitely true that some of the RF are terribly cruel to animals

One might even say criminally cruel

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/oct/31/monarchy.endangeredspecies

William was brought up with Polo, all his friends and relations will play. It's often hard to see something you have been brought up on as unusual and they will have convinced themselves its not cruel, the animals when not being ridden harshly will be very well cared for. Not enough people know enough about the sport (its so elite) that they will put much effort into calling people out on it. So I suspect polo will stay for those who can afford it.

Hunting, shooting, fishing are massively popular in the countryside where I live. Most people fish, lots enjoy shooting, game birds, rabbits and venison are sold in the local butchers. Many see it as pest control/sustainable farming.

I don't get hunting myself, couldn't do it for fun, but will happily choose a pheasant living pretty much wild shot locally over an intensively farmed chicken. I don't eat rabbits, too many bones.

Shame that comment was deleted - I’m fine thanks - to me it seems a bit weird to start a thread about animal cruelty naming ‘Kate’ in the title when other members of the family pose with big game that they shot for sport. Reminds me of William getting all sorts of shit for an affair for which there is no evidence, when it was Harry who partied naked with a bunch of women in Vegas while he was in a relationship. Or the PoW being accused of racism when Harry ‘don’t worry, she’s not black or anything’ is the one who has had to apologise for using racist slurs. His excuse as a man in his twenties btw was that he didn’t know 🤦‍♀️

@hoolahoophop Yes, countryside blood sports tend to have more relevance for some people who live in the countryside, but even in the countryside they're increasingly unpopular.

I get what you say about growing up with Polo, but he's a man in his 40s, has it not even crossed his mind that polo is cruel?

It doesn't chime with what his future people (for want of a better word) expect in modern times.

Both William and Catherine are passing on the normality of these sports within their family, so it's obviously nothing they find problematic.

Do they expect the relative complacency of the public today will continue even when younger people are older when he's monarch?

Why is polo cruel? DD went out with a guy who played polo and had his own horses. He was a farmer, not super elite. They were so well looked after. Once retired they were out in the fields. I've watched the Guards play locally, and their horses are also incredibly well looked after.

I wish they’d all pack it in and lead from the front, especially the monarch/Head of State and those charged with representing him.

Harry seems to have some particularly heinous allegations against him as well as many proven instances of appalling behaviour towards other living creatures. That must have been some heavy-duty palace machine in operation that protected him over the years. Arseholes.

And Harry hit Taylor Hawkins.

I agree on the bloodsports stuff but bringing Taylor Hawkins into it is a bit of a reach. It was a joke between friends, not an assault.

There are different kinds of hunting. If you eat meat then it’s very hypocritical to object to shoots where anything shot is eaten.

Harry seems genuinely awful towards animals. I often think back to that photo where he dug his spurs in so hard that his polo pony was left bleeding. Absolute bastard! 😢

It seems to be during the game, the type of draw reins, bits, etc that are used to keep the horses under tight control. Also the way their tails are tied, their heads tight up. They can get walloped in the head by mallets. They may be well looked after but the treatment of them during games is the issue.

I had a look at the other thread, I find it quite odd that on here its suddenly okay if William is playing polo and not seen as cruel to do so but on the other one it is. 🤔 surely if you think its awful if one person is doing it then its also awful if its shown another person is. How strange to have two threads but referring to two different people doing it and the responses are completely opposite.

I think its awful that both of them (Harry and William) continue to do it knowing how much they horses suffer or go through.

has it not even crossed his mind that polo is cruel?

How is polo cruel? OP - is this because its an intense physical sport, or do you believe that the ponies welfare is compromised off the field, and that they are not looked after?

They weren't friends. Harry had his 2 guards beside him so that Taylor couldn't hit him back. Taunting his privilege at him.

Weird the threads being started lately - we had Harry and Meghan producing a film and then Harry playing polo. Unfortunately he got a bit of a pasting for animal cruelty there, but no matter, easily countered by this thread - William and Kate are cruel to animals. Is something afoot or is it just that we hear a fair bit from the RF around Christmas, with the Christmas cards, the carols, stories about who is and isn’t going to Sandringham, the walk to church, king’s speech. Must be hard to compete with I suppose 🤔

Their tales are tied up ( below the bones - it’s only the hair that is bent!) to stop the mallets getting caught up in them. The horse’s legs are heavily padded to protect them from the ball and the mallets. Breast girth to help hold the saddle in place when the riders are leaning out to the sides, standing martingale because it’s less likely to be caught up when you’re jostling for the ball ( the less straps the better !) the ponies might well look like bondage victims, but it’s almost all there and like it is for everyone’s safety ( but yes, multiple reins and the gag / Pelhams that most use aren’t the nicest sometimes.)

I started this thread because on the other posters were not happy that William was mentioned on a thread about Harry, yet here you are Noonames determined to derail this thread and make it all about Harry, too.

Well done, you've succeeded and we can all go quietly now. No criticism of William allowed.

I'll quite happily ditch this thread and talk about William in the other one.

You’re mixing up two different things. It’s not that you have a poster saying it’s cruel when Harry does it but not cruel when William does it.

You’ve just got some posters who do think it’s cruel and some who don’t commenting on two different threads.

Personally I didn't see the other threads.

....but why mention 'Kate' in the title? Is Catherine cruel to animals?

So you wanted a thread to specifically criticize William and Kate?

Horrible monsters the lot of them.

Animal welfare is normally number one priority in any equestrian sport with rules and regulations as you would expect. Bleeding ponies should swaped out and not played. Horses suffer worse cruelty outside the sports which goes unnoticed/under the radar. I would be more concerened for the welfare of retired/injured ponies and where they end up.

She participates in shooting, and as a family they're bringing their children up with similar values. Together they're going to be king and queen consort. The OP was about the whole, ethos if you like, and how it chimes with younger generations.