Round here, it is a condition of the tenancies of the main local sporting estate that the hunt is allowed onto the tenants’ land, like it or not
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Isn't the PROW a footpath?Round here, it is a condition of the tenancies of the main local sporting estate that the hunt is allowed onto the tenants’ land, like it or not
But yes, unless you have such a clause, you can just refuse them access to your land apart from the PROW. The PROW muddles things.
We have two mares at the rescue who are permanently unsound after trying and failing to jump a high stable door in a panic. Personally, if there is the risk that the hunt is going to make her panic and want to jump out anyway I would have the top door closed so she doesn't try and not quite make it.
Please make sure any yard cats are safely indoors too, so many horror stories of people's pet cats being mauled by hounds recently it doesn't bear thinking about
but I trail hunt regularly and am often someone who sees other horses response to the hunt. I have had our neighbour demand that the hunt do not go down the lane past her house due to her insistence that her old event horse and young eventer 'will clear the fence and join you'. This neighbour has been adamant that if we are going to pass then she needs to put the horses on the lorry and 'go somewhere' in order to prevent serious injury and destruction to her horses and property - which of course, is logistically very difficult for her and for the hunt to schedule. In actuality if we are in this particular location and using the road then we just walk past, occasionally we trot. The horses really are not bothered one bit!! Those horses trot up to the rails bordering the property and watch us toddle past - that is all that ever happens!! We are not a large group however so I understand that a large number of horses might have a different impact to a small group. The most common response I see from grazing horses is to have a bit of a lark if we are very close then settle again. Feral ponies usually come a certain way toward us and then go off on a jolly but stay away. I do see people with horses in hand and those horses are usually well behaved - if somewhat interested and occasionally definitely 'prancing' ! I don't know about the horses that are stabled as a precaution against over-excitement/stress. My own horses are certainly interested if another hunt come past but do not go mad with excitement - once the other horses and hounds have moved on that is that. I would hope that horses and hounds pass through the property relatively quietly and quickly. 
I know this will be hugely unpopular
If I had a horse that was recovering from injury or was elderly I probably would put somewhere in with a radio to stop any unneccessary running about. If the fields that horses are in are likely to be used then either move or put in whilst the hunt is there. A decently hedged field would be my choice generally though. I know that badly behaved hunts are well reported here. Quite often a hunt with hounds will be much less trouble than is perceived and many people don't even know they have been past but I realise that viewpoint is not especially well received here. Just my input.
One is one too many. The cat could be a well loved companion animal. Disgusting what the hunt gets away with.
Sorry, Palo, but that is a typical response from the hunting community.I know this will be hugely unpopular
If I had a horse that was recovering from injury or was elderly I probably would put somewhere in with a radio to stop any unneccessary running about. If the fields that horses are in are likely to be used then either move or put in whilst the hunt is there. A decently hedged field would be my choice generally though. I know that badly behaved hunts are well reported here. Quite often a hunt with hounds will be much less trouble than is perceived and many people don't even know they have been past but I realise that viewpoint is not especially well received here. Just my input.
ETA - we have scheduled meets at a stud farm and other equine locations including a Riding School. The RS hosting us doesn't put a lesson on at the time we are on the yard but after that things continue as normal even though we are in the location. The stud horses grazing barely seem to notice and we stay away from the stallion yard. It is not necessarily mayhem just because of the hunt passing!
I don't think anyone would advise not taking steps for sensible risk management with domestic dogs and other animals either. Plenty of dogs wear muzzles when out and plenty of people fence their gardens to keep cats in or out so they're not at risk of being killed by a high prey drive dog.
But the hunt does kill cats, terrorise livestock, upset horses damage land and trespass. All in the name of sport. Yes of course pet dogs sometimes do some of these things but thats not a organised " sport"
