My friend saw a poor horse die at roadside yesterday.

This is terrible, they were lucky there were not more people in cars around to witness this as most people would have been shocked.

Kicking a horse that is down is not acceptable. A complaint should be made and the hunt should take it seriously. People like this will not change their behavior unless they feel that they might get chastised by the hunt, if they had cared what other people had thought they would not have acted like this on a public highway.

These people should be easily identifiable by the hunt staff as I doubt there would be more than one horse that died at the roadside on that day in that area and the hunt would know whose horse had died.
 
Ditto what everyone has said about contacting the hunt - you and your friend are presumably horsey people, what if you hadn't been and it was your first insight into a struggling horse, meeting a person hunting etc? What if you had been antis - that would have fuelled the argument somewhat and easily ended up in the press. God forbid someone could have videoed it on their mobile phone. I'd write a very strongly worded letter to the Masters and the Secretary. The young brat should be reprimanded as should their parent. Disgusting - totally disgusting. Quite honestly this is when I want to name and shame....
 
I think the hunt would have known about this poor pony but only in picking it up as fallen stock not the circumstances.

I think the hunt should be informed and pressed to do something about the people responsible and the mothers reaction.

I am pro hunt but I despair at how often hunting people seem determined to shoot themselves in the foot and there will never be a return to proper hunting unless this sort of thing isnt addressed.
 
Keep Trying said:
Absolutely agree, the Hunt needs to be publicly shamed - go straight to the Press:mad:
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Why?

I need to read this thread again I think.

But for now, as I understand it,

a Hunt follower not Hunt Staff was on a horse that collapsed and subsequently sadly died. The complaint seems to be with the action of the rider, what the heck has the Hunt got to do with it? It isn't Pony Club, they don't nanny their followers, it isn't their responsibility, especially if they don't even see it or are not aware of it.
 
It sounds awful and i am not saying the whole thing was right but it may have been that the child just didnt know what else to do to get his pony up.

So possibly he panicked and did what he could to try to get the pony up again. What I am saying is it may have looked like anger but may not have been anger.

I am not sure how I would react in the same situation but it must have been pretty frightening for the child. It is not a situation you expect afterall.


It is easy to sit in judgement but hindsight is a wonderful thing as they say...He may well be regretting his actions now.

As for the mother's comment, again, maybe that was how she dealt with it at the time. We all say things that we regret. My dad made a flippant comment after one of my horses was seriously injured. But he wept when i told him we were going to have to pts 10 weeks later.
 
I dont think anyone believes that the hunt is responsible for the behavior of the individual. However the person if suspended from the hunt for a while might think twice about their behavior in future if they think they might be sanctioned by it. Secondly the hunt might not want people treat their horses like that as part of their hunt as it might damage their reputation.a

I would also have expected the mother to at least thank the friend for bringing her son back as well.

Enfys said:
Why?

I need to read this thread again I think.

But for now, as I understand it,

a Hunt follower not Hunt Staff was on a horse that collapsed and subsequently sadly died. The complaint seems to be with the action of the rider, what the heck has the Hunt got to do with it? It isn't Pony Club, they don't nanny their followers, it isn't their responsibility, especially if they don't even see it or are not aware of it.
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Seems a very far fetched story! They were kicking the horse when it was dieing? Sounds unlikely to me.

Anyway, if it is true then I'm not sure what it has to do with the hunt, they probably had no idea what was going on! Not sure what they could do anyway, other than ban kid/mum from hunting in future.. but then all they would have to go on is what this random girl has said, who could well be making it up!

Thing this thread is a bit fishy!
 
Spudlet said:
Ludo, if your friend knows which hunt it was perhaps they might want to think about emailing the secretary to complain. Horses do get heart attacks sadly, but to kick a horse that has collapsed is absolutely unacceptable, and damages the reputation of hunting. Someone really needs to have a word with this rider and their parents and clear this up for them!
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totally agree this is appalling and give hunting folk a bad name !! we aren't all like that i make my riders stop if the horse gets a tiny cut!!! but if you can find out wo it is let us know and we can all complain!!!
 
Regardless of any action by the hunt and whether they do or don't know, or take any action, the fact is that the rider is a piece of shite and obviously so is the parent, must be a genetic thing, I feel very sorry for the poor horse.
 
Enfys said:
Why?

I need to read this thread again I think.

But for now, as I understand it,

a Hunt follower not Hunt Staff was on a horse that collapsed and subsequently sadly died. The complaint seems to be with the action of the rider, what the heck has the Hunt got to do with it? It isn't Pony Club, they don't nanny their followers, it isn't their responsibility, especially if they don't even see it or are not aware of it.
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To clarify what I said earlier, the rider / mum need naming and shaming and reprimanding within the confines of the hunt - NOT IN THE PRESS. This will add unwanted attention to hunting in general and just fuel the fire.

I do think it has something to do with the hunt - they should be aware that one of their participants has behaved in an unacceptable manor and hopefully they will speak to those concerned. Anyone potentially bringing the hunt into disrepute should concern the hunt involved. Since it was half term across a large part of the country it may well have been a Pony Club meet too. Anyway, what's the worse than can happen by contacting the hunt? They tell you to sod off, its none of their or your concern. In which case there are few options left to pursue.
 
Poor poor horse!
However, you are all saying the women was heartless perhaps she was in shock at what just happened? I know I would be and would possibly say something along similar lines. When you say young rider aswell, how young?

I also think going to the press is a bad idea! Just more bad light on hunting. Possibly try and find out what PC the child was in (if any) and speak to DC about the behaviour seen by this child.
 
Regardless of hunt/PC whatever and whoever was involved, this was a totally unacceptable way to behave when your horse has gone down and is quite obviously unable to get back up.

Some people just really don't know what they've got :(
R.I.P poor horse, at least you no longer have to suffer at the hands of someone who doesn't sound as though they deserved you
K x
 
Possibly it was a half term children`s meet,the Hunt Pony Club would prob be involved in that.The child def needs a good talking to from some Hunt/Pony Club official,and I am sure the Hunt involved would be keen that this was done themselves.Perhaps ban said child from any further hunts this season,that would be a lesson well learned. Involve the media? To what purpose? The child needs correction,not hunting as a whole suffering the consequences of one spoilt brat.:confused:
 
How absolutely horrific.

RIP horsey :(

Echo Spudlet, could your friend find out which hunt it was and complain? If it was me I would raise hell!!!! But then I always have had a bit of a temper :o
 
Starbucks said:
Seems a very far fetched story! They were kicking the horse when it was dieing? Sounds unlikely to me.

Anyway, if it is true then I'm not sure what it has to do with the hunt, they probably had no idea what was going on! Not sure what they could do anyway, other than ban kid/mum from hunting in future.. but then all they would have to go on is what this random girl has said, who could well be making it up!

Thing this thread is a bit fishy!
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Umm yes, clearly I have nothing better to do with my time than make up random drivel with my over zealous imagination, or my friend had an acute hallucinatory period over a short time span.
 
Enfys said:
Why?

I need to read this thread again I think.

But for now, as I understand it,

a Hunt follower not Hunt Staff was on a horse that collapsed and subsequently sadly died. The complaint seems to be with the action of the rider, what the heck has the Hunt got to do with it? It isn't Pony Club, they don't nanny their followers, it isn't their responsibility, especially if they don't even see it or are not aware of it.
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umm so if a person out hunting started swearing at passer by or any other totally inappropriate behavior that has nothing to do with the hunt eh ?? i think you will find that most hunts would find this disturbing especially if it has upset members of the public! all complaints are looked into and dealt with accordingly!!
 
doodleberry said:
umm so if a person out hunting started swearing at passer by or any other totally inappropriate behavior that has nothing to do with the hunt eh ?? i think you will find that most hunts would find this disturbing especially if it has upset members of the public! all complaints are looked into and dealt with accordingly!!
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I agree. The hunt does hold some responsibility of its followers' actions and can ban someone from joining them hunting in the future if the complaint is bad enough. They are the ones who organise the outing therefore incidents should be reported to them. Anyway I am sure they will be aware of a horse dying on one of their hunts? Even if the news didnt get to them straight away.
 
Havn't read all responses yet but got this far and had to respond :(
Hedgewitch13 said:
That's providing the Masters et all have the balls to do something about it and not brush it under the carpet. What disgusting people. I don't hunt and never will and that just reinforces my reasons why...
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I think it's very sad people have such perseptions of EVERYONE who hunts. I hunt and I'll tell you I would NEVER treat a horse like this and I don't know ANY of my hunting friends who would. But I do know a TOP event rider who killed there horse because they wanted to compeat it :( I have seen horses die out endurance riding because they have been pushed to far (I withdrew from one ride as I felt Lucy was struggling even though the vets were happy for me to continu. At the time I knew one horse had already died on course but the next day I learnt TWO others had died on course :eek: :( All because there riders wanted to make the distance :mad:) Sadly this kind of things happen in all walks of life. Please don't tar all hunters with the same brush.

Ludo Contact the hunt. They will prob be aware that a horse died but may not be aware of the cercamstances. I know if anyone behaved like that with any of the hunts I've been out with they would be band from the hunt. I would contact the masters. Go streight to the top of the hunt.
 
What a sad, sad end for that little horse. And what a hideous child.

Write to the Hunt Secretary and tell them of your involvement - and distress at the behaviour of the jockey. I would also ask them for a response to your concerns, with an indication of what steps they intend to put in place to ensure behaviour like that is not tollerated again in any shape or form.
 
Wagtail said:
Obviously gone hunting on an unfit horse. Sadly, to some people horses are little more than machines. It makes me sick.
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We can't tell that from the information we are given here. Could have been any number of reasons why the horse was fit to start the hunt but got into trouble.

What I can't quite get my head around is why the child rider was so far behind the hunt that they weren't seen in the act :confused: Do people really just leave a child and pony to get further and further behind? I have never been on a hunt, but isn't there a "sweeper," or at least a rule in place that children hunt with a responsible adult in charge of them?
 
I think every hunt should have a vet on standby to check horses throughout the day. Why should hunting be any different from other horsey sports in that respect?
 
what a spoilt brat, if that was me who witnessed the sad death then i would have gone to speak to the hunt master immediately, if he couldn't be found then i would be writing a letter to him explaining what happened and how upset i was to have witnessed this and also the attitude of the mother.

yes ok the mother might have been in shock BUT that still shouldn't have stopped her from showing concern for either the pony or the child. i know i would if similar happened to me. also we don't know the tone that she used to the OP's friend.

the child probably thought the horse was having a roll or a snooze so tried to get it up the only way he knew, it doesn't excuse what he did but if that's how he's been taught/brought up then what can you expect. i'd speak to the hunt master, find the pony club he is a member of and complain to them too. the mother needs to be embarrassed for allowing/teaching her child to treat an animal like that and also the child needs to have proper lessons in horse care.
 
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