SMILE!

Spudlet

Spudlet

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I had the experience of meeting the local hunt on Saturday while I was in my car, driving to a local dog walking spot. Of course, I slowed down and gave the horses all the space they needed. I even made eye contact with the riders and smiled, as one does in these circumstances.

Would it have killed the miserable sods to smile back???

I later got stuck behind them AGAIN, and this time pulled over and got out to watch the hounds work for a bit - once again, as far as the mounted followers were concerned I may as well have not existed (to the point that I almost got squished by a woman on a rather fat cob careering down the road, despite the fact that I was well up on the verge to be out of her way). It's lucky the foot follower I got chatting to was as different again - very welcoming! Otherwise the hunt would have come out of this looking very bad indeed.

The sport of hunting is hardly universally popular and rude, miserable followers like the ones I met do you no credit at all. Shame on them!

For goodness sake, crack your faces once in a while... I can assure you, it won't kill you!
 
Spudlet said:
I had the experience of meeting the local hunt on Saturday while I was in my car, driving to a local dog walking spot. Of course, I slowed down and gave the horses all the space they needed. I even made eye contact with the riders and smiled, as one does in these circumstances.

Would it have killed the miserable sods to smile back???

I later got stuck behind them AGAIN, and this time pulled over and got out to watch the hounds work for a bit - once again, as far as the mounted followers were concerned I may as well have not existed (to the point that I almost got squished by a woman on a rather fat cob careering down the road, despite the fact that I was well up on the verge to be out of her way). It's lucky the foot follower I got chatting to was as different again - very welcoming! Otherwise the hunt would have come out of this looking very bad indeed.

The sport of hunting is hardly universally popular and rude, miserable followers like the ones I met do you no credit at all. Shame on them!

For goodness sake, crack your faces once in a while... I can assure you, it won't kill you!
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Spudlet you are so right.

I and my family have hunted for generations and I have been banging on about this for years.

Why The Field cannot smile and appear friendly is a complete b....y mystery. Far too many Johnny and Jill come latelys far to far up their own arses are running hunting!

I started a thread on this very subject back in the summer copied below:

Too many who hunt are unfriendly and get hunting a poor social reputation

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SIZE="2"]As promised in a previous thread I was going to have a tirade about people who go out hunting who fundamentally are so stuck up and unfriendly they get hunting generally, a bad name.

I once said to such a lady, "you are far too starchy why don't you talk to people". The reply, "my dear they might be a tenant on the estate". I told her straight to her face, "if you don't know all your tenants by name (christian) then you should not be out hunting". Happily she took my comment to heart and is now the life and soul of the party.

Gentlemen are no better, especailly those who work in the City!

It gets worse of course because too many people once on their horses are incapable of smiling - why for goodness sake - smile at people it is the obvious way of appearing friendly. A smile is worth a thousand words. Oh I know the whole experience is so nervewracking because you are unsuitably mounted. Why, because conceit gets the better and one wants to be seen on a smart horse but one that you cannot handle one side of and you would be better off on a nice old hairy cob!

Then there are those who simply will not lift a hand or acknowledgment to those who slow up in vehicles - I hear, "oh but I can't take a hand off the reins and I must have two hands on the reins". Well tough, learn to ride with one hand and teach your horse to put up with it!

Gates, that's another issue, when somebody on their feet is gracious enough to open a gate, don't just gallop, walk or trot through without thanking them. The number of 'tarts' and 'ponces', yes I shall call them that, who ride through a gateway where the gate has been held opened for them without so much as a word of thanks is astonishing. Alternatively those who are in a line of the field passing through a gateway and cannot say 'gate please' is equally astonishing.

Turning to conduct in the hunting field, too too many people go out and connot be bothered to talk to anybody, except those who they think are their social equals or above, if they think they are going to elevate their so called local position in society.

Ok so this does not apply to the majority but anybody reading this will doubtless, mentally put names to one or two who are members of their hunt.

Remember, SMILE AND THE WORLD SMILES WITH YOU [/SIZE][/SIZE]
 
Have to agree, Spudlet.

I too get pretty sick of coming across the Hunt, smiling in a supportive, friendly fashion and either getting looked at like I'm a piece of dirt or ignored.

Like the occasions when I have been driving and the Hunt are up ahead, the road is blocked by both mounted and car followers and no one even looks round, let alone acknowledges that I may be being held up by them...:mad:
 
I used to follow this hunt before I left home, I was very disappointed to have met them again and to have found them so rude. Although fair play to the ONE rider who acknowledged my presence and thanked me for waiting - she stood out far more than she should have done.

The whole lane was blocked when I met them the second time, in fact the nice foot follower thought I was about to give her grief about it when I pulled over and got out... in fact I just wanted to watch the hounds work. I wouldn't have felt comfortable staying longer though, which is a shame as I always used to enjoy following and watching the hunt progress.

JM I am glad I am not the only one that feels like this! Good manners cost nothing, and they can make a real difference to how a person, or a group of people in this case, is perceived.
 
And that is why I do not hunt anymore!! There I said it! My local hunt are the worse and I don't care who knows it a certain lady master was awful. I went done the job I was supposed to do and learnt a lot (while others were oblivious of hounds working etc) I cannot believe that some people that hunt have poles 20 ft long up their arses trust me I would like to remove a few and smack them round the head. Sorry for rant and possible removal of post but I do not hunt anymore because of some of these unfriendly miserable people how sad is that.

Saturday will be interesting when they come through ours!
 
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Most of the local hunt here are stuck up there own backsides, and clearly can only commence conversation when they have been informed of wealth, or could be a relation of X. Alot are now in their twilight years (Iam being polite!!) and are very set in their ways. Its not what you do, but who you know!!
My dad once experienced a VERY rude mounted follower.... 'move out of the f ing way...' and then hit my dads landrover with his hunting crop in fury. My dad was briefly following the hunt and was in no way 'impeding' the field. What this man didn't know, was my dad is a land owner and has some (not much mind!) authority within the hunt circle. He eventually got an appology from the hunt. (not that that goes far, as above words have been said to a child too!)
I think its no wonder that non horsey people associate hunts with snobbery, wealth and damn right rudeness, sadly it does show, and sadly it doesn't look good from the hunts perspective.
 
i always make a point of smiling and thanking drivers who stop for us, we did a lot of road work yesterday and my hand was almost permanently up in a wave, but i appreciate them slowing down for us. i have to say, i dont see many other people take the time to thank them - normally too busy yapping!
 
It is peculiar isn't it. So many mounted followers seem to be oblivious of the fact that there are other people trying to use the road and that they are causing a fairly unreasonable obstruction. On Saturday out cubbing, at one point I was the only one acknowledging cars. And most of the people who were out aren't up their own backsides! I just don't understand where it comes from. Maybe they don't ride on roads on a day to day basis? Although no doubt they all drive on them.
 
I also always try to wave and smile at everyone. Some of our subscribers don't even smile at each other.....

One day last year I threw a complete temper tantrum as we were hacking from one covert to another along a busy road and no one else seem to be paying any attention. When we got to the next covert I got permission from the masters(one is my OH) to give the whole field a *******ing and at the end of it I got a round of applause. I also reminded people at the AGM this year. Since then the field have gotten 100% better about road users and smiling and waving and generally using their forgotten manners!
 
This is just awful to hear, what a shame, I can say it is the opposite with the bloodhounds that I go out with (Coakham Bloodhounds) they are just lovely to everyone, we don't go on the roads very often but when we do everyone waves and says thank you.
 
Am tempted to email the hunt and tell them what I thought, not sure I'd get very far though.

It was actually always a goal of mine to hunt with them when I had a horse... not so sure I'll bother now! I can't imagine I'd be made welcome. Maybe I'll try the bloodhounds instead:)

HMIE, the first lot were lucky I had nowhere safe to park or they would have had their ears bent for them... rude riders on the road are a HUGE gripe of mine in all circumstances!
 
In fairness to hunts its horse people in general. I know a woman who stops cars (because she is a nervous rider not because her horse has ever done anything wrong) then doesn't bother to say thank you/

The old boy and I are very well known because we always smile, wave, stop for a chat. If someone slows down a little we thank them alot and always show teeth in a big grin to make sure the driver knows we are thanking them. They usually slow down more and more then eventually say hello!

I see many riders not bother to say thank you - then we have the gall to have a go at drivers for not slowing down!
 
I agree, I can't stand rude riders, and have been known to yell thanks, grin like a maniac AND give a thumbs up all at once for nice drivers:D:cool: It's a wonder I haven't been carted into a hedge by some terrified horse that can't understand why their rider has been transformed into a loon:o

But I think hunt followers should be especially courteous, as generally it's not one or two horses but a huge wodge of them (technical term there:p), potentially causing no end of delays - AND they are easily identifiable as hunters due to their clothing so their rudeness reflects badly on the sport as well as on them.

Also, the argument that the antis are thugs etc etc is weakened by hunters behaving badly... yes, I do know the score on that one and I know the antis can go much further than a bit of rudeness, but the average member of the public may not know that.

So smile like so :D and the world will smile with you;)

ETA after all you have the ability, time, horsepower and let's face it, funding to ride over some amazing country, so you have got something to smile about!
 
OP I have so much sympathy with you! As an example, where I lived previously, the local pack (very well known name) were fine to hunt with but a different matter when encountered in a car. On one occcasion where they'd held up a main road for fifteen minutes (totally ignoring every driver who'd stopped) on my way to the village and then for same amount of time on the way back I was fortunately in a postition to wind down my window and blast the hell of them while changing tone and thanking the gate-shutter profusely for being the ONLY person who had shown any good manners. Was glad to see some red faces!
It is this kind of behaviour that gives hunting a bad name and after all the Countryside marches etc it beggars belief that people have not taken this on board! AAAAArgh!
Rant over.
 
Well, I did email them in the end, and got a very nice email back apologising and saying that it would be passed on to the Master in charge. So I'd like to think that a few ears will get bent at the next meet, and the next time I see them they will all be grinning like maniacs at everyone they meet:)

And if that helps the image of hunting, that's got to be a good thing!
 
Spudlet said:
Well, I did email them in the end, and got a very nice email back apologising and saying that it would be passed on to the Master in charge. So I'd like to think that a few ears will get bent at the next meet, and the next time I see them they will all be grinning like maniacs at everyone they meet:)

And if that helps the image of hunting, that's got to be a good thing!
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Excellent! Well done you for biting the bullet. Let us know the difference!
 
At every meet your field master should give a good do's and don'ts about the land you are crossing, where to tread where not to, they should always say remember the traffic, but it should be common sense to thank people surely, most in one of our local hunt look to scared to raise a hand to thank people and they are the long standing let alone the new commers.
 
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