what most of us knew already :)

[ycbm]

But even shepherds for instance have groups of dogs running free. Gundogs too. I accept shooting will follow hunting and go but surely you can’t ban using dogs to round up sheep?
Accept you could tighten legislation to make it an offence to cause nuisance.

What reason would there be for a shepherd to have a group of dogs running free on public roads and paths without sheep? If there are sheep being worked that's clearly not hunting.
.

 

[palo1]

Trail hunting is specific to foxhounds. So perhaps using that they could write some legislation. Exercising foxhounds with more than x number of people on horses accompanying (or similar). Would take out drag hunting too, but leave bloodhound packs safe.

But the prohibition of people accompanying dogs on horseback or accompanying on foot, even certain breeds of dogs would set a completely unacceptable precedent in law; that every civil liberties organisation and most politicians would find entirely untenable. Banning the right to gather...banning group association? Those are hallmarks of fascism/authoritarianism that would be entirely unacceptable in a democracy surely?

Those same things have proved virtually impossible even under terrorism laws I think. They could, of course, ban the breeding of foxhounds but then those who wanted to would simply add in a bit of bloodhound or something...I mean, perhaps you would want to ban anyone meeting with more than 2 dogs, just to make sure...

 

[palo1]

What reason would there be for a shepherd to have a group of dogs running free on public roads and paths without sheep? If there are sheep being worked that's clearly not hunting.
.

We take our sheepdogs, without sheep, to our grass keep and other grazing locations where the sheep are and back again very frequently, as many other farmers do. They are not on leads but are under control. I frequently have more than 2 or 3 dogs running free on the hill with me when I am riding. Sometimes my husband is riding too. We may be out for a couple of hours or more, checking but not actively working the sheep. Could we be mistaken for a pirate hunting pack? Possibly I suppose...

Of course the answer for determined hunters would be to have an old fashioned bobbery pack (mixed breeds of dogs) and hunt rabbits or rats which are exempt under the hunting act..

 

[palo1]

It'll be all the associated people with the group of hounds that'll make it clear it's not just a group of dogs being exercised - all the followers etc

Usually people exercising dogs in a group are on foot as well....

Well a pirate/unregistered pack of hounds usually hunt on foot with no accompanying field of dressed up followers, and they are generally very skilled at keeping a low profile. They may or may not have the permission of the land owner. They could well be even harder to catch if any law followed that model.

 

[Quigleyandme]

Has the government committed to banning trail hunting this parliamentary session as stated in their manifesto? I couldn’t see anything about this in the summaries of the King’s Speech I’ve read. Does parliament enact laws that aren’t included in the King’s Speech?

 

[Muddy unicorn]

Nothing in the King’s speech - technically they could introduce measures which aren’t in the speech but it would be unusual as the speech is supposed to set out the government’s priorities for the coming year.