Fox Hunting
This controversial equestrian sport has roots that go back as far as the Greeks and Romans. What Oscar Wilde famously called "the unspeakable in full pursuit of the uneatable" actually began as a necessity for farmers to protect their livestock from the destructive fox. As early as 1534 farmers on foot used hounds to chase down and kill foxes for pest control. It wasn't until the 1700's however that Hugo Meynell developed breeds of hound and horse to address the new geography of rural England. Thanks to the Enclosure Act, what used to be open common ground was now dispersed among wealthy landowners and fenced off, requiring hounds and horses that were capable of jumping these new obstacles. Modern equestrian sports such as the steeplechase, point to point races, eventing and of course, the show ring hunters and jumpers can all trace their roots back to fox hunting.
Whether you are in it for the hunt or merely the thrill of the chase, you can find hunt clubs all over the world including Australia, Canada, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Russia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Hunt Day
The hunt begins once the field has been assembled in the rough or brushy areas called coverts where foxes often lay up during daylight hours. The huntsman blows a sharp, brief warning note to "draw," or flush of the fox out of the woods.
When a fox has been viewed up ahead, a view halloo (such as "Tallyho") is called by the rider who spots the animal, and this person is supposed to point his horse in the direction of the fox and hold out his hat. The huntsman sounds "gone away," a series of long and short notes in rapid sequence. If the pack of hounds manages to pick up the scent of a fox, they will pursue the fox and the hunters follow the dogs using the most direct route possible. Often involving going over fences, ditches and brush at up to 30 mph, this sport requires a good deal of athletic skill on the part of both the horse and rider. For this reason the hunt may be divided into two groups with one group, the First Field, taking the more demanding route while the Second Field (also called Hilltoppers or Gaters), takes the longer but less challenging route that utilize gates or other types of access on the flat.
A crafty animal, the fox can circle, double back or go through areas that don't hold its scent. Many times he's able to lose the hounds, in which case the hunt must stop. The huntsman then blows a few long mournful notes to tell the field of the missing quarry, and everyone waits till the hounds have picked up the scent once more, or "made a hit". The hunt sometimes loses one fox entirely and has to start all over again. This can go on for anywhere from a half-hour to an entire day.
The end of the hunt is, of course, where the controversy lies. It continues until the fox either evades the hounds, goes to ground or is overtaken and usually killed by the hounds. Seen by many as cruel and unnecessary, the sport has long been banned in countries such as Scotland, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway. It's only been recently that it was banned in the UK but there the debate wages on as proponents argue that it is an important part of rural culture, vital for conservation and pest control.
In the U. S. and Canada, killing the fox is strictly forbidden. Then again, in North America rabies effectively keeps the fox population down but the disease is virtually non-existent in England. It is inarguable that foxhunts do provide and maintain a good habitat for foxes and other game. In the U.S. they have been leaders in fostering conservation legislation and putting land into conservation easements.
Another version of fox hunting is drag hunting, which involves dragging an object over the ground to lay a scent for the hounds to follow. Drag hunts are often considered to be faster than standard fox hunts, with followers not having to wait while the hounds pick up a trail, and often covering an area far larger than a traditional hunt and may even necessitate a change of horses half way through.
Many of the sport's traditions, such as the formal hunt attire and the horn calls used to control the hounds, remain unchanged since those early hunts. Fox hunting involves many complicated social rituals and rules that are strictly followed to this day.
Hunt Organization
Britain, Ireland and America each have a Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA). This is the governing body for all foxhound packs whose goal is to maintain high sporting standards among its membership. It also deals with disputes about boundaries between hunts, among other things.
To be a member of the Association a hunt must have the necessary number of qualified hounds, proper kennel facilities, a hunt country of sufficient size that does not conflict with another hunt and an established organization. Most importantly, member hunts must agree to abide by the rules and guidelines, which include animal care and good sportsmanship as directed by the MFHA. Any practice that does not give an animal a sporting chance is contrary to the best traditions of the sport and is strictly forbidden.
A hunt can be organized in several different ways. It may be a private pack owned and supported by an individual, or it can be a subscription pack where members pay a fee to hunt and the hounds are owned by a club or a hunt committee. In the later case, the hunt committee appoints a Master or Masters. The majority of American hunts are subscription or membership packs. Their organization is similar to many golf clubs where you pay a fee to be a member. This money is used to feed and care for hounds and for hunt-associated expenses.
The season for foxhunting is from when the crops are harvested in the fall until the spring when they are planted. Since no one knows where a wild fox may take them, large areas of land are required to have a successful hunt.
The Hunt Staff
A Master is either elected or appointed to run the hunt. In theory, all who take part in it do so at his or her invitation, even when they pay for the privilege. Among other things, he or she has the difficult job of maintaining a cordial relationship with the owners over whose lands the hunt rides. If a master doesn't lead the field himself he appoints a field master. The field master's job is to keep the field of riders close enough to enjoy watching the hounds yet not so close as to interfere with the huntsman (who is typically a paid professional) hunting his hounds. The huntsman controls hounds by voice, his calls being known as cheers, and by his horn-a copper tube about 8 inches long that produces only two notes in a variety of combinations.
Whippers-in assist the huntsman in hunting the hounds. They are used to help assure that the hounds do the huntsman's bidding. The role of whipper-in in hunts has inspired parliamentary systems (including the Westminster System and the U.S. Congress) to use the term "whip" for a member who enforces party discipline and ensure the attendance of other members at important votes.
There's also a designated person who is responsible for closing gates and someone else who supervises juniors and hilltoppers (the slower riders at the rear of the field). The entourage of a hunt also includes grooms and second horsemen, who ride relief horses for the master.
Lastly there is the hunt secretary who collects capping fees (nonmember riders that are guests of members who are out for a day's hunting pay a small fee to ride with the hunt). The secretary takes care of the many administrative requirements of the hunt such as checking to see that horses have current coggins tests.
Attire
There is a formal dress code for foxhunters. Black leather boots, breeches, heavy or light hunting coat, a shirt with a tie or stock tie, leather gloves and a protective hat are required. Every hunt has two seasons: cub hunting when young hounds are introduced into the pack, and the formal season. The cubbing season allows for less formal attire called "ratcatcher". Ratcatcher normally refers to a dark sport coat or hacking jacket and a shirt and tie or turtle neck shirt. In warmer climates coats are not required.
When the formal season opens the master, huntsman, and whippers-in typically wear red coats called "pinks" with white breeches and black velvet caps. The nickname is derived either from the color a weathered scarlet coat or possibly the name of a famous tailor, no one's really sure which. Boots are generally English dress boots (no laces). For the men they are black with brown leather tops (called top boots), and for the ladies, black with a patent black leather top. In England, most hunts allow their members (both men and women) to wear red coats. In American hunts, only Masters, staff and gentlemen members wear scarlet. Women wear a dark navy coat with the hunt collar only. Some members add to the elegance and wear cutaway coats (red for men, black for ladies) with a top hat. In the case of some ancestral hunts run by noble families, the uniform may be green, yellow, or gray instead of scarlet.
Additionally, the number of buttons is significant. The Master of the hunt wears a scarlet coat with four brass buttons while the huntsman and other professional staff wears five. Amateur whippers-in also wear four buttons.
Other members of the mounted field follow strict rules of clothing etiquette. For example, those under eighteen will wear tweed jackets or ratcatchers all season.
The highest honor is to be awarded the hunt button by the Hunt Master. This means you can then wear the hunt collar (color varies from hunt to hunt) and buttons with the hunt crest on them.
Hunting gear, which has changed little since foxhunting began, is based on practicality. The heavy boots and breeches protect riders from branches and brambles. The stock tie, fastened with a plain gold safety pin, can serve as a bandage for man, hound or horse in case of an accident.
Fox Hunting In the United States
Hounds were first imported into U. S. in 1650. By the early 1700's, foxhunting was increasing rapidly in Maryland, Virginia and probably other colonies. The earliest surviving record of American foxhunting is for the pack instituted by Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax in 1747 in northern Virginia. The Blue Ridge Hunt today hunts over much of his former territory.
George Washington, the first president of the United States, was an ardent foxhunter. His wife, Martha, was also known to occasionally join him. Washington's diaries are laced with frequent references to foxhunts near the nations capital. On one occasion, hounds ran near the capital while congress was in session. Many congressmen ran outside, jumped on their horses and joined the chase.
In 1907 the Masters of Foxhounds Association of America was established. Since then, fox hunting has grown increasingly popular, from its traditional home back east to hunt clubs throughout the west. In 2007, there were 171 registered packs in the U.S. and Canada.
Today's fox hunter faces a very modern concern as more property is lined with wire fencing It is often necessary to obtain a landowner's permission to employ "panelling," since it is unwise to attempt to jump a horse over a wire fence which he cannot see. Panelling entails putting jumpable posts or boards over the wire; one such structure is the chicken-coop jump, which forms a sort of pyramid of boards over the wire fence.
In some arid parts of the Western United States where foxes are more difficult to locate, hunts track coyotes instead. The coyote is faster than the fox and has a wider range so a much larger hunt territory is required to chase it. They are also masters at running at various speeds depending on their moods and conditions. Some hunters say that coyotes run only fast enough to stay ahead of the hounds. Coyotes have often been known to run in relays with one animal deliberately replacing the original hunted coyote. When they want the hunt to end, they can easily accelerate away from the hounds. When the coyote gets tired of the game, he sometimes will enter a den of sorts which could be a hole under a tree or in a dried up creek bed.
Horses
Horses on hunts can range from specially bred and trained field hunters to casual hunt attendees riding a wide variety of horse and pony types. Draft and Thoroughbred crosses are commonly used as hunters, although purebred Thoroughbreds and horses of many different breeds are also used.
Hunters must be well mannered, possess the athletic ability to clear large obstacles such as wide ditches, tall fences, and rock walls, and have the stamina to keep up with the hounds. The modern show ring "hunter" owes its "daisy cutting" action to the field hunter, where horses with the most economical action and therefore the greatest endurance were the most sought after.
There is an old adage that says, some people ride to hunt, others hunt to ride. Certainly the thrill of galloping over the countryside on a fine horse that meets his fences well is a thrill for anyone.
Today's hunters have a special reward, the permission to ride over private and public land that still constitutes magnificent open spaces. No group of individuals is more aware of this privilege, nor is there a group more outspoken in their desire to protect quarry and preserve their environment.
