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HORSE & HOUND - NOVEMBER

The Associated Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare (APGAW) is very interested in YOUR hounds. In particular it is interested in what happens to your hounds after a hunting ban, which is taken as a given by the group. It claims to be ‘non political.’ It is passing sad that nothing to do with Hunting these days can be said to be non political. The composition of the group is worthy of note – the Chairman is a Labour MP, Ian Cawsey, who is not known for his active support for Hunting, otherwise it consists of two Vets (one of whom does research at Bristol University – the fiefdom of the egregious Prof Stephen Harris). There is one of the Head Sheds of the RSPCA, a man from the Dogs Trust and a rather toothsome secretary. Nowhere amongst them is anyone who has had first hand experience of the management of hounds, in kennel or in the field.

It is estimated that a Hunting Ban would affect some 27,000 hounds of various sorts in England and Wales. APGAW’s suggested options are as follows:

Keeping some dogs for breeding purposes

Retaining the pack

Re-homing some dogs

Drafting dogs to hunts abroad

Euthanasia

The Group claims to be concerned that the Hunting Breeds should not be allowed to die out and suggests that a small number be retained for breeding purposes. It does not give a reason for this, nor a reason for ‘retaining the pack’ – at whose expense, I wonder. I am sure that this would not be in hope of a future Conservative Government fulfilling its promise to reverse a Hunting ban. The Group wants the MFHA to hand over all details of hound pedigrees to the Kennel Club - that sink of ruin for any breed it can get its paws on.

The group is very strong on the welfare of redundant hounds and in this connection, those of us who have had first hand experience of kennel management in other countries would be very cautious indeed of ‘drafting dogs to hunt abroad’. I have studied the standards of kennel management in other countries and have found it to vary from the ‘excellent’ to the ‘abysmal’. I was once persuaded to draft some hounds to Portugal and it has been a niggle on my conscience ever since

The report is very strong on draghunting and spends several pages on this issue. I have nothing against draghunting nor ‘Hunting the Clean Boot’ and I can see a very positive place for both games – in no sense of the word can they be considered to be ‘Sport’. There are certainly places for them, where the ‘wild and natural sport of hunting’ can no longer be a viable option, due to roads and increased urbanisation. I have never followed a draghunt, but I have followed ‘Boot’ hounds – with a bit of imagination and flare, I can see that it might be good entertainment, but on the two occasions that I have observed it, it was as much fun as creosoting the stables. Neither game could be classed as ‘Hunting’ within the meaning of the Act.

I was once telephoned by the New York Times (no less) and asked to explain, very briefly, the difference between Draghunting and Foxhunting. Very briefly, I said that it could be compared to the difference between Masturbation and Fornication – the NYT gurgled a bit.

The bit that I did not understand in the APGAW report was the assertion that – ‘each draghunt needs as much as four areas of foxhunt country’ – what does that mean?. The report goes on to say – ‘it is difficult to predict how farmers will react to draghunting, following a ban on hunting live quarry with dogs.’ It also thinks it difficult to predict how hunt members will react to draghunting . I suspect that the answer in both cases is – ‘badly’

Homing is the jewel in APGAW’s crown and where it shows the depth of its ignorance about the Foxhound. The Foxhound has been bred for some 200+ years to hunt and kill. What’s bred in the bone comes out in the blood – you can take a hound out of hunting, but you cannot take hunting out of a hound. I have known a few old hounds who have gone into successful retirement – usually bitches who have gone back to where they were walked. On separate occasions, I tried to retire two old doghounds. They were old friends for whom I had great affection. Both cases turned out in the same way. Both old dogs seemed settled and content during the summer, wandering about the farm, but as soon as hunting started, they knew. In each case, as I walked across the yard, booted and breeched, they would follow me, pleading to come. In both cases, they then simply began to fade, refusing to eat and psychologically turning their faces to the wall. In both cases I had to put them down (APGAW calls it euthanasia) before Christmas. My good intentions made life a hell for Merthyr and Brewer. That was the end of rehoming for me.

Yesterday I stood on a high ridge with a party of hill shepherds. We watched the fierce Border hounds catch 3 well hunted foxes. The shepherds were delighted as were hounds. I cannot see either party adapting happily to draghunting, or, if it comes to that ‘rehoming.’

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