A balanced view??? (Foxhunting - is this sport?)

Name: skittle

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Product:	Foxhunting - is this sport?
Date:	19/11/00 (988 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Enjoyed by foxhunters

Disadvantages: A cruel "sport"

Firstly, I would like to point out that I'm against hunting of any sort, not just foxhunting, I've also been a vegetarian for many years and I don't wear leather, etc, etc.

As such you would probably expect this opinion to be militantly anti-hunting, but I'm afraid that it won't be. I'm going to try to put forward a considered opinion for both sides, without letting my own prejudices interfere, this is such an emotive subject that most other opinions seem to be either strongly for or against, with none in the middle.

I must admit that I had to think long and hard before deciding to write this opinion as others who have written controversial opinions on this subject have received Not Useful ratings for what I consider to be well written and informative opinions. I expect I'll probably get Not Usefuls from some of those amongst you who disagree with my opinion, regardless of how well or poorly written you consider my opinion to be! I just ask that if you do give me a Not Useful that you leave a comment explaining why you feel this way.

OK, firstly what I believe to be the irrefutable fact of foxhunting:

Foxhunting is a blood sport and is cruel to foxes, the fox is terrified as it runs for it's life often over very long distances before being caught (though it is not always caught) and ripped to shreds by a pack of dogs.

I don't think that anybody, whether they are for or against foxhunting, could disagree with this point, but if you do all comments would be gratefully accepted.

It is true that there are people who rely on foxhunting for a living who would have to look for alternative employment if foxhunting were banned. Many of these people love their jobs and would lose their way of life, as it is at the moment, if they had to find alternative employment. However, I am not convinced that the problem is as large as that stated by the pro-foxhunting side, for example, ho
rses will still need to be shod in the winter whether they are hunting or simply being hacked out.

What concerns me more than this is what will happen to the animals used in the hunt if foxhunting is banned. I know several families who keep a couple of horses each so that they can hunt during the season. If they weren't hunting they would no longer have a need for so many horses, so what would happen to what could possibly be hundreds or thousands of ex-hunting horses across the country that are no longer required? I can't think of a viable answer as there aren't too many people out there who would want to own a horse even if they could afford one.

Foxhounds cannot be rehomed as pets as they have been trained to hunt and kill, no small furry animal would be safe living near to a pet foxhound. Foxhounds have been known to attack and kill your average household pet such as small dogs, cats and rabbits. This leaves the question of what would happen to the packs of fox-hounds throughout the country that would no longer be required. I have to say that I think many young, healthy dogs would be destroyed. I can't see any master of hounds wanting to keep a pack of animals when they are serving no purpose. Of course, there are alternatives to foxhunting, draghunting, which involves chasing a pre-laid trail to track down a man is one and I’m sure that foxhounds could be retrained to this way of hunting.

Most bloodsports have now been banned in this country, badger baiting, cock fighting and dog fighting to name just a few. I believe that it will only be a matter of time before foxhunting joins the list. However, those who hunt will feel that this, if it happens, will be an end to a very long and much loved tradition. Hunting is something that is instinctive to humans, this instinct still remains even though we no longer need to hunt for food in this country. The "thrill of the chase" is a very intoxicating
drug and a friend who hunts described it to me as "an unbelievable rush of adrenaline" she even compared it to the rush experienced when having sex. I mention this purely as some kind of explanation of what hunters gain from foxhunting, I do not believe that the "sport" should be allowed to continue and I must reiterate that I personally am against foxhunting altogether. However, I have discussed foxhunting with several hunters to get their perspective, I don't feel that I could present a balanced argument if I had not done this.

My own opinion is, I am sure, quite controversial. I believe that foxhunting is wrong and as such it should be banned, but I also believe that the British media have all jumped on the bandwagon to support and encourage the move to ban foxhunting, but have neglected the other so called "sports" which I believe should also be banned. Yes, foxhunting is cruel and barbaric, but it is no more repellent than many other “sports” out there such as shooting and fishing, it is just that this is the one that the Great British public have decided is wrong based almost entirely on what they’ve read in the papers. I wonder how many people who are against foxhunting have actually attended a hunt or spoken to a hunter to broaden their perspective? A very small percentage I would imagine.

A large majority of people who are anti-foxhunting still eat meat and wear animal products, vegetarianism is no longer fashionable. However, in my opinion animals that are slaughtered in abattoirs can suffer just as much as foxes that are hunted. There have been reported cases of “stunners” that have stopped working so animals have been slaughtered without being stunned at all beforehand. Sometimes animals are not killed outright first time, my friend used to work in a chicken factory and he told me that it was quite usual for chickens not to be killed first try and to go on to
the next stage of processing still alive. They died eventually but I can’t begin to imagine how terrified they must have been. Whilst were on the subject, what about all of those animals that are suffering, right now, as test subjects in laboratories in this country?

I’m aware that I’m beginning to stray from my original promise to sit on the fence in this opinion. I have not really mentioned the reasons why I’m against foxhunting, but these are generally the same as everybody else who has written opinions against it, namely that it is a cruel and barbaric “sport” and that there must be more efficient ways of culling. I would just like to leave with a parting comment that foxhunters are not “animals” as many people on dooyoo seem to believe, they are just people who happen to have different views to the majority and I don’t believe that in this day and age they should be persecuted for their opinions (surely the whole concept behind dooyoo). I am against foxhunting, but I believe that I have made a well informed decision based on research. Incidentally, I’m also a hypocrite as I feed my dogs on meat products, whilst criticising those who choose to eat meat!

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