Fox hunting
Hunting with horses and dogs
A traditional sport, now often regarded as controversial
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of unarmed followers led by a "master of foxhounds" ("master of hounds"), who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.
Fox hunting with hounds, as a formalised activity, originated in England in the sixteenth century, in a form very similar to that practised until February 2005, when a law banning the activity in England and Wales came into force. A ban on hunting in Scotland had been passed in 2002, but it continues to be within the law in Northern Ireland and several other countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, and the United States.
Working terrain
All surfaces
Rest place/daily stay
Box
Horse characteristics
Mostly large framed, cross breed/thoroughbred horse. In England, these horses are specially bred for this purpose. A hunting horse is a well motivated, persevering horse and a keen jumper such as one could also envisage as an eventer.
Horses behaviour
The hunting horse is by nature an agile horse which, however, by the way it is used, finds its natural balance in movement, which makes shoeing mostly uncomplicated.
Shoeing location
Usual well lit and spacious location.
Advice
Hunting horses are shod following the hoof wall and short because when they are tired, they can quite easily cast a shoe. This short and tight method of shoeing means that one must pay attention that the period between shoeing sessions should be kept very short (approx. 5 weeks). Profile shoes combined with studs have proved to be successful in this type of sport.