Fox Hunting News

June 21, 2010
British foxhunters are encouraged by signs of improved relations between government and hunting. It was not only what was said, but where it was said that raised hopes.

Jim Paice, the new minister of DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), last week reiterated the coalition government’s commitment to a free vote in parliament on the repeal of the Hunting Act of 2004. What's interesting is that Paice made the statement at the Annual General Meeting of the Masters of Foxhounds Association—the first time in memory that a DEFRA minister has attended that event.

June 13, 2010The League Against Cruel Sports (LACS) claims in their annual report that two thirds of British hunts flout the Hunting Act by continuing to hunt wild mammals. The League urges stricter policing. Countryside Alliance spokesman Tim Bonner counters that thousands of hours of police time have already been wasted “investigating pointless allegations.” The hunting community, in its fight to strike down the Hunting Act, argues that the law is unworkable as evidenced by the collapse in the courts of all prosecutions since January 2008. “There is no justification for any organisation wasting further public funding, especially when public service is under such financial pressure,” says Bonner. Reported by Horse and Hound.

June 9, 2010
MIDDLEBURG, VA – The Board of Directors of the National Sporting Library has announced a name change for the institution. It is now known as the National Sporting Library and Fine Art Museum.

June 6, 2010Author Babette Cole describes her literary creation, Fetlocks Hall, as “A Very Unusual Pony School Where Extraordinary Things Happen.” Shades of Harry Potter’s alma mater, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Pony-mad Penny Simms, overjoyed at winning a place at Fetlocks Hall, soon discovers that she also has a chance to acquire secret knowledge about horses and the magical unicorn world of Equitopia. The requisite conflict between good and evil is provided by the struggle between the unicorns and the devlipeds, an adventure in which Penny soon becomes involved. Written for children aged eight to ten, Cole’s series has struck it big. Sales of her first two books, The Unicorn Princess and The Ghostly Blinkers, sold nearly nine thousand copies in the first week, according to Horse &Hound. Cole’s new series is published by Bloomsbury, the same publisher as Harry Potter. Unfortunately, political correctness there required the author to remove all references to hunting. “They now go team chasing instead,” said author Cole. To read the entire story, click here.

May 27, 2010Kentucky Equine Research (KER) has launched a new equine nutrition e-newsletter, available weekly to those who sign up. Topics such as horse supplements, colic, senior horses, and hay will be covered. In the current issue, there is a fascinating article on managing horses on high fructan pastures — what most of us refer to as spring grass. Warm days and cold nights lead to the storage of certain sugars in the lower two inches of the grass stems that, when passed into the hind gut, produce lactic acid, one of the most direct causes of colic and laminitis. Questions as to the best time of day for grazing, why heavily grazed pasture might not lessen the danger, and which types of horses and ponies are more or less susceptible to the problem are discussed. Hind gut buffer products which help horses neutralize lactic acid are also mentioned. KER, located in Versailles, Kentucky, is an international equine nutrition, research, and consultation company serving the horse owner and the feed industry.

May 20, 2010
BBC News today announced that the Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition document promises a free vote in Parliament on the repeal of the 2004 Hunting Act. That’s good news to pro-hunting forces. Notwithstanding earlier promises by Conservative candidates, the forced coalition with the Liberal Democrats had cast doubts on the ability of Conservatives to fulfill their promises for a free vote.

May 15, 2010
Conservative candidates promised a free vote in Parliament concerning the Hunting Ban if elected. They were. Now what?

Ending thirteen years of a Labour-controlled government, Prime Minister Gordon Brown relinquished his office to David Cameron after voters returned Conservatives to power. The Conservative victory has led pro-hunting Members of Parliament (MPs) to call for an early vote on the contentious issue. They insist that their credibility would be shot if the vote were to be delayed. There’s a hitch, however.