# Hunt followers



## maryemayne (22 January 2016)

We live in an area where the hunt regularly go out to play in the fields.
However, the hunt followers have a tendency to block the roads, churn up vergeways, block people's driveways and generlly upset the locals.   Do other hunts have this issue and is there a way to make the whole hunt experience work for everyone including the poor locals . I have suggested that the support crew organise mini buses, with careful drivers. This would alleviate the traffic on the narrow roads and help prevent the havoc and destruction that large numbers of 4 x 4s and trucks invariably cause on single lane roads.

This is sent in the spirit of trying to help out hunt and everyone else involved (whether willingly or not) have a better experience.

thankyou to anyone who has a really positive and helpful suggestion.


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## AdorableAlice (22 January 2016)

If this is all happening you have a very good case to write to the MFH of the hunt in question and also the MFHA.

There is absolutely no reason the hunt should be causing havoc.


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## maryemayne (22 January 2016)

Thankyou. I have spoken with the hunt master, but he says that he and the followers can use the road as they want to. Their view is that they are doing nothing illegal.  WHich is true - unless they are actually hunting foxes.  But there are times when an emergency vehicle would struggle to get through. It also comes down to common decency, courtesy and consideration for others - which unfortunately is not always present.


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## Sandstone1 (22 January 2016)

Hunt has recently made a real mess in my local area, churned up grass verges to mud.
Who's responsible for grass verges, is it farmers or the council?


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## Countryman (22 January 2016)

Instructions sent around (to everyone-mounted followers are also guilty of parking in unwelcome places) can work suprisingly well. Just basic things like; 
Do not block driveways
Everybody must park on one side of the road only to avoid blocking it
Either drive or park up- no idling while waiting. This should be common sense as the nobody wants the sound of a car or the fumes confusing hounds.
Never park on mown verges 

Much of this is common sense, but it may need re-stating from time to time.


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## Orangehorse (22 January 2016)

Our local hunt operates an email system of messages regarding the next meet, etc. and they often include messages to remind people not to block gateways, park on soft verges, etc.  The verge is usually regarded as part of the highway.


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## popsdosh (22 January 2016)

selinas spirit said:



			Hunt has recently made a real mess in my local area, churned up grass verges to mud.
Who's responsible for grass verges, is it farmers or the council?
		
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Thats the 64,000 dollar question every body passes the buck if it suits them the council will say a set distance from the highway belongs to the highway however when things are going to cost they say its the land owner. The authorities have rights to do whatever they like to keep water draining from the road ie digging grips etc . however damage to verges is usually just ignored and left to its own devices.
It is a very complicated legal conundrum commonly if there is a defined boundary ie a hedge or ditch the highway extends to the extremities of those feature so the landowner is responsible for maintenance of the hedge or ditch., If the road is declassified at any stage the land reverts to the original owner .


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## swellhillcottage (22 January 2016)

yes - hunt followers are the bane of our heavily subscribed hunt - they are what upset anyone  more than anything else - they stop where ever whey like , block the road and never say thank you - bloomin nightmare!


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## marmalade76 (23 January 2016)

maryemayne said:



			Thankyou. I have spoken with the hunt master, but he says that he and the followers can use the road as they want to. Their view is that they are doing nothing illegal.  WHich is true - unless they are actually hunting foxes.  But there are times when an emergency vehicle would struggle to get through. It also comes down to common decency, courtesy and consideration for others - which unfortunately is not always present.
		
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I am surprised at this, IME hunts are keen to keep on good terms with everyone within their country and have always asked followers, mounted or otherwise, to be considerate to everyone and not block roads, drives, etc. If there is a joint master, contact him/her and the sec and keep complaining, it's things like this that do hunting no favours.


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## maryemayne (23 January 2016)

marmalade76 said:



			I am surprised at this, IME hunts are keen to keep on good terms with everyone within their country and have always asked followers, mounted or otherwise, to be considerate to everyone and not block roads, drives, etc. If there is a joint master, contact him/her and the sec and keep complaining, it's things like this that do hunting no favours.
		
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Thankyou all for your replies
Our hunt master came to the house to apologise for his cross words and the behaviour of the followers, so full marks here. At the end of the day, most people are reasonable people, and with enough brains on the matter a good solution could be found - but it takes willingness from all parties, so hunt followers - please do your bit too.

On the subject of verges,  we actually own the verges around our house, but becuase we put a fence in and left a verge, (which we maintain, mow etc so walkers can use it when cars pass) a hunt follwer decided to park on it. I asked him to move as was private property. I received verbal abuse and was told I didn't know what I was talking about.


SO - MESSAGE to hunt followers - don't assume all verges are your right of way - some aren't.

I think some verges are owned by home owners, some are owned by farm owners (as I was told yesterday) and some owned by the council. Certainly that seems the case in our area.

But churned up verges do detract from the otherwise beautiful surroundings of the countryside. It is a shame when this happens.


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## maryemayne (23 January 2016)

Of course the biggest issue really is the road safety when so many large vehicles are out on the small roads. I watch sometimes and wonder what would happen if an emergency vehicle wanted to get through. You can disperse a crowd of horses quite swiftly, large vehicles take a lot longer.


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## popsdosh (23 January 2016)

maryemayne said:



			On the subject of verges,  we actually own the verges around our house, but becuase we put a fence in and left a verge, (which we maintain, mow etc so walkers can use it when cars pass) a hunt follwer decided to park on it. I asked him to move as was private property. I received verbal abuse and was told I didn't know what I was talking about.


SO - MESSAGE to hunt followers - don't assume all verges are your right of way - some aren't.

I think some verges are owned by home owners, some are owned by farm owners (as I was told yesterday) and some owned by the council. Certainly that seems the case in our area.

But churned up verges do detract from the otherwise beautiful surroundings of the countryside. It is a shame when this happens.
		
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On this subject by erecting your fence you have marked your boundary so under the law as it stands the piece in between then becomes part of the highway. yes you still own the land in fact you probably own the land the roads on. however it is like footpaths and any other rights of way the general public can have free access. The authorities in this country actually own very little land that highways are built on they have merely over the years paved over the surface at public expense. if a road is made redundant the land automatically reverts back to the land owner.


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## popsdosh (23 January 2016)

maryemayne said:



			Of course the biggest issue really is the road safety when so many large vehicles are out on the small roads. I watch sometimes and wonder what would happen if an emergency vehicle wanted to get through. You can disperse a crowd of horses quite swiftly, large vehicles take a lot longer.
		
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The hunt master I am sure told what their problem is though ! they have no control over followers when they are are on a public highway . It is unfair to blame the hunts ,some try really hard however if the followers ignore them there is nothing they can do.


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## maryemayne (23 January 2016)

It's an odd issue then - as we put up the fence thinking of other people who want to walk along our verge, - and then some cars come along to abuse that good will.


Anyway - enough said.

The hunts people are OK.

The followers just need to show some common sense and consideration.  I am sure they wouldn't like it if we went and trashed & caused obstructions the area they live in in the same way they do to ours.


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## Orangehorse (24 January 2016)

Re Verges , as an ex Council Clerk, verges were often a bone of contention.  

I, and the Parish Council, understood that the landowner/houseowner, etc. actually owned the land underneath the road, to the middle of the road.  But the Council is responsible for the upkeep of the road surface and usually the verge is considered as part of the highway.  So if you put an obstruction on the verge like stones then you are obstructing the highway and if someone damages their car they can sue the person who put the stones out.  I had to write a few letters about this, but always had to word it carefully.  Even the Highways Department trod very carefully in this sort of case.

That is why a footpath or bridlepath is a Highway and the responsibility of the Council, even if the land underneath is owned by the farmer/landowner.


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## Tiddlypom (24 January 2016)

OP, I'm glad that you have now had a more satisfactory response from the master.

Whatever the legalities of ownership, if a verge is kept mown and tidy it is always unacceptable to park on it without first getting permission from whoever maintains it. I have had to ask a master to 'remind' their travelling circus of car hunt followers of this after they churned mine up.

Ditto re not parking in gateways - a masters MiL once parked her wagon across our house entrance at second horses to unload, and declined to move on when politely asked to do so by my OH. Her wagon then refused to start, and our sole vehicular access was blocked for the next 6 hours. When it did eventually get towed away, there were droppings and hoofprints left on our verge immediately outside the house. 

Yes, many hunts do make an effort to coexist amicably with residents, but sadly too many seem to carry on doing their own thing regardless.


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## Lizzie66 (25 January 2016)

Extracts from the local hunt's website re etiquette:

"Care should be taken not to hold up non-hunting traffic, cars, bicycles and walkers, it is easy to make enemies of the general public if the hunt blocks the road. Always leave enough room to allow motorists to pass easily, If a car comes up behind you pass the message 'car please' forward to the Field Master who should ensure that the Field is moved to a position so that the traffic can pass" 

"You should make sure that you aren't blocking a lane or driveway or park on a manicured verge. You shouldn't do anything that may cause congestion or inconvenience to other road users"

So certainly within our hunt foot followers are encouraged not to drive over maintained verges, parking so that we don't block entrances or roads and if for some reason the road does become congested we are also well used to spotting cars that aren't following and making sure we let them through at the earliest opportunity.


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## dibbin (25 January 2016)

...

(replied in the wrong thread!)


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## maryemayne (25 January 2016)

I guess we could simply move our boundary to nearer the edge of the road - making sure that walkers can safely use it the verge that remains. There are enough shrubs and hedges that we could let them grow out and possibly this particular issue would resolve itself.

It is also irritating that the hunt takes its name from a town some 15-20 miles away - so why they can't hunt on their own territory, I am not sure.

No-one minds people out doing their sport and having a good time (in fact we enjoy to see it)  as long as the courtesy and consideration for the locals comes with them. It's best if they can avoid the obstructions and destructions that the volume of large heavy vehicles seems to cause. It would be a happier time for all - and a great example for the younger generation


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