# Drag Hunting Opinions



## 98329769 (23 January 2013)

I'm doing a project for college about drag hunting to see if people enjoy it and if they think it serves a purpose. If you could leave your comments on if you enjoy drag hunting and why, and also if you think it serves a purpose (i.e. to excercise horses) then it would be greatly appreciated! 
Thanks,
Penn


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## ihatework (23 January 2013)

I enjoy drag hunting, in fact I tend to prefer it to 'fox' hunting.

I'm not a season subscriber, but have taken most of my horses out now and again with either Sandhurst or Berks&Bucks.

I prefer it as (in general) days are shorter, cross better and more even ground, generally the fences are better and you get to keep moving, rather than continually stopping and starting.

It is also cheaper to participate in with more flexibility for day caps.

For me I use drag hunting as a fun exercise/change of scene/fittening type exercise


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## combat_claire (23 January 2013)

I'm not a huge fan. I'm a foot/bike follower with our local foxhounds and the slower pace makes it easier for me to follow. I like not knowing where the huntsman is planning to draw and trying to out guess him using my local knowledge of which covert he might head for next.

I have also bike/foot followed on several occasions with the local drag hounds. They zoomed through coverts that take us a morning in 30 minutes. I had to cycle like the clappers and only just got back in touch as they finished the line. Picking one jump from the known line they will go through and standing by it just doesn't do it for me. 

I have also run for the drag hounds and realised that fitness for bike following is somewhat less than that needed to run with the trail. I didn't feel so bad as having been scooped up by passing MFH on kennels quadbike the hounds still kept pace with that going at full pelt. As MFH remarked that not even Linford Christie could have out-run them!!


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## cptrayes (23 January 2013)

I love it and I am a subscriber. It serves the "purpose" of giving me a thrill by galloping over land and jumping big hedges that  I can't get access to any other way. It's also great to do it in company with like minded friends.

I have previously used it to improve the attitude of a horse who was a sticky jumper, which worked, but I still went out principally because I wanted to, not because the horse needed it. 

Is that all you are looking for, or do you mean it in comparison to fox hunting?


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## Springy (24 January 2013)

I like drag hunts


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## marmalade76 (24 January 2013)

I like following hounds on horseback and don't care whether they're fox, drag, blood or harriers


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## turkana (24 January 2013)

I prefer it to foxhunting as it's cheaper.

I only go out autumn hunting with the fox hunt as it's so much cheaper, to go proper hunting regularly you need to take out a subsciption which I can't afford.

But with the local bloodhound pack you can pay for a few days (eg 5 or 10 ) so for me that's a much better option.

Even if I had the money to take out a full subsciption I wouldn't as I don't enjoy it enough to go every week, so for me buying 5 or 10 days is perfect.


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## Countryman (24 January 2013)

From a foot follower's point of view, it's pretty pointless...


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## Tiffany (24 January 2013)

Countryman said:



			From a foot follower's point of view, it's pretty pointless...
		
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Why?


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## ILuvCowparsely (24 January 2013)

98329769 said:



			I'm doing a project for college about drag hunting to see if people enjoy it and if they think it serves a purpose. If you could leave your comments on if you enjoy drag hunting and why, and also if you think it serves a purpose (i.e. to excercise horses) then it would be greatly appreciated! 
Thanks,
Penn
		
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I have done drag hunting loved it .  nice day out nothing killed and we kept on the move.


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## Countryman (24 January 2013)

Because you can't keep up and they go in a broadly straight line, there are few checks and no interesting hound work to watch. Trail hunting means you get to wait by the covert as hounds may find a trail, you have blank draws and blank days, checks for you to catch up, intricate trail laying and so on which challenges a whole pack of hounds and the huntsman. You don't get that with most drag packs.


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## ILuvCowparsely (24 January 2013)

Countryman said:



			From a foot follower's point of view, it's pretty pointless...
		
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Why??
 well you not supposed to enjoy it on foot!! your supposed to enjoy it on a horse. 

 My drag hunting days were full of action and non stop cantering or galloping and jumping.  We only stopped half way to let horses breath
*
 Drag hunting - they drag a sent behind a 4x4 for the dogs, so they always have a trail to follow *

 You get:

 being in the atmosphere
with dogs
with huntsman
good gallop
good safe jumps
nothing killed
the feeling on being on a real hunt without  the cruelty


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## Ditchjumper2 (24 January 2013)

Leviathan said:



			Why??
 well you not supposed to enjoy it on foot!! your supposed to enjoy it on a horse. 

 My drag hunting days were full of action and non stop cantering or galloping and jumping.  We only stopped half way to let horses breath
*
 Drag hunting - they drag a sent behind a 4x4 for the dogs, so they always have a trail to follow *

 You get:

 being in the atmosphere
with dogs
with huntsman
good gallop
good safe jumps
nothing killed
the feeling on being on a real hunt without  the cruelty
		
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But nothing gets killed....it's against the law.


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## ILuvCowparsely (24 January 2013)

Ditchjumper2 said:



			But nothing gets killed....it's against the law.
		
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I know but when I was drag hunting  it was the closest thing to real hunting without the death


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## Countryman (24 January 2013)

Absolutely, I'm sure drag hunting can be good fun if you're on a good horse and want a cross country gallop with lots of jumping. I was just saying it's fairly pointless for footfollowers, and I doubt those who hunt to watch hounds work find it much fun either.


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## irishdraft (24 January 2013)

I hunt with the bloodhounds which is strictly speaking clean boot which means the bloodhounds follow the scent of the human quarry. Yes you do see the hounds working as they are following the scent, which incidently is not in straight lines as the the hunt would be over very quickly, the runners/quarry put in loops and dog legs, excuse the pun, to keep the hounds really working. IMO you cannot beat a day on the south downs galloping along watching the bloodhounds work. Although could you argue all hunting, bar bloodhounds is a form of drag hunting, i know fox hunting is now called trail but at the end of the day its still a trail of scent dragged along, so when the fox hounds go to a covert, as someone has said, what are they actually doing ? looking for a fox or following the trail ? Anyway if i had a good hedge hopper  I would certainly go drag hunting with my local pack, they are renowned for madness !


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## Captain Crasher (24 January 2013)

Who was it likened Draghunting to "kissing your sister?"
As for no death! I hunted two  or three days a week for fifteen seasons and in that time saw five horses die out hunting( four belonging to the same family!). Also  in that time I went with the Draghounds twice, and both times saw horses die of heart attacks.


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## EAST KENT (24 January 2013)

A totally pointless form of "hunting", no real hound work,no anticipation of the unknown that might happen,boring,boring,boring. Not bothered to go out since the idiot ban,and never will.


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## cptrayes (24 January 2013)

Countryman said:



			Because you can't keep up and they go in a broadly straight line, there are few checks and no interesting hound work to watch. Trail hunting means you get to wait by the covert as hounds may find a trail, you have blank draws and blank days, checks for you to catch up, intricate trail laying and so on which challenges a whole pack of hounds and the huntsman. You don't get that with most drag packs.
		
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YOu get it with both the Cheshire Farmers and the North East Cheshire, exactly as described except the followers know where to head next to get a good view of the hounds working.


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## cptrayes (24 January 2013)

EAST KENT said:



			,no anticipation of the unknown that might happen,boring,boring,boring.
		
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This is a major benefit  for me. At my age now I have no desire to chuck my horse over a five foot hedge that no-one has checked for wire and a "safe-enough" landing. There's enough danger in it without some of the horror stories my fox-hunting friends tell me about jumping a hedge only to find a harrow or roller on the other side  

I also love the long gallops and it's a great advantage to that to have all the gates open in advance of us getting there and all the wire down on the hunt fences.


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## star (25 January 2013)

I love drag-hunting.  I started going because they hunt on Sundays and I work on Saturdays.  I have since tried bloodhounds and foxhounds but still enjoy draghunting the best.  I like knowing someone has checked the lines and jumps for safety yet I still dont know what is coming, whether that hedge has a drop behind etc.  It's fast and not so much tooing and froing which sends my horses la la.  Everyone seems really friendly and my horses have improved so much from going.


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## Hunters (26 January 2013)

It's horses for courses, thankfully there's the freedom of choice..


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## ILuvCowparsely (26 January 2013)

cptrayes said:



			This is a major benefit  for me. At my age now I have no desire to chuck my horse over a five foot hedge that no-one has checked for wire and a "safe-enough" landing. There's enough danger in it without some of the horror stories my fox-hunting friends tell me about jumping a hedge only to find a harrow or roller on the other side  

I also love the long gallops and it's a great advantage to that to have all the gates open in advance of us getting there and all the wire down on the hunt fences.
		
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 But Cp  I thought you were only 25

 This is exactly the point its all very well for you* east kent *-  but some people as they get older want the fun but with less risk to them and their horse.  Falling off breaking your leg when your young it is a bit different when your 40 + when you have to think of kids/ job/driving/ and your bones heal less quickly and are more brittle as well as people confidence is less when your older etc.


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## ILuvCowparsely (26 January 2013)

Captain Crasher said:



			Who was it likened Draghunting to "kissing your sister?"
As for no death! I hunted two  or three days a week for fifteen seasons and in that time saw five horses die out hunting( four belonging to the same family!). Also  in that time I went with the Draghounds twice, and both times saw horses die of heart attacks.
		
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I should have made it more clear. " no deaths" I meant foxes.
 I have been fortunate I have been mock hunting and drag hunting and Never seen a horse death.  I have heard of a few on sponsored rides though , so sponsored rides - hunting horse deaths do and can occur.


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## Nancykitt (26 January 2013)

Leviathan said:



			This is exactly the point its all very well for you* east kent *-  but some people as they get older want the fun but with less risk to them and their horse.  Falling off breaking your leg when your young it is a bit different when your 40 + when you have to think of kids/ job/driving/ and your bones heal less quickly and are more brittle as well as people confidence is less when your older etc.
		
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I find this really interesting because  I first started riding again after my 33 year break a year before the ban. A day out with our local hunt - a harrier pack - was considered a very 'tame' affair, described by some as 'not a lot more action than your average hack around the moor.' Not only that, rumour had it that this particular pack hadn't killed any quarry for several years, but that particular point didn't seem to bother anyone. 

The drag hunt, on the other hand, were thought of as gutsy, adrenalin-driven speed freaks. My daughters loved that sort of thing and that's how we ended up at the drag pack. 

I suppose things varied quite a lot across different parts of the country.


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## cptrayes (26 January 2013)

Leviathan said:



			But Cp  I thought you were only 25

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Well you are dyslexic     Reverse it and add some more


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## cptrayes (26 January 2013)

98329769 said:



			I'm doing a project for college about drag hunting to see if people enjoy it and if they think it serves a purpose. If you could leave your comments on if you enjoy drag hunting and why, and also if you think it serves a purpose (i.e. to excercise horses) then it would be greatly appreciated! 
Thanks,
Penn
		
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I forgot to mention Penn, that both the North East Cheshire and the Cheshire Farmers have a meat run. So they have a purpose in that they kill animals for the local farmers and also pick up animals which have died.  That's an essential service because it's no longer allowed for farmers to leave such "fallen stock" for foxes and birds of prey and nature to dispose of. 

They will also put to sleep old or infirm horses that people ask them to, providing a service to the local horse owning community.

As a subscriber, I had the benefit of a cheaper rate when I needed a horse put down last spring, and I also dealt with a person who knew me through hunting with me and could support me through a harrowing necessity.


A further benefit is the social events that are available - barbeques, parties, the Hunt Ball, dressage events, The Puppy Show etc


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## ILuvCowparsely (26 January 2013)

cptrayes said:



			Well you are dyslexic     Reverse it and add some more 

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 reverse it and add some more hmmmmmmm I will try

 52+35 =87?  is that closer???


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## cptrayes (26 January 2013)

cheeky cow


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## ILuvCowparsely (26 January 2013)

cptrayes said:



			cheeky cow 

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## marmalade76 (26 January 2013)

Nancykitt said:



			I find this really interesting because  I first started riding again after my 33 year break a year before the ban. A day out with our local hunt - a harrier pack - was considered a very 'tame' affair, described by some as 'not a lot more action than your average hack around the moor.' Not only that, rumour had it that this particular pack hadn't killed any quarry for several years, but that particular point didn't seem to bother anyone. 

The drag hunt, on the other hand, were thought of as gutsy, adrenalin-driven speed freaks. My daughters loved that sort of thing and that's how we ended up at the drag pack. 

I suppose things varied quite a lot across different parts of the country.
		
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This is more or less my experience also and why I no longer go out with bloodhounds!


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## 98329769 (30 January 2013)

Thank you all so much for the amount of replies I have had! They are all very varied answers which helps a lot and it seems to be that people are enjoying drag hunting more for riding but fox hunting more for watching the hounds work. Once again thank you very much for all of the replies and please feel free to add any more comments!
Thank you, 
Penn


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## UKa (30 January 2013)

Hi, I grew up in Germany where fox hunting has been banned for a ages and we never had anything but drag hunts or those where riders take on teh role of the fox and even hounds and there is no hounds at all! I thoroughly used to enjoy both these options and for the riding I don't see why you need to hunt a real fox...


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