Horseback hunting, a sport with ancient roots, is carried out in groups and involves the use of packs of dogs, which are tasked with tracking down and flushing out prey. In France, hunting is generally directed at deer, while fox hunting is a more typically British tradition. As a sporting discipline, in most European countries, horseback hunting does not involve killing the prey; rather, the hunt is simulated and the dogs are trained to follow the artificial scent of game – the “scent layer” – previously scattered along the route.

ORGANISATION OF THE HUNT To ensure that a horseback hunt runs smoothly, several key figures are essential: the Master, who is responsible for organising the event; the Field Master, an assistant to the Master who manages the hunt participants; and, of course, the “Field”, i.e. the group of participants. In addition to these, there is the Huntsman, who is responsible for training and managing the pack of dogs, and his assistants, called “whippers-in”, who support him in managing the “Pack”, usually consisting of Foxhound dogs.

To call the dogs, spur them on and keep them under control, the huntsman and whippers-in use the famous hunting horn and long whips.

Participating in a horseback hunt requires strict etiquette, which includes formal attire. Equipment includes light-coloured riding breeches, knee-high boots, a white shirt and the characteristic red jacket. In addition, different coloured bows are used to distinguish less experienced horses, which are positioned at the rear so as not to hinder the rapid movements of more experienced horses, or those that are particularly excitable or rebellious.

HISTORY OF HORSE HUNTING

The first recorded fox hunt took place in the county of Norfolk, in eastern England, in the mid-1500s. For a very long time, hunting on horseback was a form of population control for wild animals considered particularly dangerous or harmful to agriculture and rural activities in general in certain countries: this is the case with wolf hunting, typical of some regions of France, and wild boar hunting, typical of the Maremma and Sardinia areas.

Nowadays an important social gathering, fox hunting has been banned by law since 2005 in the very countries where this tradition originated, namely England, Wales and Scotland.