Foxhunting Facts
- foxhunting may also be called "riding to hounds"
- the leader of the hunt is the MFH (Master of Fox Hounds)
- a private pack is owned by the MFH, who invites those he
or she chooses to hunt with, and pays all the bills, with
or without donations
- a hunt club has officers that appoint the MFH, and dues
from the members pay the bills
- a capping fee is charged to a non-member that wishes to
ride with the hunt
- an official fox hunt uses 12 couples of hounds (24
hounds)
- the hound's tail is called its stern, and if he wags it
during the hunt, he "feathers"
- a hound does not bark, he opens, gives tongue, throws his
tongue, or speaks
- hounds are bred for nose (ability to detect the scent of
a fox), cry (volume and quality of voice), drive (urge to
get forward on the line), stamina, and speed
- pups are whelped in the spring, weaned at five weeks, and
put out to walk
- out to walk means the pups are assigned to local
residents that care for them during their first summer and
fall, when they learn their names and other basic lessons
- cubbing is early season hunting with the function of
training young hounds to hunt and young foxes to run
- the Master of Fox Hounds is in command of the hunt
- the huntsman controls the hounds, assisted by the
whippers-in
- the secretary observes and reports the behavior of the
field to the MFH
- the field master is delegated by the MFH to control the
field
- the fox's head is his mask, his tail is his brush
- the fox is hunted because it is clever, and makes for a
good chase, and is seldom actually accounted for, or
killed, during a hunt
- allowing time for difference in watches is the correct
way to say the hunt is waiting for late arriving members
- a member of the field should stay a minimum of ten feet
from the hounds while waiting to begin, and further
during the hunt
- a horse's heels should always be pointed away from the
hounds when they pass the field before the hunt begins
- never get between a hound and the huntsman
- gone away means the fox has started to run
- a cast is an attempt to get the hounds back on the line
of the fox
- marking the fox to ground refers to chasing him
underground
- to babble means to give tongue on a scent other than the
scent of a fox
- to draw blank is to fail to find a fox
- a bye day is an unscheduled hunting day
- a check is an interruption of the run when the hounds
lose the line
- hold hard is a command to stop instantly
- ware is a cry of caution, "ware wire"