1. This submission is made by the British Horse Industry Confederation (BHIC), which was formed in 1999 to promote the interests of the equine industry as a whole and to enable the industry to speak to Government with a single voice in order that its importance, priorities and needs were better understood. The BHIC brings together, for the first time, the major bodies in the thoroughbred and non-thoroughbred sectors. Its constituent members are the British Equestrian Federation (BEF), the British Horseracing Board (BHB) and the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (TBA). (Further details are attached at Appendix 1.)

2. The BHIC represents an industry of the following dimensions:

3. In this submission, the BHIC has been mindful of the need to provide evidence only on the way in which the horse industry would be affected should hunting with dogs be banned. It offers no comment on the practice of hunting with dogs.

4. The BHIC therefore sets out its views in response to questions 2, 3, 4, 13 and 9 (in that order) of the Committee’s request for evidence, covering the Rural Economy, Animal Welfare and Social and Cultural Life of the Countryside.

5. Most of the bodies represented either directly on or indirectly by the BHIC have already published statements which indicate, to a greater or lesser degree, that, should hunting be banned, there would be a negative impact upon their sector. A number of these bodies will make their own submissions to the Committee elaborating on these statements. These recognise the interconnection between hunting and other branches of the British equine industry.

Question 2. What evidence is there as to the importance or otherwise of hunting with dogs to the rural economy in general and/or to particular areas of England and Wales?

Question 3. What evidence is there about the likely impact on the rural economy if hunting with dogs was banned completely?

6. BHIC notes the Committee’s intention to arrange for the preparation of statistical information on employment and expenditure associated with hunting with dogs. However, BHIC would draw attention to the 1998 report for the Countryside Alliance, "Employment Generated By Foxhunting in Great Britain", by Produce Studies Ltd, which stated that there were 37,000 horses owned by Hunt members which were regularly hunted, and a further 25,000 horses hunted by non-members, either owned or hired, making a total of 62,000.

7. In addition to the 178 registered packs of foxhounds, there are 15 packs of Harriers (a further five packs are registered as foxhounds) and three packs of staghounds. It is estimated that these 18 packs use some 3,700 horses, giving an overall total of 65,700 horses and ponies used in the hunting field.

8. The above figures indicate that hunting as currently practised is now the largest user of horses and ponies of any equine activity in Britain.

9. A ban on hunting would lead to the abrupt removal of viable roles for a very significant proportion of working horses. These horses require the full time responsibility of stable staff and incur considerable expenditure in the provision of their care and in ensuring their well-being.

10. Some horses engaged in other roles may be used sporadically in the hunting field, but a full-time working hunter is a specialist animal, distinct from types of competition animal. The majority would not be attractive to buyers as potential converts to competition, which is becoming increasingly specialised.

11. BHIC notes that Produce Studies’ report indicates that total annual expenditure on fox hunting in UK is over £243m. Equine costs for foxhunts, by far the largest form of mounted hunting in UK, are as follows:

12. The employment implications of the above are very considerable. The Produce Studies report states:

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Question 4: To what extent could any detrimental consequences of a ban be offset by greater participation in drag or bloodhound hunting or other activities or by other measures?

13. The severity of the effect of a ban on hunting with dogs on the equine industry depends very significantly on the extent to which other types of hunting are taken up. Clearly, the greater the substitutability of forms of hunting, the greater the number of horses that could be expected to continue to be gainfully employed should one type of hunting no longer exist.

14. Whether alternative pursuits would prove equally popular and continue to be staged on the same scale as existing hunting practices is a key issue in considering what would happen to the tens of thousands of horses in question.

15. The BHIC believes that it is unrealistic to assume that, after a ban on the hunting of live quarry, drag hunting or hunting with bloodhounds would employ virtually all the horses and ponies currently used in traditional hunting.

16. There are several reasons for this:

Question 13. What evidence is there at present about the effect of hunting with dogs on the welfare of the quarry species or on the welfare of other animals, including those used in hunting activities and domestic pets and farm animals which may be affected incidentally?

17. A horse kept for hunting is exceptionally well cared for and looked after: as with any athlete, it is essential that its fitness is properly maintained and fine-tuned. Indeed, the same is true for horses in all the spheres represented on or by BHIC.

18. The organisations represented on BHIC already work closely in conjunction with a variety of horse charities to prevent and alleviate the problems which can arise involving some horses and ponies who no longer fulfil this primary role and/or who have little or no economic value. The number of such cases is relatively small, but nonetheless significant. It is an issue which needs to be addressed constantly.

19. Suddenly to remove a working role for many of the 65,700 horses and ponies involved in hunting would inevitably reduce their usefulness, purpose and value. Naturally, some owners would endeavour to retain and look after certain horses of which they were particularly fond, but again it is stressed that the horse is a working animal, its keep and maintenance at a working level are expensive, and, for many owners, economics will dictate that there is little point in retaining a horse once it no longer has a role.

20. It seems reasonable to assume that, should traditional hunting be banned, it would create a (gradually worsening) problem of a significant number of ex-hunters (a) being no longer valuable to or required by their current owners and (b) having a vastly reduced attraction to potential buyers. The difficulty in retraining hunters for other purposes was referred to in paragraph 10 above. A horse that has been properly trained and ridden is liable to suffer considerably if it is not provided with the appropriate stimuli.

21. Should hunting be abolished, the number of cases of neglect would be likely to be accentuated considerably because of the unprecedented volume of horses suddenly on the market. This would affect not only older, experienced horses, but young stock destined for the hunting field for which the market had suddenly disappeared.

22. In this respect it is pointed out that some mature competition horses and ex-racehorses are used in hunting after their primary careers are over. This would be an avenue open to fewer horses in the absence of the current hunting structure.

23. Demand from overseas purchasers would be unlikely to increase to match the greater number of ex-hunters available on the market, particularly with the existence of European minimum values legislation. This would exacerbate the number of problematic horse welfare cases.

Question 9: In what ways, and to what extent, does the existence of hunting with dogs contribute to or impair the social and cultural life of the countryside?

24. In addition to hunting itself, the Hunts which are followed on horseback organise many equestrian activities in the countryside unrelated to hunting throughout the year. These include hunter trials, team ‘chases and sponsored rides. To ban hunting would, at the very least, call into question the continuation of these events, which provide a substantial economic spin-off as well.

25. Hunts throughout Britain hold hunter-trials (cross country riding competitions), team ‘chases (a separate national sport administered by the Masters of Foxhounds Association), and sponsored rides. All are held for Hunt funds and/or charities.

26. Team ‘chasing, for example, which involves teams of four competing against the clock over cross-country courses of varying sizes, from novice level to advanced, feature qualifying events and national championships. It has become a widely popular sport since being introduced in 1974. However, its roots remain firmly in hunting. At the very least, the banning of traditional hunts would raise doubts over its future.

27. The above mentioned equestrian activities are part of the countryside calendar for many people, and they are heavily dependent on volunteer groups of organisers and stewards who operate because of their support for the Hunts.

28. Of course, some of these events would survive and might even flourish if alternative income streams could be found, but, in the first instance, the banning of traditional hunting would raise an immediate question mark over their organisation, the future of the horses competing and the jobs of those involved both directly and indirectly.

29. It is perhaps significant in this context that two of the world’s leading Horse Trials – Badminton and Burghley – owe their inception to groups of hunting supporters and landowners who were Masters of Foxhounds and who wished to encourage cross-country riding. The stewards and many of the volunteer staff for these two renowned events were originally recruited from the local Hunts, which still play a major part in their running.

30. In its own submission to the Committee, the BHB indicates the economic importance and popularity of Point to Point racing in rural areas, with these fixtures also attended by many urban people. The erosion of Point to Point racing, the expected outcome of a hunting ban, would have a significant impact on horseracing itself.

31. BHB’s submission makes the following key points:

(a) The BEF represents bodies with a total membership of some 200,000. These include the organisers of horse trials, showjumping, dressage, driving the Pony Club, endurance riding and vaulting. The BEF includes the British Horse Society (BHS), which has a membership of some 60,000 recreational riders, plus 40,000 affiliated members of riding clubs.

(b) The BHB is the governing authority for horseracing. The racing industry generates almost £500m annually for Government through taxation and betting duty on horseracing and supports some 60,000 jobs, plus a further 40,000 in the betting industry which relies on horseracing for 70 per cent of its business. Race meetings are attended by over five million people annually.

(c) The TBA represents the thoroughbred horse breeding industry which generates sales of £150m annually in the UK and an export revenue of some £160m. The TBA represents the interests of over 7,000 breeders of thoroughbred horses, occupying over 150,000 acres of prime grazing land. British breeders employ a workforce of over 11,000 and supply the domestic base on which horseracing relies.

The British Horse Society is strongly opposed to a ban on hunting. There can be no doubt that if hunting were to be banned horses would suffer, with the destruction of a large number of horses. The welfare of the horse and pony, the encouragement of their breeding, and the general promotion of their interests and use are the principal objectives of the Society and central to its work.

Hunting provides a direct incentive to breeding. Hunting provides an experience which develops skills of horsemanship and adds to the capabilities of our horses and riders in international competition. The Society is also very conscious of the fact that if hunting came to an end, thousands of jobs in looking after horses, in the veterinary and farriery professions, in providing feed stuffs, equipment and clothing, and many other related activities would be lost or at risk.

The Society believes that the ethics of hunting are a matter for the consciences of its individual members. However, what are without doubt are the consequences of a ban.

On practical grounds, and particularly for reasons of welfare, the British Horse Society believes that in pursuit of its objectives it has no option but to oppose a ban on hunting.

Hunting is the longest established and largest equestrian activity in Britain. It contributes to the advancement of riding skills as well as the training and breeding of competition horses. No other activity could provide the same benefits to fill the vacuum that a ban on hunting would produce.

Hunting is the longest established and largest equestrian activity in the United Kingdom. Over 50,000 horses are regularly used for hunting. It contributes greatly to the advancement of riding skills and the training of competition horses, particularly in the discipline of Horse Trials.

The horse breeding industry is underpinned by hunting; a ban would result in no role for a large number of horses. A result many horses would suffer. Hunter type brood mares, when crossed with Thoroughbred stallions, currently produce the majority of British bred competition horses. Hunter breeding would inevitably be curtailed through a ban and a valuable source of competition horses would be lost.

The loss of hunting would also take away a unique cross-country schooling opportunity for young competition horses, a sweetener for the more experienced and an active and enjoyable retirement for those past their peak. British riders would be denied an important environment in which to gain experience and skill in cross-country riding. Considerable economic harm would be caused to the equestrian trade and employment among its ancillary workers. Drag hunting could not possibly provide the same benefits for competition horses, nor could it be expanded to fill the economic vacuum following a hunting ban.

The BHTA appeals to those seeking to hunting to give long and serious consideration to the impact this would have on horses, riders and employment in the equestrian world in general, and in particular in Horse Trials, an Olympic sport at which Great Britain excels.

Historically, Pony Club branches were largely founded through the Hunts and there has always been a strong connection with the hunting world. As the Pony Club has expanded there are now many new Branches in areas where no hunting takes place.

The Pony Club, a youth charitable organisation, sees its role as encouraging every young person, wherever they live, to enjoy riding, to be taught equitation skills, and to impart in them the proper care and welfare for their ponies.

We have always believed that whether to hunt or not is a personal decision to be made by individual Members and their parents and that this freedom of choice should continue.