I don't know anything about fox hunting or horse riding, but if the foxes of Britain aren't overpopulated, I don't have any sympathy for fox hunters mourning the recent banning of their sport. All the traditions and costumes and dressage and skills in the world won't really move me on that count, since killing animals for pleasure doesn't rank very high in my ethical actions list. But this 100 year old replacement game, reported by Slate, sounds more like my cup of tea:
Another alternative to fox hunting, called "hunting the clean boot," got its start closer to 1900. To hunt the clean boot, a field of riders tracks down a human quarry with bloodhounds. The target is given a half-hour head start, and then tracked by dogs bred to follow a natural human scent. The "kill" at the end of the hunt is a rather cheerful affair, involving lots of licking and slobber.Sweet.
