Have You Ever Been Questioned About Why You Want to Cap?

[altjaeger]

I sent an email about capping at another hunt, and received this response:

Dear Mr. xxxxx,

No, we do not have horses to rent.

As you are a member with xxxxxxx, you would need a letter from your Master there as a preamble to applying to cap in with xxx. Permission to cap in with xxx comes from the Master.

I can’t help but wonder why the Hunt you’re with does not satisfy you, especially as you are not involved enough to keep your own horse.

Thank you for your interest in xxxxxxx hunt.

All best,

xxxx xxxx xxx, MFH

[Jaegermonster]

OMG. My mouth is agape. I don’t even know you or the person who wrote that but please accept my profuse apologies for their rudeness.

I think I would have to send a response something like “Never mind”.

I don’t know about all foxhunters, but sometimes when travelling or on vacation I try to hunt with different hunts 1) to learn about different hunts, and 2) because it’s fun. Obviously I would need a horse. I take mine with me when I can but that is not always possible.

I have never had anyone ask me why or be so hateful about the horse.

That said, if you are a member of a hunt it is traditional for your master to call their master to make the arrangements, but I really don’t see any need to be quite so rude.

[asb_own_me]

Wow. Just…wow. There’s simply no reason to be so rude.

[Hunter_s_Rest]

No way. No way that is a real response from a real hunt. No hunt - nowhere, no level - would respond as such.

[altjaeger]

Yes, it is real. In fact, (I only noticed this later), the other contact listed on their web site is a member of COTH.

[Beverley]

Well, the answer to your question is no.

As for that letter- I’m amazed. I’d appreciate a PM as to which hunt- I’m originally from Houston and do plan to hunt down thataway at some point- but not with THAT hunt!

[xeroxchick]

I just do not believe it and would need more proof that it is a real response from a recognized hunt.
Much more like troll.

[Hunter_s_Rest]

I’ll bite. I’ll wager $100 – the price of a capping fee with my hunt that this is absolutely untrue. Who’ll take my bet?

[altjaeger]

If I forward the email, do I get $100?

Beverly, I’ll PM you.

Your incredulous responses make me feel good, as my jaw dropped when I got that reply. Everyone else I’ve met in hunting has been so nice.

[Chall]

Look at it this way, she is an enabler. She wants you to get a horse

[JSwan]

How odd.

Is there any chance that your email could have in any way been perceived as rude or inappropriate?

I agree the response is not exactly Emily Post but to place it in context one would have to know what transpired.

The whole story, in other words.

[Hunter_s_Rest]

Of course I’ll make good on the gamble.
But I want you to post your original note to the hunt, name hte hunt (NO EDITING PLEASE), and post the exact reply (NO EDITING.) And, trust me, I know just how easy it is to ‘fix’ something in a forward.
You put this out on a public forum. Make it public. If this is ‘true’ and legit, which I am increasingly dubious that it is, then of course legitimate foxhunters, including and especially the MFHA, should be made intimately aware of it.
To suggest any legitimate hunt, or club or any sort for that case, would pen something like that is ludicrous. Infantile.

[altjaeger]

Well, I’m not someone who writes long emails, so all my email said was:

Hi, I’m with the xxxxxx Hunt located in xxxxxx and wanted to expand my horizons by coming up to hunt with you. Do you hunt every Saturday? I don’t have a horse, do you have a 1st field horse I could rent? I’ve love to meet some fellow hunters!

Regards,

xxxxxxx

[altjaeger]

Hunter’s Rest, you are just trying to goad me into putting everything out here.

I will email you my original email, her response, the link to the hunt’s web site, and my response to her response, if I kept it.

I don’t want your $100.

[JSwan]

Wanabe -

[edit] Do you really think a complete stranger is going to take your email seriously?

If I received such an email I’d think you were a scam artist or animal rights nut. Your email does not sound as if it was written by a foxhunter - but someone pretending to be a foxhunter. Someone who knows nothing about hunting.

The Master’s email, placed in context - isn’t rude at all.

Hunt Clubs aren’t rental car establishments. The MFH has a responsibility to the club, its members and the landowners.

No landowner is going to want some nutjob gaining access to their land - and it’s the MFH’s job to ensure the safety of everyone in the field. There is a proper way to be invited to hunt with another club. Your email doesn’t qualify. It sounds like one of those Nigerian scam emails.

[altjaeger]

[edit] I’ve sent almost identical emails to 3 other hunts and got friendly responses to each one. Maybe I have aspergers or something. That’s the way I always sound in emails.

Why don’t you give me an example of what I should write.

[JSwan]

“Almost” identical? What does that mean? Does that mean the requests were worded differently enough that it did not raise suspicions in the recipient?

Have you ever thought about picking up the phone?

You do like stirring up trouble - and you do seem to like arguing if everyone doesn’t agree with you.

Tell you what - put yourself in the Master’s shoes (by the way, you’re supposed to contact the SECRETARY). No one knows who you are - and hunts are private clubs - not public stables where you can rent horses.

My hunt is pretty easy going and welcomes guests - but I can promise you your email would have not been well received.

We’re very protective of our landowners and want to make sure we’re not letting just anyone onto private land to poke around.

We also don’t want someone thinking foxhunting is like renting a horse on the beach and ending up injured or causing someone else to get hurt.

The MFH might have been more diplomatic but if I were her your email would have raised alarm bells - especially the “renting” of first flight field hunters.

But since you seem intent on causing another trainwreck, and not learning about the actual sport and its challenges - words are probably wasted on you.

Speaking as a landowner - when I grant permission for someone to hunt on my land I hold that person responsible for the actions of those who accompany him. I trust the person to make sure his guests are decent, reputable people who know what they are doing and who won’t use my land as their trash heap, toilet, or personal playground.

One strike and you’re out.

Any MFH knows that one member or guest can put an entire fixture off limits - forever. THAT is why they are careful about who they allow to come out hunting. That and safety.

QUOTE=wanabe;4492312]I guess I am that stupid, Jessica. I’ve sent almost identical emails to 3 other hunts and got friendly responses to each one. Maybe I have aspergers or something. That’s the way I always sound in emails.

Why don’t you give me an example of what I should write.[/QUOTE]

[Ajierene]

Personally, I did not see wanabe’s e-mail to be indicative of scamming, but maybe lacking in knowledge of fox hunting etiquette. Scams do not generally have names in them where information can be easily checked. It would only take a phone call from one Master to another to confirm if the sender is in fact a member of said hunt. Information that easily verified makes scamming very difficult.

The central paragraph that explains hunt etiquette is very appropriate, the inferences about devotion to the sport are not.

Following that e-mail, I would expect something more akin to:

'Thank you for your interest in our hunt.

“As you are a member with xxxxxxx, you would need a letter from your Master there as a preamble to applying to cap in with xxx. Permission to cap in with xxx comes from the Master.”

We do not have horses to available to rent. You would need to provide your own.’

There could be a myriad of reasons wanabe does not have a horse to hunt. Wanabe’s e-mail does seem to indicate no horse ownership, so it is possible all the money is spent on the ability to hunt and if wanabe bought a horse, board would take precedence and wanabe would not be able to afford hunting, which may make horse ownership moot if that is wanabe’s passion.

It could also be that wanabe has a horse, but not one capable of hunting, though this is not evident from the e-mail.

To me, the main issue with the Master’s e-mail is the assumption made that Wanabe is not interested in hunting enough to own a horse, which is somewhat elitist. Wanabe may be up at 5am every day to feed the hounds, but lack of a horse means not enough interest?

Anyway, that’s my take on the letters.

[altjaeger]

LOL, you think I’m argumentative, Jessica! :lol:

[JSwan]

It’s not elitist to me.

There is no point to mounted foxhunting unless one owns/leases, or otherwise has access to a horse to hunt. Some hunts have social memberships. If a person’s horse was sidelined - folks just usually say so.

But the point is that it is not the MFH’s responsibility to provide mounts. That’s not how it works - and an experienced foxhunter knows that already. That’s why such a statement would be a red flag. That and the lack of knowledge about etiquette.

Wanabe feels it’s ok to disclose private hunt communications on the internet. That bothers me more than the lack of diplomacy in the MFH’s email.

Speaking as a landowner - a hunter like wanabe would not be welcome on my land.