Camilla Swift - A Year in the Life of a Huntsman - and a foxhound [8 min listen]

Voices of the Countryside

The life of a huntsman can sound idyllic – but life in kennels is tougher than it might look

For many a young thruster, or a hound-loving puppy walker, being a huntsman is the ultimate dream job.

To have your very own pack of hounds who look to you for instruction; to lead the pack in your scarlet coat, and uncover the mystery of the ‘golden thread’ – the so-called invisible connection between a huntsman and his hounds. Surely that doesn't sound like a chore?

The pomp and the ceremony are all very well, and watching the hounds parade with the huntsman blowing them on is a spectacle which the public love to see. But what is the reality of a huntsman’s job and lifestyle? Behind the gleaming brass buttons and the polished boots, what does the day-to-day look like?

With hunting traditionally sticking to set ‘seasons’, the job varies depending on where we are in the hunting calendar. Perhaps one of the first things to learn is that the hunting year starts on the 1 May.