Trail hunting is expected to be outlawed under new animal welfare measures being brought in by the Government.
Ministers have today published the government’s Animal Welfare Strategy, which also targets practices viewed as inhumane, including the use of shock collars and cages or crates for farm animals.
Trail hunting has become one of the most controversial countryside activities in the UK, frequently making headlines amid protests, police investigations and calls for tougher enforcement.
Supporters argue it is a legal alternative to fox hunting, while critics claim it is often used as a cover for illegal activity.
But what exactly is trail hunting, and why has it been banned in some areas?
Trail hunting involves riders on horseback following a scent trail that has been artificially laid along a predetermined route. The scent, usually animal-based or synthetic, is dragged across the ground for hounds to follow, rather than pursuing a live animal.
It was introduced as a legal alternative after fox hunting was banned in England and Wales under the Hunting Act 2004. In theory, trail hunting allows traditional hunts to continue riding with hounds while complying with the law.
Organised hunts claim routes are planned carefully to avoid wildlife and livestock, and that the activity is about maintaining rural traditions rather than killing animals.
Why is it so controversial?
Animal welfare groups argue that trail hunting is often indistinguishable from illegal fox hunting. They claim that hounds regularly pick up the scent of live foxes during trail hunts, leading to chases that result in injury or death.
Campaigners also point to repeated incidents where hunts have been filmed pursuing foxes, trespassing on private land, or intimidating hunt monitors and protesters. These groups argue that trail hunting provides plausible deniability, making prosecutions difficult even when illegal hunting is suspected.
Police forces and prosecutors have acknowledged that enforcing the Hunting Act is challenging, as proving intent, whether hounds were deliberately set on a live animal, can be difficult.
Under the Hunting Act 2004, hunting wild mammals with dogs is illegal, with limited exemptions. Trail hunting itself is not explicitly banned in England and Wales, but it must not involve the deliberate pursuit of a live animal.
Scotland has gone further, introducing stricter hunting laws that make trail hunting far more tightly regulated, while Northern Ireland does not have equivalent legislation.
Why is trail hunting being banned?
In recent years, trail hunting has been banned by several landowners, councils and organisations. The National Trust announced a ban on trail hunting on its land in 2022, citing animal welfare concerns and reputational risk.
Forestry England followed suit, ending licences for trail hunting across its land.
Some local authorities and private estates have also withdrawn permission, arguing that trail hunting causes disruption, conflict, and environmental damage.
Now, the Government are looking to ban trail hunting completely under new animal welfare reforms.
The Animal Welfare Strategy sets out plans for implementation by the end of 2030. This gives a broad timeframe for when the trail hunting ban and other reforms could come into force.
Ahead of full legislation, the Government plans to hold a public consultation on how best to craft the ban, with that process expected to open in early 2026. Responses from the consultation will then inform the details of the legal changes.