I REALLY think I have solved the hunting with hounds problem in the most reasonable way.

On the morning of the hunt all the huntsmen and huntswomen meet at the local hostelry for their "foot cup", each with a hound on a fancy leather lead or a piece of binder twine, and when they have all had a few, and filled their hip flasks, the hunting horn sounds and they all run off on foot.

The idea is that they cover as many miles across the country as possible in the day, catching foxes when they can, but they must each keep their hound on the lead at all times. Actually it will be an advantage to hang on to the lead because otherwise some of the huntsmen and huntswomen might find difficulty keeping up after the first couple of hours.

Now for the pay off! The next day the huntsmen and huntswomen will meet on horseback at the same hostelry for their stirrup cup etc but there will be no hounds. At the sounding of the horn the riders will move off and follow the exact same course as that covered the previous day with no hounds to get in the way. If on foot the previous day they all ran say 25 miles across the countryside then that will give them all a good gallop but if they only ran for ten miles that will be all they can ride.

Assuming my proposal is adopted the outcome would be:

1. Some very fit huntsmen and huntswomen.

2. Lots of practice for the Air Ambulance and all the other ambulances.

3. The anti-blood sport lobby would enjoy the spectacle on day one and might even cheer on the huntsmen and huntswomen.

4. The hounds would still be needed so there would be no lost jobs.

5. The pub trade would double.

6. The foxes would have a great advantage over the huntsmen and huntswomen on foot the first day and should all survive to actually enjoy the second day.

R JACKSON, Teme Avenue, Malvern.