The Southern Shires Bloodhounds were founded around fifteen years ago, in a pub called the George & Dragon, just on the outskirts of Reading. The pack are now hunting in their 14th season. The pack started with just two and a half couple (five) hounds. These were kennelled at the home of the hunt chairman.
As the pack, and the neighbours' concerns grew, they moved to larger kennels at New Barn Farm, Bucklebury. The pack has now become very independent, and has settled at Park Farm, Wherwell in the Harewood Forest, just east of Andover. The hounds are kennelled together with the stabling for the hunt horses. This not only makes it easier to exercise the hounds from horse back, but also develops familiarity and trust between the hounds and the hunt horses.

A new pack starts with hounds drafted in from other packs. This results in a somewhat unusual and unbalanced pack, as the hounds drafted in tend to be rather old, rather young, difficult to manage, or of mixed parentage.
The challenge then is to set up a breeding program to improve the pack, while maintaining the good hunting skills and physical characteristics appropriate for a working bloodhound. These are mainly; well knuckled feet, strong legs, a deep girth for stamina, and clean eyes for ease of kennel management. The Southern Shires Bloodhounds now have 16 couple (32) of pure bred or 7/8th bred bloodhounds in kennels.

The Southern Shires Bloodhounds are a registered pack with the Masters of Draghounds & Bloodhounds Association (MDBA).

The days hunting is organised by the Joint Masters, with the permission of all land owners and farmers over whose land the hunt crosses that particular day. From there it is down to the skill of the quarry to run the line, and the hounds assisted by the huntsman to hunt the line, so keeping the art of "Venery" alive. (the art of hunting hounds) The Field Master will take the mounted field across the country safely, adhering to the landowners and farmers wishes. A days hunting can involve from 3 to 6 lines, each line can vary from 1 to 5 miles long. The length and distance of each line is very much determined by the layout of the land that is going to be hunted across, i.e roads, rivers, crops and the landowners wishes.

When hunting with The Southern Shires Bloodhounds, we try to keep the hunting as natural as possible, therefore jumping varies from none at all, to days full of jumping, it will always depend on where the quarry takes us. Jumping takes place in the form of natural hedges, ditches, walls, post and rail and rivers. There are always ways around for the novice rider or horse, so everyone attending a days hunting with The Southern Shires Bloodhounds can still enjoy "the chase". The Southern Shires Bloodhounds meet on Sundays at 12.00 noon moving off at 12.30 with the occasional bye day.

The hounds are managed like any other pack of hounds. They are walked on foot off season, then in the autumn their exercise is gradually extended and made quicker with the use of bikes. Once the horses are fit enough, the hounds will begin mounted hound exercise until the opening meet, usually the last weekend in October. They are then walked on foot Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and go out on mounted hound exercise Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. This will go on throughout the hunting season, until about the end of March when they are let down ready for their Summer break. During the summer months the hounds are paraded at shows in Southern England as part of a PR exercise for the hunt, hunting and the Countryside Alliance.

For those who go hunting, they get the chance to ride over countryside that would not normally be open to them, in the company of horses and hounds who are doing what they were evolved and bred to do. This is best summed up by the spectacle of a pack of Bloodhounds in full cry - it is indeed a wonderful sight. All followers and supporters, whether mounted or on foot, are reminded that all hunting is entirely dependent on the goodwill of landowners and farmers. It is therefore of the utmost importance to have respect for any and all property.

All gates must be shut whether or not there is livestock in the field. All hunt followers may be asked to take their turn at gate shutting.

It is not a crime to break a fence - it is, however, not to report it!

If someone is holding a gate open or helping at a road crossing, be courteous and say "thank you" - it may be the farmer or landowner over whose land you are hunting.

Please thank all waiting traffic, it may not be so patient next time.

Please listen to, and adhere to, all of the Field Master's wishes and do not pass him or her. Bloodhounds are very timid and if ridden over, they may never hunt again.

Please give way to all hunt staff and hounds - remember you need them in front! Try to find out who your hunt staff are for the day before you set off hunting.

If you are unsure of anything then please ask, everyone is happy to help.

All damages to gates and fences must be reported to the Field Master. Damage to any boundary fence must be temporarily repaired and made stock proof.

Always walk through farm yards to avoid frightening or disturbing stock. Also take care when entering or crossing fields with grazing stock so that they are not unduly disturbed.

Wire MUST NOT be cut, except in exceptional circumstances, and afterwards MUST BE made stock proof and reported to any of the Joint Masters or Huntsman.

If entry into a field of growing seed or winter corn is unavoidable, mounted followers must keep to the headland at all times.

If you are riding a horse that kicks, PLEASE tie a red ribbon in its tail. If you are riding a novice/young horse out hunting for the first time and are unsure whether it kicks, please tie a green ribbon in its tail.

Traffic must not be impeded.

Non jumping followers will follow a route as laid down by the person in charge for the day.

Car followers are asked not to obstruct passing motorists and to park with consideration.

Foot followers must remember never to cross the line taken by the quarry.

Horseboxes must not unload onto private land unless prior permission has been gained.

Horseboxes are requested to unload in an area nominated by the Joint Masters, specific to each meet. If no area is given then please unbox at least half a mile from the meet. Please ring 07887554497 or 01189 326028 for further details.

When we first formed, we were being called renegades and rebels (among other things) but then that's another story! We had not thought of a name at this time, so looking at the titles already being given to us, ideas began to be thrown around. Then eureka! In America the rebels came from the southern states, so why not the Southern Shires? The colour of our livery is confederate grey (hence the grey collars on hunt coats). The hunt buttons are silver, due to the fact that the confederates wore silver buttons on their uniforms. We wear red hunt coats due to the confederate flag having a red back ground. So there you go, that's how we thought of the name "The Southern Shires Bloodhounds" and where the hunt livery and colours came from.