Andrew Nicholson and loose dog at Bramham

Wishfilly

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There was a dog at Bramham wearing a coat that said BLIND DOG. How was the poor thing to cope in an unfamiliar place with crowds?

I agree that seems really unfair on the dog- taking a blind dog to a crowded event just seems really odd to me.
 

Dubsie

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Maybe the answer is for these shows to introduce kennels and a doggie creche, agility field etc, and make some ££ out of the dog owners? Or for an enterprising person or doggie charity to take this up and provide the service?
 

lannerch

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I think if your dog is liable to chase a horse if it escapes them you should never bring it to such events but to ban all dogs is a total over reaction.

My dog loved going to badders and burghley he’s part of the family and comes with us wherever he can.

He is used to horses regularly comes with me when I hack and so does not bat an eyelid if a horse goes by, so not likely to get loose and would not chase the horses in the unlikely event he did.

Interestingly Andrew takes pains to state in the interview that his gripe was not that a dog was loose but the fact he was not stopped when one was .

I do think owners of dogs who get loose and chase a horse should be heavily fined , if the fine is not paid banned from any future events.although admittedly this would be hard to police.
 
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Wishfilly

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I think if your dog is liable to chase a horse if it escapes them you should never bring it to such events but to ban all dogs is a total over reaction.

My dog loved going to badders and burghley he’s part of the family and comes with us wherever he can.

He is used to horses regularly comes with me when I hack and so does not bat an eyelid if a horse goes by, so not likely to get loose and would not chase the horses in the unlikely event he did.

Interestingly Andrew takes pains to state in the interview that his gripe was not that a dog was loose but the fact he was not stopped when one was .

I do think owners of dogs who get loose and chase a horse should be heavily fined , if the fine is not paid banned from any future events.although admittedly this would be hard to police.

The last suggestion is a good one, but I'm not sure how you could police it between events either. Many people go in groups with one person buying the tickets, so you couldn't even do it on ticket name, unless you made it harder for everyone to go to events.
 

MagicMelon

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Greenwich 2012 was pure bliss with no dogs. I wish they would ban dogs. I'm sure a serious accident involving dog, owner, horse or rider will happen, it's just a matter of time.

Yep I agree. I don't take my dog to events, I just dont see how they enjoy it. Usually its hot and busy. I dont feel they have a place at horse events these days - its definately an accident waiting to happen. These event horses at this level are worth a fortune so if something did happen, I wonder where the events insurance would stand if it was caused by a spectators dog?
 

splashgirl45

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in answer to those who say surely there must be someone to let dogs out, yes i have very understanding neighbours who i take advantage of sometimes but cant ask them every time i go to local events to support my friend..i went to stratford hills today and just stayed long enough to see all of her rounds , so i was not there all day as i do think about my dogs welfare. i also wouldnt take my dogs to busy events like badminton and burghley for the same reason... i think fines for any loose dogs would be a good start and it may make people more careful.
 

Mule

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I was at a hunter trial last year where a child fell off on course while his pony was being chased by a dog. He was fine but I can imagine the organisers were bracing themselves for a claim. I don't know if anything came of it. But it must be an issue these days.
 

Mkw

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We have dog and do combined driving, which means mostly three day events, so leaving dog at home is not really an option, unless you have unlimited doggie day care which we don't.
Dog loves coming with us to events - won't leave the lorry once we start packing and has a good time at the events. Would hate not being able to take him with us.

Fortunately danes seems to know how to keep their dogs leashed at such events, I don't remember any loose dogs chasing horses at the events we've gone to :)

I agree that fining the owners would be a good way to go. It really should be possible to teach owners to use a leash.
 

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At a bare minimum I think all dogs should have two methods of attachment in case they slip one, so collar+ harness, harness+ halti etc and separate leads to each.

Collar plus harness with a double ended training lead attached to each one.

If I'm out for the day (e.g. Badminton) either my mum goes and spends a couple of hours with them at around lunchtime, or I put them into the kennels for a day and a half. I chose to have dogs, so a day out costs me more because I have to factor in kennel fees, but I'd rather that than dragging them around an event - it means that neither the dogs or I have the best day out. They can't bounce around and run, and I wouldn't be able to wander around the shopping or sit in the grandstand. The husky wants to give everyone he meets a kiss as well, and discouraging that is a work in progress that would be a nightmare in a crowd! :p
 

SpottyMare

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We live on the west coast of Wales and attend Badminton and Burghley with our dogs .Staying on the caravan park set up at both We are 3 and a half hours from Badminton and 6 hours from Burghley..Because we live so far west we combine the 4 days of the trials with a longer break of 2 weeks catching up with family and friends in those areas if they ban dogs we just can't go as its not a case leaving them at home for those few days but for 2 weeks.

Not sure why this is a problem? There are a lot of options for being away for a length of time. Kennels, pet sitter in your home, dog boarding in a home environment, staying with a relative/friend...
 

SusieT

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Would all of you who would like to ban dogs as some are a nuisance also ban horses from the road as some are a nuisance to other userS?
Or ban babies as they can be an nuisance noise wise? Or small children in case they do something they shouldnt?
Let's not ban anything we dont have to - leave it up to individual choice even if you dont agree with that choice and would personally leave your dogs at home.
 

Sussexbythesea

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Would all of you who would like to ban dogs as some are a nuisance also ban horses from the road as some are a nuisance to other userS?
Or ban babies as they can be an nuisance noise wise? Or small children in case they do something they shouldnt?
Let's not ban anything we dont have to - leave it up to individual choice even if you dont agree with that choice and would personally leave your dogs at home.

I sort of agree with this. Banning in general is such a blunt tool and does not discriminate between those that are doing the right thing and those that don’t. I love dogs and would like one myself when I’m in the right position but I do often find them quite annoying mainly due to poor control by their owners. My first instinct is to ban from our yard for instance because one person never keeps them under control but that would be a shame for those who do.
 

RaposadeGengibre

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And I kind of agree with that.
Probably, if a couple of offenders were escorted from trials with enough hoohaa ab out it, then people soon get the idea to keep pooches under control.
 

Chiffy

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I don’t come into Tack Room very often and am shocked at some of the replies on here, some from doggy friends and for once I agree with Susie T.
I have been going to stay in the caravan park at Burghley for 50 years and always taken my dog and sometimes two.
They are well behaved, they are my friends and companions. We enjoy our time together as well as enjoying the horses.
If dogs are banned then that is the end for me. It is not so very easy to get dogs looked after MOC and I like them with me .
Why should responsible owners be punished for the few irresponsible ones?!
 

OrangeAndLemon

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Why should responsible owners be punished for the few irresponsible ones?!

Because the balance has shifted and there are more irresponsible than responsible owners out there in the wider world (generally not at horse shows)

I did once take a dog to Bramham. I'm not sure she enjoyed it more than a day asleep on the sofa. We didn't take her into the shopping areas. It required coordination so one of us could browse the shops or get food while another watched the course with the dog. I think she found this difficult because 'her family' were split up in an unfamiliar environment. We never considered taking a dog again.

I have regularly been wrapped and almost tripped by people with long dog leads (including lead ropes) who haven't noticed as their dog goes in another direction while they shop.

Before banning I would like to see a better attempt at educating and informing...Maybe no dogs in food areas or small, tight shopping areas. Extensive signage around the course about dogs being restrained on leads held by adults and fines for loose dogs.
 

JennBags

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I don’t come into Tack Room very often and am shocked at some of the replies on here, some from doggy friends and for once I agree with Susie T.
I have been going to stay in the caravan park at Burghley for 50 years and always taken my dog and sometimes two.
They are well behaved, they are my friends and companions. We enjoy our time together as well as enjoying the horses.
If dogs are banned then that is the end for me. It is not so very easy to get dogs looked after MOC and I like them with me .
Why should responsible owners be punished for the few irresponsible ones?!

Exactly this! We often combine events with a holiday and we take our dogs on holiday with us, we do this not because there aren't any kennels or pet-sitters available, but because we enjoy their company. Our dogs are well-behaved and, shockingly, even are on extendable leads sometimes. My dogs have always loved going to events, and if they didn't enjoy it, we wouldn't go.

They should introduce fines for dogs not on leads, and they should have someone patrolling the course monitoring it. None of my dogs have ever slipped their collars! Banning dogs from the shopping areas would be a good move, but only if they provide a creche such as at Burghley and Badminton.
 

SpottyMare

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Would all of you who would like to ban dogs as some are a nuisance also ban horses from the road as some are a nuisance to other userS?
Or ban babies as they can be an nuisance noise wise? Or small children in case they do something they shouldnt?
Let's not ban anything we dont have to - leave it up to individual choice even if you dont agree with that choice and would personally leave your dogs at home.

But we're not talking nuisance are we - which is all that your examples amount to? Loose dogs at an event are much more than a nuisance - they're a real danger to both horse and rider, with the potential to cause a fatality one day.
 

Rowreach

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You don't take dogs to the theatre, the supermarket, the shopping centre ... they're not allowed on many beaches, particularly in summer when many people are on their holidays. Round here there are several scenic walks and protected areas where dogs are not allowed. All for very good reasons, and banning them from events would be for a very good reason too.
 

tallyho!

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Would all of you who would like to ban dogs as some are a nuisance also ban horses from the road as some are a nuisance to other userS?
Or ban babies as they can be an nuisance noise wise? Or small children in case they do something they shouldnt?
Let's not ban anything we dont have to - leave it up to individual choice even if you dont agree with that choice and would personally leave your dogs at home.

How can you compare dogs at a competition to horses using the road? Dogs use the roads and pavements and go where horses go in a normal day...

Now if you compared taking your horse to shows, it would be a better comparison.

Again, comparing babies to dogs... when's the last time you saw a toddler chasing after a horse and rider at Badminton because it slipped it's lead?

Sorry to those few of us who are responsible but a blanket ban on dogs at big shows I think needs to happen because of the increasing amount of people who can't seem to control them.
 

little_critter

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Would all of you who would like to ban dogs as some are a nuisance also ban horses from the road as some are a nuisance to other userS?
Or ban babies as they can be an nuisance noise wise? Or small children in case they do something they shouldnt?
Let's not ban anything we dont have to - leave it up to individual choice even if you dont agree with that choice and would personally leave your dogs at home.

But we are talking about banning from a horse event, where horses are the central focus and it has been seen several times now that the safety and welfare of the horses (the whole FOCUS of the day) has been put at risk by loose dogs.
Yes, all sorts of things (horses, bikes, dogs etc etc ) can be irritating on a daily basis. But these BE events are days where the horse should come first, and some rules to protect that should now be put in place.
I suspect if I wanted to take my cat to a canary show for a nice day out, I might be told at the door “no cats!”
 

stencilface

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I was lucky enough to watch this in real time with a front row seat. For all those suggesting various halter and lead combinations, the dog still had it's collar/harness and lead attached to it as it was chasing

Andrews horse was likely more affected by the crowd cheering when they thought the owner (who ran in to the arena pdq, but avoiding the horse) had caught the dog, then laughing as he fell over having just missed it's lead. The commentator asked for quiet but this happened just before the last combination.

The owner was then walked off to pay his fine i presume. Is it £50? There is a dog creche at Bramham too

I don't take my dog after he quickly learnt that a blown whistle = galloping horse and would start looking out for his potential prey :rolleyes3:

Fwiw I really felt for the guy, as has been said eventers are bad for this themselves, their dogs are rarely on lead.
 

Bernster

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I can see why owners want to take dogs to events like this but I’m also one for banning them. Was a badminton this year when one dog slipped his lead and went bombing off after a horse, owner had no hope and dog was intent on catching the horse. Didn’t interfere with it in the end but it was a horrible few minutes until the dog was caught.
 

abb123

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I love taking my dogs to events. They love going. They love the other dogs, the people, the smells. As soon as they have figured out that we have arrived at an event they get super excited. I wouldn't want to lose that.

But- my dogs don't chase horses. They never have done. They are retrievers and don't seem to have the chase horse instinct or they are just better behaved. They are used to horses cantering around and don't chase even if off lead. If I had a dog that I knew would chase horses then I just wouldn't take it as there are always going to be times when accidentally the lead can get dropped for a second.

Reminds me of a time when my brother took his old dog to Dunham Massey park and put his lead down for a second to tie his shoe laces and the dog took off to chase the deer around the park. He never went again.

If I wasn't able to take my dogs with me then I probably wouldn't go. It's part of the day for me. I think there are probably a lot of people who feel a similar way. I'm guessing that the event organisers know this and don't want to lose the income.
 

ester

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Yes, there are a lot of instances where people seem incapable of actually holding onto a lead. Surgical attachment? ;).

I do understand why people want to take their dogs, and enjoy all the times we go with a friends dog as I like them too. But loose dogs chasing horses is more than a nuisance I saw this one while on a course walk http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/not-acceptable-four-star-rider-chased-dog-gatcombe-586871 and it was a tricky combination we'd already seen a few people have trouble at. IMO horses should not be put in the position of losing their concentration and risking a mistake at a fence because of dogs chasing them. There is already enough risk involved in this sport.
 

ester

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because dogs slip their collars, unfortunatley often the breeds that can do that easily seem to be able to do much the same with harnesses.
 

Clannad48

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Another dog owner here - IMHO ideally ban them or if not a very hefty fine at least £100 - Imagine if a dog with a long lead got loose, chased a horse and got its lead round the horses legs causing it to fall and break its leg resulting in euthanasia, what about injury to the rider. Would the dog owner be liable for the loss - some of these horses are worth a huge amount of money.
 
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