Anyone else have to put up with inconsiderate people on the bridlepath?

When home, I hack on Salisbury plains, and it varies massively. Mine are great with animals, off road vehicles, tanks, machine guns, low flying jets and helicopters, plus of course full on military excercises with prayer music, insurgents and low flying supply drops!
However out of control dogs who attack? well we have a range of reactions, kick from the big girl, spin round with rottie attached from our little arab gelding, or ignore and carry on after riders have jumped out of their skins.
The dangerous dogs act actually states ALL dogs must be under control in a public place. This means if your dog won't come to call, its not under control.
There have been so many incidents of dog attacks round us, I suspect my girls would kick seven shades out of any dog that tried to bite, well I live in hope anyway!
 
My horse is fine with dogs but if its attacking his legs he will flee and i think i would to. Its the same woemen and dog all the time. She as got isues and dog bites it as a muzle but its round its neck.
 
CobSunshine said:
My horse is fine with dogs but if its attacking his legs he will flee and i think i would to. Its the same woemen and dog all the time. She as got isues and dog bites it as a muzle but its round its neck.
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It was interesting for me to read your other post, regarding the saddle, and hearing that this is your first horse.

It also got me thinking (a little more) about what I'd do in your situation. Luckily I've never been it (as in the horse peeing off with me, as they are rather better behaved, and I have more experience). But the key is always to remain calm. Don't yell, scream etc. and where possible to just walk away from a situation.

I have been in a 'nasty' dog situation, which unfortunately didn't come off so well for the dog - my horse killed it.

And I have been in a very hairy situation whereby my horse and I came over the brow of a hill to be met with a parachute being put up ready for going off the side of the mountain. Not sure who was more shocked, me or the horse. However, even after he spun I didn't allow him to bugger off, merely allowed him to trot off briskly. I think it helped because I laughing through shock and surprise more than anything else.

I would certainly review where you hack, and the type of things you are likely to meet - because you will meet the unexpected. But I would also report the lady with the dog to the police again. It should not have been off the lead by the sounds of it. And next time you or someone else might not be so lucky (thinking of the lady walking with the pram, and the cyclists.....)
 
amymay said:
It was interesting for me to read your other post, regarding the saddle, and hearing that this is your first horse.

It also got me thinking (a little more) about what I'd do in your situation. Luckily I've never been it (as in the horse peeing off with me, as they are rather better behaved, and I have more experience). But the key is always to remain calm. Don't yell, scream etc. and where possible to just walk away from a situation.

I have been in a 'nasty' dog situation, which unfortunately didn't come off so well for the dog - my horse killed it.

And I have been in a very hairy situation whereby my horse and I came over the brow of a hill to be met with a parachute being put up ready for going off the side of the mountain. Not sure who was more shocked, me or the horse. However, even after he spun I didn't allow him to bugger off, merely allowed him to trot off briskly. I think it helped because I laughing through shock and surprise more than anything else.

I would certainly review where you hack, and the type of things you are likely to meet - because you will meet the unexpected. But I would also report the lady with the dog to the police again. It should not have been off the lead by the sounds of it. And next time you or someone else might not be so lucky (thinking of the lady walking with the pram, and the cyclists.....)
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I'm afraid doesn't matter how experienced someone is, if a 1/2 - 3/4 ton animal wants to truly bolt, they will. Sorry, being pedantic now!
 
My last share was brilliant with dogs. Didn't bat an eyelid, until we cane across a ridgeback. She just stopped and flat out regard to go past. Owner put her on lead and then dog stood up taller than owner, horse went flat out backwards. Think it was just the point of.... Sod that you're taking the Michael now! We ended up rotating past it without letting our eyes off the thing. Dog owner and I both cracked up and had a good old natter as I went past! Took a good few seconds to realise what was happening when the horse decided to go, I was expecting to contain a forward or sideways launch!

Pan
 
I think the term 'bolt' is overused far too much on here. I am lucky enough to have never been on a bolting horse, yet plenty of times as a child I was unable to stop the pony I was riding. It was never termed bolting, as the pony was never scared - just a little git!

My now horse will spin and rush off if he's worried, but he also has never bolted. He is plenty capable of being a right little naughty horse too, but I don't take any crap off him, and eventually we will get where we are going - I am the bigger person with a bigger brain, even if I'm not the strongest or heaviest one in the argument, I will win ;)

I enjoy seeing the shock on MTBers faces when they come down a steep gravelly track to be faced with my great lump of a horse - their expressions are priceless, and it normally wakes the ned up a bit too :)
 
Very close to my heart this one as I sit here with cuts and bruises from sunday.
Met a couple with 5 dogs and a child in a very scary above the head carrier on a very narrow section on sunday morning.
Quick calculation was 2 people = problem. Dog = bigger problem. 5 Dogs this is going to be reall.y bad. Child above head - looks odd to, me ponies mind will be fried. So apologised and asked them the stand really still. Got leg on and tap with a stick. Pony took 3 steps and said no. So jumped off and tried to lead her past. Was going well until the guy with the baby carried moved and a dog barked. I got run over by my own horse. Must have been out for a minute based on the distance she covered. Picked her up 20 minutes later as she was going home with her reins tangled around her legs.

No real damage done. Loving mare obviously tried to jump me as only one shoe mark. Guess people just don't understand
 
Johnny999 said:
Very close to my heart this one as I sit here with cuts and bruises from sunday.
Met a couple with 5 dogs and a child in a very scary above the head carrier on a very narrow section on sunday morning.
Quick calculation was 2 people = problem. Dog = bigger problem. 5 Dogs this is going to be reall.y bad. Child above head - looks odd to, me ponies mind will be fried. So apologised and asked them the stand really still. Got leg on and tap with a stick. Pony took 3 steps and said no. So jumped off and tried to lead her past. Was going well until the guy with the baby carried moved and a dog barked. I got run over by my own horse. Must have been out for a minute based on the distance she covered. Picked her up 20 minutes later as she was going home with her reins tangled around her legs.

No real damage done. Loving mare obviously tried to jump me as only one shoe mark. Guess people just don't understand
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And that is why dismounting is invariably a bad idea.

They sound very considerate to me. You honestly think it's acceptable to hack in public on a horse for whom you think "2 people" is going to be a problem? :cool:
 
Stencilface said:
I think the term 'bolt' is overused far too much on here.
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I think most people are wrong about this one, you included. Have you never heard the saying "Closing the door after the horse has bolted". That's not talking about a blind panicking horse, just a horse which has beggered off! Horses rear to different degrees. They are all rears, but some are more frightening and dangerous than others which are total none events depending on their height, the situation and the horse's motivation. Why is bolting no longer the same? AFAIC bolting just means a running away, out of control horse. A blind, full pelt ridden bolt is the worst form of bolt but it is not the only one in the true sense of the word.

ETA Johnny you need to hack with someone more experienced and really work on your coping mechanisms. Getting off is rarely the best way forward, if only because it greatly increases the probability of losing your horse.
 
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CobSunshine said:
just to confirm my boy isnt scared of dogs running between his legs, barking at him, running at him. Its only this one dog i've encounted before which bothers him as its the first one he's come across which is properly agressive and actually bites his legs.QUOTE]

Have to say my old horse was fantastic with dogs but he would have been a bit peed off with this too. As somebody else said, if they had problems recalling their dog, then fine but at least demonstrate that your making the effort!

My horse was fairly well schooled, responsive and well within my capabilities as a rider to manage. However if a dog was snapping away at his ankles, I can well imagine that his first reaction would be to disappear at high speed and I doubt I would have been able to stop him (although might have been able to control the rate of the flight).

I think consideration from all parties is really the key here.
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Johnny999 said:
Very close to my heart this one as I sit here with cuts and bruises from sunday.
Met a couple with 5 dogs and a child in a very scary above the head carrier on a very narrow section on sunday morning.
Quick calculation was 2 people = problem. Dog = bigger problem. 5 Dogs this is going to be reall.y bad. Child above head - looks odd to, me ponies mind will be fried. So apologised and asked them the stand really still. Got leg on and tap with a stick. Pony took 3 steps and said no. So jumped off and tried to lead her past. Was going well until the guy with the baby carried moved and a dog barked. I got run over by my own horse. Must have been out for a minute based on the distance she covered. Picked her up 20 minutes later as she was going home with her reins tangled around her legs.

No real damage done. Loving mare obviously tried to jump me as only one shoe mark. Guess people just don't understand
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Im v sorry you got hurt - hope better now!, but.... I cant really see what these people actually did wrong, what they should 'understand' better, as it wasnt their fault your horse got brain boggled with their entourage?

I mean my pony might well have done the same (except I have a policy of not getting off as she is less controllable on the ground if scared, gets bargey), but these people sound as if they did pretty much what they could short of not existing?
 
I wouldn't ever get off in that sort of situation - you have far more control on the horse than on the ground where you can be knocked over and trampled in an instant. :(
 
Johnny999 I'm really sorry you got hurt and I hope you are ok. I agree with people saying you need to look again at your hacking strategy. While the child on the head thing is something a lot of horses might find odd, 2 people at a time is hardly an unusual thing to meet to be honest. I think it's perfectly reasonable to politely ask people to stand still for you, but you can't expect people to stand absolutely rigid and motionless. It sounds like your pony might need a calm buddy to hack out with while she learns to cope with new things.

As a general point not aimed at you Johnny:), if one is going to hack meeting new things is inevitable, so why not try and introduce at least some of them before you get out there - things like umbrellas for example, bikes with squeaky brakes, barking dogs, rustly plastic bags, flapping things in the hedge, wheely bins of doom, Terrifying Horse-eating Leaves that are a Slightly Different Colour to Other Leaves (:D) etc etc?
 
Nah said:
the amount of people who say "It's ok! I'm sure she'll be fine!" No! She won't! I have known my dog for 11 years, you have spotted a cute border collie and thought it's a great childs play thing.
Another rant over :P
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lmao this made me smile, it is always these people who get hurt, people just don't listen.

where I go to ride at a friends smallholding they have a gs who just can't be trusted with people other than the family, cause she will bite and has drawn blood from those she doesn't know, the amount of morons who have opened the gates and walked around on the land uninvited (instead of beeping the car for attention or w/e) despite bigass warnings "beware of the dog" etc and then being told you better get out as dog is out and she will bite for them only to reply "oh dw I'm good/okay with dogs" WELL the dog isn't okay with you so gtfo lol.

I can't comment to the OP as theres no bridlepaths around here, though I have -gasp- ridden on footpaths and though I shouldn't even be there people have always been terribly considerate and polite called up their dogs and moved to the side etc.
However I tend to avoid that now as I'm paranoid/anxious someone or the land owners will get mad haha.
 
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It is such a shame that so many horses these days have not been exposed to all these different things that appear to frighten them. Young horses are just not being trained properly to be hacked out safely. Far too much training occuring in the manage and not enough out of it.
 
*sigh* hence my recent thread on whether horses are spookier nowadays than they used to be. The consensus is yes, and that it's often caused by nervous riders.

So many riders on this thread should not be riding out if they can't control a horse in a normal situation such as walking past someone/a dog.

I'm not surprised riders are unpopular with other users of these places if this thread is typical of what keeps happening.

Since when were horses allowed to play silly buggers over normal experiences?

Johnny - I'm sorry you were hurt but your post worries me a lot. I don't think you and your horse should be hacking out if walking past two people is such a drama, sorry. NEVER get off - you have less control. NEVER start freaking out anticipating trouble - the fact that you stopped, got all nervous (and horses 100% feel you stiffening up), applied lots of leg and the stick told your horse 'THIS IS SCARY'. I bet you took a good grip on the reins as well. Worst thing to have done. It's hard to do but actually if you do see a situation approaching the best thing to do is relax more, lengthen the rein a bit, don't override to it, don't over-react and let your horse have a good look, give him a pat and then ride on calmly. This gets you past 90% of 'monsters' if your horse trusts you - by showing your horse you are relaxed and not scared it'll help your horse feel the same way.

Yes, one of those baby carrier things might bring a bit of a snort or a start or a look from your horse, or maybe a couple of steps of 'shying'. But it shouldn't be more than that before you take control again. Your horse looks to you for how to deal with situations. If you are that frightened before anything has even happened, your horse is going to be much worse.
 
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If a dog took chasing and snapping one step too far and bit or tried to bite your horses legs, or even your legs, would you ever hit the dog with your crop (assuming you had one)?
 
For those with the 'spooky, bolting' horses may I ask what you do when you meet other horses & riders? Are they obliged to halt/ stand to one side/ climb up banks etc while you make your way past?
 
I find growling at some of the loose collie farm dogs in the farms I have to ride through works quite well, although I wouldn't hesitate to hit them or get off and give them what for if they went for my horse :cool:

My sister's pony ditched her by spooking sharply on the road, normally not a problem, but as she came off so did the bridle. Pony was duly caught over a mile or so down the road (using friendly passer by and their car) and was by that point not far from home. Sister then rebridled, and took him round the route she had planned in the first place. Persistence is key, and if they get away with the behaviour once, of course they will do it again. He was spooking at a lady with a pushchair - hardly the woman's fault!

Bolting is an emotive word, if your horse is out of control, and running away thats different - some horses can do that round an entire xc course (Murphy Himself anyone?) but at no point would I describe him as bolting. Otherwise every kid out there who had a less than perfect pony (and only Jill has one of those ;) ) would have been bolted with.
 
I met the three most obliging dog sKiers today on bridle path. Two saw us miles away and recalled their dogs. Next stopped and put her terrier between her legs as my boy was ears pricked stock still. She was patient, and as we passed I explaned it was her delightfully flowing, pink dress he was wary off. She helpfully swung it around for him to see it was just a dress. bless. Thanked her for stopping and we all went happily on our way. Mind you if this woman had been out on the roads he wouldn't have been bothered, it was because it was on our bridlepath next to our yard, and he dislikes change when change is rare there.
Also I am better on the ground if he really takes a dislike, as he will happily walk over hit coals if I go first! I know this is not usually the case for others.
 
QR

Most people who use the bridleway by where I am are very polite. It does get a little narrow at some points where as riders we go in single file, stop trotting when passing people, and say hello and thank you to everyone we do pass. There are also some awkward gates to negotiate at either end, and if there is somebody by said gate, they will offer to open/close it to save us getting off.

If somebody has their dog off the lead, it gets called and it's collar grabbed onto. Others have leads on the dog at all times. This is at the owners discretion, but if a dog was not called and snapping or running round horses' legs, then common sense would tell me to shout out "Call your dog!", if it did go for the horse after being called, then I'd give the dog a smack with my schooling whip.

Cyclists usually call out if they're approaching from behind.

Generally, the users of the bridleway are very considerate.

If I were in your situation OP, I would report the dog owner to the police, as you never know, it could be you that ends up in a serious accident in the future. Better to do something and know you have attempted to make a change than just sit and have a rant.

ETA- there are a few riders who hack out by the yard I'm at who do not say thank you to drivers and bridleway users, and I personally think that this is where problems between equestrians and other public right of way users begins. Manners cost nothing.

Additionally, if you cannot control your horse, then you shouldn't be riding in public.

Can't comment on the fat pony comment without seeing a recent pic of your horse. But then what some people see as fat may just be well-built.

Sorry to hear you've had a bad experience OP, hope you and your pony are OK.
 
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I have to disagree that dismounting is invariably a bad idea. I think it very much depends on the rider, the horse, their partnership and the situation.

I'm a nervous rider and a couple of months ago bought a confidence-giving cob. She does her job brilliantly and very rarely spooks, regardless of the monsters we encounter. However, if she meets something that scares her, she gets really scared and will run for the hills. Today a herd of cows in a previously empty field scared her badly. I hopped off, led her up and down, up and down, until she was totally relaxed then I jumped back on, my and her confidence restored, and carried on our hack. We both arrived home happy and relaxed. I don't think it was a bad idea.
 
Johnny999 said:
Very close to my heart this one as I sit here with cuts and bruises from sunday.
Met a couple with 5 dogs and a child in a very scary above the head carrier on a very narrow section on sunday morning.
Quick calculation was 2 people = problem. Dog = bigger problem. 5 Dogs this is going to be reall.y bad. Child above head - looks odd to, me ponies mind will be fried. So apologised and asked them the stand really still. Got leg on and tap with a stick. Pony took 3 steps and said no. So jumped off and tried to lead her past. Was going well until the guy with the baby carried moved and a dog barked. I got run over by my own horse. Must have been out for a minute based on the distance she covered. Picked her up 20 minutes later as she was going home with her reins tangled around her legs.

No real damage done. Loving mare obviously tried to jump me as only one shoe mark. Guess people just don't understand
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Another one who is sorry you got hurt. But really Johnny where was your problem here?

Situations like this (where you think there is going to be a problem) can be so easily diffused. The first thing to do (if you think there's going to be a problem) is talk to the people. Giving a voice to the 'monster' usually instantly solves the problem, relaxes you and by virtue relaxes the horse. Asking them to stand really still was the last thing you should have done....:o

I would also agree with others about re-considering where you hack, and what your limitations and expectations are.
 
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