Desensitizing a dog to horses?

Kitei

Kitei

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Just as the title says, really. Looking for tips on desensitizing my 2 year old lab to horses. She's never met horses before, and I'm not really sure how to go about it. Would like to eventually be able to take her along with me on hacks.
 
The answer, it would seem to me, is that the dog comes to understand that the horse is your property, and that it (the horse) will be treated with respect.

If you're firm, verbally, and with your dog, then it wont hate you, it'll respect both you, and your horse. It's easier said than done, I'll agree, but it's do-able!

Alec.
 
If your horse is a seasoned hunter or you have access to one, then you should have a headstart in that the horse is unlikely to react.

Then proceed as you would desensitizing to any livestock - reward the good and come down like a ton of bricks for even looking/thinking about anything else.
 
I think this is possibly the first time I am in accordance with Alec!

The first time my dogs met the horses one was six months old and an utter delinquent with no training or manners of any kind, the other was just turned three having come from a city home and who had never met livestock before. They are both of a breed with a high prey drive and an inclination to chase anything that moves.

I kept them on a lead clipped to my waist and just matter of factly went about my business with the horses, mucking out, turning out etc. Any interest in them was met with a firm 'leave', any attention given to me instead rewarded. We went for a few walks out in hand together to get them used to the movement.

They understood very quickly - in fact behaved around them very differently from the start than they ever did with, for example, sheep. For some reason even the tiny pony was never regarded as prey, they seem to see her as some kind of aloof big dog that doesn't play very nicely. :p

ETA: As above, big horse has hunted and doesn't bat an eyelid at dogs which helped immensely at first.
 
I'm pretty much the same Blackcob - I have had more than one learn to be happy around the horses (and the hens). I have them on a long line though. If they react I can grab it and get them back to me, or I can have them on a line if I think it is a strong possibility they will chase. Most are movement orientated - so long as the "prey" doesn't run there is no chase, and my horses are all relaxed with dogs around.
It helps to have a good "leave" cue trained in, and for hacking with one at your heels, they need to be uber trained to stay close when told - and desensitised to all the interesting prey animals they will meet on the way.
It might not matter if he chases a rabbit, but it will if the rabbit runs across a busy road. A well trained "down", the sort that gets a reaction as though their legs have been shot from underneath them is a real life saver to interrupt a potential chase, but it has to have been trained and then enforced to take away the dog's choice whether to comply or not.
 
i would keep them on lead to start with, and let them watch the horses. he may be fine when they are still, but could get excited if they are moving faster. my boy has only ever chased one horse- a mini-Shetland who decided to bolt from the yard and run around the farm (when he first met him he did seem to think it was small enough to be a dog! but realizes it wont play now!). but he see's horses running in the field and doesn't chase, i think as they are so big and i do remind him to wait or leave (he does for some reason get excited if the horses roll!).
they need to learn to respect the horses space and that their legs are dangerous. my boy was brought up on a farm with horses and is quite alert to move out of the horses way, but it is dangerous if they are not concentrating and get too close. agree with previous comment that labs are too busy eating think around the yard! my friends ones ignore the horses and find the poo's and rubbish!
 
Hoping to be able to take her up to the yard this weekend to introduce her. :)

She'll have to stay on-lead on the yard itself, due to being on a working cattle farm. Though her recall is normally pretty good, I wouldn't want to bet on it when meeting potentially scary horses and cows (don't think she's met any of those, either!).

Shall probably take her dinner with me, so she has that to concentrate on whilst we're there.

Thanks for all the tips. :)
 
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