Dog walkers. A long, justifiable, rant!

J

Jesstickle

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I took BH out tonight. Was walking down the stubble (which I have permission to be on) when I see a dog bounding towards. So I stop and stand still. Dog keeps coming, owner calling but dog taking no notice. Dog gets pretty close and is still coming so BH decides it is a bit scary and has a wee spook. Few strides of canter, pulls up stands looking at the dog. Dog chases him again. Another few strides of canter then stands and looks at it. Owner still calling it. Dog still not listening. Dog starts barking and barking and circling poor old BH. Owner gets within catching distance but can't catch the dog. I ask if it's ok with people and get off to try and help get hold of it. I swear to god it went round and round my horse barking at the top of it's lungs for a whole ten minutes. BH gave up for a bit and started eating the stubble but then it started lunging up at his face, still. barking and sniffing round his back legs and I mean properly making contact. Eventually BH clearly got peed off because he gave it a clip round the face. Dog left at that point. I apologised to the owner and said I hoped the dog was alright, who to give him his due told me the damn dog deserved it and he hoped my horse was ok. But honestly. If you have no recall don't walk your dog on someone else's private land where there are horses.

We only got chased last Tuesday. Poor BH will get a complex.

Dog seemed fine btw. Hardly whimpered, I really do think BH barely caught it, it wasn't nasty more of a 'I'm bored of you now' warning which connected.

O and poor old horse is only meant to be walking as coming back from injury. We spend more time cantering sideways than walking due to all the inconsiderate dog walkers and joggers.

Anyway, rant over. Hope you're all well. I told OH I'd cut back on my HHO time so I haven't been on for ages. Did I miss much? :D
 
Hello slinks :)

I will pop by tomorrow at work I promise. Time for me to put my lappy down again as the X box has gone off now. Fairs fair and all that! Well, it is when he's just bought me a car :p ;)
 
some dogs have amazing recall but a horse probably isnt something the dog see's every day so may get excited. If Im being honest I dont think the man should keep his dog on a lead 24/7 just because there MAY be a horse. if he saw you coming sooner he would have probably put the dog on the lead.
This is just my opinion and obviously a bit traumatic for your horse after just coming back from an injury, but I just dont think every person with a dog should keep it on the lead just because there may be a chance of a horse appearing.
 
I didn't say he should. But it is private property, where he shouldn't be and I should. And it did literally run round and round my horse for ten minutes and he was unable to catch it. If he wants to let his dog off he should obtain permission to use the land or ensure the animal has proper recall skills. I think that takes the michael a little. I don't think either of us found it traumatic though so don't worry :)
 
ah sorry I misunderstood! well if he didn't have permission to be on the land then he should keep his dog on the lead.
sorry If I came across abrupt, when im walking my dogs and there is a horse rider, they never stop and just keep coming straight towards us and never give me a chance to get my dogs on a lead!! and they are the first to have ago when my dog spooks their horse...
 
That's ok. I know horse people can be asses too! I did stop as soon as I saw the dog looking at us but all too late! He was far too interested by that point. I'm glad he's ok anyway. He was a very handsome (if noisy) chap :)
 
I would say it would be fine to have the dog off the lead... if you could control it.
If your dog doesn't listen to you, recall and chases horses/ other dogs/ children etc then no it shouldn't be allowed of the lead. Sorry, even if there is an off chance of their may or may not be a horse, if you can't trust it or control it keep it on the lead. What happened if jesstickle was riding a young horse that bolted and threw her? Might all be harmless enough, but it could of caused a serious accident, either to the horse, rider or the dog itself.
 
I had an incident with my dog and some horses last week, which I'm not going to go into, needless to say I was mortified, and thankfully the rider was understanding. I thought being around our horses had helped and made my dog better with recall and 'leave it' but I wasn't close enough or quick enough this time. Sticking to footpaths and our own land for a while to practise further before I trust his recall in full horse public again. :o

Glad bh is ok, I would have been happy if mine had got a kick, in fact he needs a kick off one of our unshod ones to teach him to be more wary the great big knucklehead :p
 
db- I have never been gladder that I wasn't on my young horse with a rearing habit. I do have one of those too!

God love BH and all his sensible ways. Sometimes he has the patience of a saint! I am getting a bit worried that all these dog incidents are going to make him narky with the hounds though when we do finally get out hunting :eek:
 
Stencilface said:
Glad bh is ok, I would have been happy if mine had got a kick, in fact he needs a kick off one of our unshod ones to teach him to be more wary the great big knucklehead :p
Click to expand...

Bring him over, BH seems to have it down to a t! :D

I was understanding I promise, I was very nice. Just needed to vent my spleen a bit after! ;)
 
Oh no, given my circumstances I would have fully taken a complete *******ing, god knows I was prepared for it :o

Stupid dog though, everything's a game to him, just have to teach him some of my 'obey your owner at all times' games a bit better first apparently :o :p
 
The lack of recall astounds me - it's all very well to say one doesn't meet horses every day, but surely that's true of most things? I rarely meet traffic when I'm walking the dog, or lawn mowers, or men wielding chainsaws, or indeed, other dogs, and yet my dog retains his recall when we have been confronted with them - otherwise he wouldn't be off the lead in those sorts of situations. There's no excuse, for a lack of training.

Not to mention if you decide to go trespassing on other people's land :mad:
 
My own dog was a total terror when he was a yoof so I do understand really. I'm just miffed that I've been chased three times this week. Twice by dogs and once by joggers who, if I wasn't so wet, I should have just told to walk. That was my own fault.

Scares me a bit that when Nitty comes back I'm going to die though :eek: :(
 
Dog walkers are my nemesis - one lot had 3 big dogs loose, we moved on to the green lane's verge to let them through. He sent his dogs on at a flat out pace past the horses, who proceeded to go mental. It was deliberate malice! One dog came back towards us - I shouted to him that if he didn't get it back my horse would kill it (if dogs come close when I am sat on him he will boot them and stamp just to make sure). His daughter cam storming up and got hold of the dog, and apologised. Her father was an ignorant knobber, and if I see him again I will get my horse to S**t on his car.
 
as much as i know how annoying it can be. Really the best answer is to ignore the dog and carry on!

one of my dogs is a beagle and she likes to howl.
if something scares her which is
a lot of things she will howl!

when in the woods people suddenly appear she will howl at them. i find utterly much quicker to settle her to carry on walking, the other person should carry on, i call her name and she cones with me.
The worst thing they can do is stand still or try speak or try to say hello her her. It does measure her it makes her howl more!

i thing you should have carried on past dog. it may have followed you for a while but sion got bored.
 
I think you are being incredibly generous of spirit TBH.

I have a dog who's recall is not the best,so he only goes off lead in my field or the designated dog walking field,simplez.

I believe the law states that dogs should be under the owners control at all times?? To me that means they should either be on a lead or well trained enough not to need to be.

Really get's my goat when people have no control over their dogs but still think it's fine to have them off the lead:mad:
It's not rocket science for even non horsey people to see the potential risks of a loose dog around horses surely??

Glad you and your lad were ok OP:)
 
My patterdale who is now 17, was a git on the Farm when he was a youngster, used to bark and the bullocks, until the day he got beaten up, not enough to warrant a vet, but was grazed and sore, best thing that ever happened to him, he respected Bullocks from that day on! So hopefully poor BH has educated the wayward mutt XX
 
Ahh but have you met the angry dog walkers yet? they are a breed of their own and cause much entertainment (well offence if you take them seriously but its much more fun to laugh) their dogs are generally not a nusiance and carry on snuffling through the trees, almost ashamed, whilst the owner rants at you punctuated with swear words all for saying good evening.

Sounds very similar to the week I had with YP which made him go from nervous to aggressive with dogs :( hope BH is less affected.
 
Training, training training. And if you can't be sure of total recall, leads or long leads where appropriate. Oldest bitch will sometimes just bug**r off after deer etc. yes she comes back but not till she has covered a couple of fields, first time she had the benefit of doubt, second time was her last warning. I don't know what could be in other fields and as I have staffords, I accept we are ambassadors and will not blot the proverbial copybook. She goes off lead at the yard and through our fields but onlead rest of time. I didnt get her till she was nearly 5 so just accept thats how she is. The other 2 do recall properly!

It's quite a big deal to train dogs around horses though and then you can have a dog that becomes too complacent so have to be über careful with new ones on the yard as well!
 
I had the traumatic experience of two dogs attacking my horse and getting it on the ground and causing injury to my horse. I therefore know how serious a dog attack on a horse can be.

If it is a public place then the dog must be under control at all times.

If the dog is on private land then the land owner has ever right to shoot the dog if it is attacking livestock.

If a dog owner can not control their dog then it should not be off a lead.
 
I'm an off lead dog walker & I agree they should only be off lead if trained. Anyone can have an accident but some people are just plain stupid. Same does go for some riders to be fair though. Having had my pony chewed up to the point the vet thought it may well result in pts, I have no time for bad dog owners. Or the regular 'wait there while I get him' types. Plus, if a horse is genuinely scared, standing about is the worst thing you can do. Best way to get rid of a dog is to face it head on. Walk for a playful one. Canter for one that means business. And for rude dog walkers, return their excuses while trotting after them. Eg 'she's only playing, doesn't bite, sorry I wasn't expecting to meet a person'. Or teach your small child to do so while you laugh. Especially if said person has not apologised for its large dog chasing small child on small pony, nor for the fact said pony did huge bucks & a 180 spin to get rid of the dog.
And don't worry about the hounds op. Mine was ok with most dogs by the first time she hunted but still on edge with strange ones too close & barking. Spent her first meet hiding round the far side of my friends gelding, as far from hounds as possible while still actually being there. Think she'd crossed half the first field when she stopped bothering, & has never bothered since.
 
If a dog bothers my son when riding he gets his horse to charge at it whilst yelling "charge " at the top of his voice. There is a particular farm dog that has learned that this is one horse he not even going to bother barking at.
 
If a dog is that much of a problem I encourage mine to kick it, rather the dog injured than my horse, or myself if it has me off, rather their vets bill than mine with it being their fault.
 
The dog owner should bear in mind that under the law horses are considered livestock when it comes to worrying livestock legislation - its specfically stated in the statute which lists the species covered.
So if they carry on trespassing with an out of control dog they might not have a live dog very soon!
 
Unless you have 100% recall a dog should not be loose in open country, full stop. Evie is used to horses but because she would expect my daughter to be on a horse we met when walking she would possibly run up to say hello, therefore she does not get the chance. If we meet a horse on the roads I make her sit whilst they pass as I know some horses can be prats and firmly believe they have met a wolf, even if they are used to dogs.:p
 
Thank you all for being nice :)

I love the idea of pelting at the dog shouting charge. Once BH is allowed out of a walk I might employ that one :)

I would have walked past it but every time my horse moved the damn thing chased us. BH is sensible up to a point but he has his limits and he isn't supposed to be doing more than walking. It was clear there was no way the owner had any control what-so-ever so thought the safest thing was to stop and get off and try and help get hold of the infernal creature.

I was thinking about going and pinning some nice friendly posters to the tress, something like

'dog walkers, there are likely to be horses on these fields. If you think your dog will chase them please keep them on a lead. Those of us riding have permission to be here and you don't after all. It hurts when I fall off and I don't want my horse to kick your dog in the face. Thanks and have a nice walk' or something like that.

I know most people aren't really horse savvy so I don't want to be cranky with them but at least that way they can't say they weren't expecting to see us!
 
Really? Ok. I won't do that then! I'm just a bit concerned for when Nitty comes back really. I think she would actually have killed the dog and I'd feel awful if that happens (she doesn't like dogs much). Maybe I'll just hack on the roads. Car drivers seem to be more reliable than dog walkers! lol
 
I think if you have permission to be there and the dog walkers don't then a notice is not over reacting at all. I know how frustrating rehab walk work is, esp when outside influences undo everything. Like the kid on the games pony that trotted past me when I was doing my walk work, I've heard that handstands and passage can be incorporated into ligament rehab :rolleyes:
 
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