Galloping towards people/dogs

[Merry neddy man]

The video appears to have been removed. Can someone explain what it was? I gather a rider has galloped at people on foot?

Click the link on # 1 it's still showing.

 

[skinnydipper]

Hmm, what happened to Pass Wide and Slow?

 

[skinnydipper]

The dog is playing and looks like it is running to the sea. I'm sure the dog's owners would never imagine that a lunatic would ride at them at speed.

 

[skinnydipper]

............

 

[JFTDWS]

Nothing in that dog’s behaviour suggests it’s aggressive or likely to attack, nor is it running “at” the horse. If anything, it’s the horse running at the dog, and the horse looks more likely to act aggressively.

The dog owner might have had greater forethought, but we all know how poorly horses are understood by non-horse people. It’s our responsibility to allow for that, not theirs. This is absolutely on the rider for not pulling up in good time.

 

[Goldenstar]

Both rider whose was inconsiderate and has death wish and the dog owner has no care for his dog .
The dog was not out of control but the owner certainly was not looking out for its safety .

 

[Dave's Mam]

I thought it looked like the dog was running to the people on the right hand side, possibly even unaware of the horse as it started to run.

 

[JFTDWS]

I thought it looked like the dog was running to the people on the right hand side, possibly even unaware of the horse as it started to run.

I don’t think it’s clear who the dog is with - I also thought it might have been recalled to the people on the right and was running back to them. It isn’t taking the straightest line to them though so it might be hooleying out from the people to the left, intending to play in the surf. Who knows. If the rider had slowed to a walk, it would all be obvious, and of course none of us would be talking about it!

 

[Goldenstar]

I grew up on the beach and galloped on the sand most days so I am hardwired to look for trouble on the sand and a dog to the other side to its people on line of travel would have us pull straight back to a hand canter .
She is not dangerously close to any people but she should have reacted to the dog she galloped over it made no attempt to slow or steer round it, that could be child in another situation .
You have to be seriously careful of children on the beach some are so excited to see real horses they to run to you in way some horses regard as threatening non standard behaviour especially if pursued by a parent.

 

[criso]

The dog is playing and looks like it is running to the sea. I'm sure the dog's owners would never imagine that a lunatic would ride at them at speed.

The amount of dogs I have had running round my horse's legs who are "only playing", my mum who is a bit wobbly with age nearly fell when a dog ran into her legs who was "only playing", luckily I was with her and caught her before she fell or the people who let their dog into our horse's field to 'play' and didn't even have the decency to close the gate after.

A dog's senses and reactions are better than ours, I'm not sure you could argue it hadn't seen the horse and whatever it's intentions it chose to run across going slightly towards.

It might have been a horse panicking after being attacked by another dog, I've seen plenty of footage of horses running because of this. A rider may have fallen off and the horse is riderless.

The thing with a beach is it's a open space so both parties had plenty of time to see what was ahead and take evasive action and both should be aware of what's happening around and be ready for the unexpected.

If I'd been riding, I may have been cantering but I would slowed down to a walk to pass the people. However even at a walk I would would have been extremely wary of a dog taking the direction that one did in case another came up to 'play' with horse.

 

[skinnydipper]

When I'm out with my dog I take her off the path to allow riders to pass.

When I'm in the car I slow down to a crawl. I stop and turn the engine off if the rider is having difficulty.

So it is disappointing to see that over 21K people liked that video.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Hand canter?

Even if there had been zero dogs present I would have pulled up to a walk when riding in between the walkers.

No wonder I’m getting out of horses, it’s not the horses, it’s the people .

 

[Goldenstar]

All you need to be is in control .

 

[Rowreach]

It becomes increasingly obvious why so many people have no time for horse riders

 

[Rowreach]

All you need to be is in control .

You could say that about a car driver passing you at 60, it's not about "being in control", it's about being able to react in time to anything that might happen. Therefore 10 mph or slowing to a walk is appropriate.

 

[Goldenstar]

Cantering slowly past people a fair distance from you is not dangerous .
I don’t know about the rest of you but I can stop my horse at once from a hand canter .

 

[criso]

I tend to come back to a walk because these days I'm on bridlepaths and pass very close to walkers and if nothing else I may splash them. If I was in an open space and well away I might go a bit faster.

I'm a bit wary about saying how close this rider was to the walkers as camera lenses can distort this.

 

[Fred66]

Hand canter?

Even if there had been zero dogs present I would have pulled up to a walk when riding in between the walkers.

No wonder I’m getting out of horses, it’s not the horses, it’s the people .

It’s not all people. It’s an issue with the world we now inhabit, where far too many people believe in their right to do as they please and s*d everyone else.

The rider was reckless to their own and others safety, and didn’t care as evidenced by the entitlement in their video messaging. The dog whilst free running did not appear to be dangerous and may well have been recalled (we can’t tell).

If the rider had posted it as a near miss, and with acknowledgement that both were at fault then we wouldn’t be condemning them to the same extent

 

[JFTDWS]

I happily canter toward people because I know I can stop, slow or adjust my direction effectively and quickly, especially on fergus who can canter at walking speed. I do not gallop flat out between groups of people with loose dogs. Those are very different things.

I also pull up before passing people on tracks or otherwise in close proximity - not because I’m not in control of my horse, but because it’s intimidating to barge past people on foot at speed. It’s just polite.

 

[Goldenstar]

Horses canot canter or gallop at sixty it’s not a good comparison my horse canters happily slower than the speed of cobs normal trot .

 

[Goldenstar]

I happily canter toward people because I know I can stop, slow or adjust my direction effectively and quickly, especially on fergus who can canter at walking speed. I do not gallop flat out between groups of people with loose dogs. Those are very different things.

I also pull up before passing people on tracks or otherwise in close proximity - not because I’m not in control of my horse, but because it’s intimidating to barge past people on foot at speed. It’s just polite.

Exactly .
I have to say the only time my horse was bitten by a dog I was walking I am very prepared to keep moving now if I think it’s best .

 

[Goldenstar]

The other thing about this riders haphazard approach to her own safety is there’s no evidence on the video that she had walked the line she was galloping before starting . You need to do that to check the consistency of the sand which varies after every tide.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Riding your horse away from a potential dog attack is very different from riding too fast past walkers, some of whom might be terrified at the sight of a horse close up..

I just come back to walk, as it is less intimidating to potentially nervous members of the public, rather than congratulate myself on my riding skillz and canter past them.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Maybe the dog owner thought she was actually going to be considerate enough to slow down, which would have given her time to get him recalled/get to him

It's made all the more worse by her not slowing immediately to check all was ok, you can tell from her position she's making no effort to look back or slow down

I wonder if the dog darts because he's spooked by her suddenly coming at him like that, the number of times I've walked towards one of the cats (at home!) and gone flat on my face because they've changed direction, I should imagine he's terrified having her bear down on him in that manner (and I'm not a dog person!!)

Imagine if the horse hadn't jumped and had been brought down instead.

 

[criso]

Exactly .
I have to say the only time my horse was bitten by a dog I was walking I am very prepared to keep moving now if I think it’s best .

It's so difficult to know what to do. I've halted hoping that the dog will be less likely to chase and to give the owner a chance to grab it but then you're a standing target. There are so many out of control dogs around.

 

[Goldenstar]

It's so difficult to know what to do. I've halted hoping that the dog will be less likely to chase and to give the owner a chance to grab it but then you're a standing target. There are so many out of control dogs around.

You are right it’s hard to decide still your horse is a target and the horses are trained to stand with dogs all around them they are not likely to protect themselves .
H would stand and let a dog bite him Blue although he’s dog proof, I think would defend himself he has a different vibe .

 

[Rowreach]

Horses canot canter or gallop at sixty it’s not a good comparison my horse canters happily slower than the speed of cobs normal trot .

You are clearly missing my point.

 

[Rowreach]

I wonder how many people on foot would be ok with a horse and rider cantering towards them? Are they blessed with psychic powers telling them that that particular rider is completely in control of their horse?

 

[criso]

You are right it’s hard to decide still your horse is a target and the horses are trained to stand with dogs all around them they are not likely to protect themselves .
H would stand and let a dog bite him Blue although he’s dog proof, I think would defend himself he has a different vibe .

I had a border collie try to herd Frankie once time nipping at his heels. He was so good and just lifted a back leg and giving it a push but I wouldn't have blamed him if he out more force into it.

Another time a dog was jumping up at his head and he just moved his nose up out of reach with each jump.

Both cases owner told me it was only being friendly

 

[criso]

I wonder how many people on foot would be ok with a horse and rider cantering towards them? Are they blessed with psychic powers telling them that that particular rider is completely in control of their horse?

As I said it's difficult to judge with a camera but it doesn't actually look like the rider is galloping towards but past wth quite a lot of space on each side.

Maybe the dog owners can use the same psychic powers I'm expected to use when a strange dog runs at me.