Hacking with your dog?

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Anybody go hacking or trail riding and take their dog? Do you think that horses enjoy having canine company? Assuming the dog and horses are already acquainted.
I took my dog out with me yesterday for the first time as an experiment, cos it is so hot here that there aren't enough cool hours in the day to do an hour or two with the dog and then hack separately. I think my horse actually enjoyed it more. At one point we were galloping after the dog across open fields and she loved it.
Anybody else take their dog out with them?
 
I always used to take my Border terrier with me when hacking out on the New Forest but it can only work if the dog is very well trained and can be controlled with voice commands in all circumstances. Most places in the UK have too much traffic, too many sheep, rabbits and other out of control dogs for the average pet dog to be safe. It is great exercise for the dog but I cannot say my horse was particularly happier when the dog was around. I have also seen inexperienced dogs being hit by a cantering horse's hooves. In both instances the horse made no effort to avoid the dog contrary to popular belief so caution is required.
 
I always take my dog with me when I hack. He gets beside himself when I start tacking up and starts leaping around and barking, and definitely helps the horse to be less spooky.

I did, however, spend a LOT of time off road teaching him voice commands, and I now trust him implicitly to sit and stay when I tell him, to stick to the left side of the rode, get behind, get ahead, and to stop from a distance. I would never take a dog out when I wasn't certain I had control from on board a horse.
 
Thanks for your replies. I used to take the two horses in hand and the dog out together. Sometimes I still do. They are used to having to stop and wait for the dog or not trod over him if he suddenly stops for a wee. I am very lucky that we can leave our property and have miles and miles of forestry trails through the hills right behind us without having to cross any roads or go near houses if i pick the route right. The other direction is through the village with roads and crazy dogs. On the forestry trails I think I have met somebody else about a dozen times in 3 years. So it would just be me, the horse and the dog....no fields with livestock either. Only the odd fox or deer. The dog has been known to have selective hearing on the odd rare occasion, but he always stays on the trails somewhere, and I manage to find him within a few minutes. That would be my only concern, that he decides to chase a fox or something. In saying that, anywhere that he goes, the horse can go so i can follow him without the worry of running into houses, or people or roads. I think I will try it again and see how it goes.
 
I do it in forestry about five miles away he very good .
I would never take him on the public road it's not safe .
He also follows me round and round the schooling field .
 
I sometimes hack out with a friend who brings her dog, my horse definitely likes having him there and is as happy following him as he is following another horse.
 
I don't ride out with the dog, but I always took her with me when I walked out youngsters in hand and they definitely enjoyed the extra company, and often gained confidence from having her to follow if we passed anything scary.
 
Yes, if we're going on a route she can come without hitting any main or busy lanes we take our lab. She's so fit she runs infront the entire time and when we go for a gallop she runs next to us! She loves going to badminton, she comes the entire way for 2/3hrs :-) mind my parents collie is to mental she'd get in the way!
 
It's really interesting reading these replies. There was definitely a different dynamic yesterday. Like I said, I think she enjoyed having the dog there. She understood that we had to wait for him to catch up at times. And she loved galloping after him across the field. It was really fun.
 
I used to, at 11 my dog is too old to keep up now. Initially used to have chopped frankfurters in a pocket for recall etc. The ponies definitely were more confident if going out without equine company and great for de spooking as they learned to expect him appearing from bushes at the side of the track.
 
I used to take my old dog Tiggy when I went out riding with my first pony many years ago and have some lovely memories of the dog and the pony enjoying themselves together; he was liveried near some lovely open common land and we'd go for miles. When we had to do roadwork, I'd just signal with my hand that the dog should tuck in behind me, and she did so, I never ever had to look back, I always knew she was tucked in and safe.

I do far too much roadwork nowadays to be able to even think of taking the dogs; my two would soon get themselves knocked down as have absolutely no traffic sense at all. A pity, coz it would be nice to be able to kill two birds with one stone. But not practicable, alas.
 
I take my collie out with mine sometimes. He's responsive and obedient, but I put him on a lead on the road anyway - the ponies are used to him jumping up to be clipped on / off, and seem to appreciate the company.
 
We hack with one or two dogs, mostly lanes, just a small amount of quiet road. They are trained gundogs, so they sit in the hedge when asked. The horses appear to quite like it :)
 
I hack out with my dog but only on routes with minimal roadwork. Horse definitely appreciates the company and is less spooky. Took a bit of training to get him used to commands from horseback but he took to it well and has a special hiviz harness for hacking.
 
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Took my gang (two JRX and horse) out together for the first time the other night. Horse thought it was great and kept looking for the dogs, carefully stepping round them or letting them scamper past as needed. Dogs accepted the situation without question. I did have a spare human on hand just in case (older dog has selective hearing on occasion) but the three animals definitely enjoyed it.
 
Anybody go hacking or trail riding and take their dog? Do you think that horses enjoy having canine company? Assuming the dog and horses are already acquainted.
I took my dog out with me yesterday for the first time as an experiment, cos it is so hot here that there aren't enough cool hours in the day to do an hour or two with the dog and then hack separately. I think my horse actually enjoyed it more. At one point we were galloping after the dog across open fields and she loved it.
Anybody else take their dog out with them?

Used to with previous dogs, not this one as it is not obidient.

My horses loved the company of the dog when hacking alone and they went on more adventures this way.
 
My horse went to a trainer to be backed and he always had his dogs running around - if you wanted to hack without them you had to shut them in! He only hacked in the fields and on the bridleway next to his yard so roads were not an issue. The baby horses found having a terrier and collie darting in and out of the hedgerow a bit daunting to start with but soon got used to it. As a result my horse is totally oblivious to dogs (although he finds it a bit weird if they are on a lead :D ) which can be very useful at shows and in fact at my current yard where they have five dogs including two kelpies that love the horses and come charging at you in delight if they meet you on the farm!
 
I always used to ride with my dog and she was brilliant at doing what I asked her to do if a car came along etc. She loved it and was mega fit.

Unfortunately one morning ride we did, she got attacked by a staffie and it nearly killed her. It was a horrific experience and I just didn't feel safe taking her out again after that. So she has to make do with coming to work with me and going for lunchtime walks. I do take her out when I lead my daughter on her pony but that's it.
 
Myself and my riding buddy used to hack out with her dog. I don't think the horse gave a toss but the dog enjoyed it. She'd hacked with horses since she was young, so she knew how to behave around them and how to not get stepped on. Sadly the dog has now got canine dementia and one of the earlier signs was not seemingly realizing where the horses were. Had a close call where she veered underneath the horse as he was walking and got bowled head over heels. Luckily he's barefoot. My friend has stopped taking her hacking, as it's not safe for her anymore.
 
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Friend of ours has a mixed pack of terriers - up to 7 at any one time. He always used to hack out with them - he's very into his hunting, and would always ride with his hunting whip. If a car came up, he would put his arm out, with the lash dangling down - just as you would with hounds - and the terriers would drop into a group behind the horse. Very impressive with hounds - even more so with terriers!!

He doesn't do it anymore as the roads are just too busy.
 
The farm dog would wait at the gate for me to arrive, tack up my horse and then come hacking with us. He was totally nonchalant regarding traffic and would stop the cars in the lanes for us to pass. He was an amazing character and hacked out with me for over two years, I am sure my horse treated him as if she was going out with another horse. Unfortunately he died after eating something that had died from rat poison. It broke my heart and my horse looked for him for weeks.
 
Yes. with my old dog many years ago. She loved it and I think the horse enjoyed the company too. I'd have her on a long lead rope and she'd lead from the left of the horse. As soon as I got to somewhere safe for her to be off the lead I'd let her go.

Not done this for years as don't have a dog anymore, but I am dog sitting for a friend and dog is comfy around horses and current horse is used to hounds, so the other day I did just the same and both dog and horse seemed quite happy with set up and ambled along together. I then got back and let dog off while I had a canter round the fields and dog just lolloped along beside. It was rather nice. This particular dog needs a lot of exercise and is very bouncy and going out with the horse meant I could exercise both and make sure both had the time they needed. Worked well so will be doing it again.

I wont be letting this particular dog off his lead atm as while he's a daft loveable lump without a nasty bone in his body, his recall isn't what it should be yet so I don't trust him around livestock or in public spaces. Not everyone wants to be bounced and certainly I don't want him chasing other animals.
But on the lead he is fine and I can walk and trot with both of them in control.
 
I would love to hack with my dog and we have a closed off estate to hack in - but he is completely disobedient and I've heard Beagles are not great off lead. Would love to have a dog as well trained as all of yours!
 
I would love to hack with my dog and we have a closed off estate to hack in - but he is completely disobedient and I've heard Beagles are not great off lead. Would love to have a dog as well trained as all of yours!
I ride with a friend who has one. She rides with with him on a long lead. She used to let him off in the woods but we lost him once for 15min while he chased something
 
I used to regularly ride with my collie. She's was amazing. Perfect on the roads and everything. She's too old for it now. The others come occasionally but only when there is no road work. They are sight hounds so although they are good I couldn't rely on them on the roads if they saw a cat/squirrel etc.
 
I have done a few times with my dog on a quiet lane hack, dog enjoyed it and it certainly made the pony braver , always asked the dog to go in front so pony could see her, dog is super in any traffic, as soon as she hears a car will sit on the verge and wait , sadly I got slated big time on here for doing and was told I was irresponsible so haven't done it since ��
 
I take the dog with me when I ride across our fields; would never risk him on the road, he's a terrier and apt to dash around and chase things. It's almost all road work by us.

I have seen someone up Clent riding a spotty horse with a collie either following just behind or to the left of her, stopping for a sniff and catching up. I was amazed at how close in to the left she stayed, she was just brilliant! If I could train Frank like that (and GUARANTEE he would never ever run out into the road) I'd consider it, but I don't think that's likely to happen any time soon...! Even if I had that level of trust in my dog, not sure I'd trust other road users to be as sensible...
 
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