Horse attacked my dog last night

Nudibranch

Nudibranch

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My own horse, that is. Normal evening, bringing one horse into the starvation paddock and the youngster following behind, totally normal routine. Dog was with us - again as usual. The youngster has known dogs literally all his life, never a problem, and the dog has always just pottered around, neither paying much interest to the other. Out of the blue the youngster decides to trot after the dog, so the dog started trotting away and then suddenly youngster launches into a canter and then lunges at the dog, bringing both front hooves right down on him. I have never felt so sick in my life. Thankfully, and by pure chance, the dog is ok although bruised. And now probably with a permanent fear of horses. However in 25 years of owning, I have never seen or heard of anything like this. Fortunately he did it only the once and I was able to get to the dog, so I am putting it down to badly judged play. Am I being naive though? It was definitely deliberate and as I say, he has no reason at all to have a problem with the dog. The only related history is I know his breeder used to say he followed their cat around as a foal, but certainly never tried to attack it!

Clearly now they will be kept well apart but has anyone had any similar experiences and what did you do? He is most definitely a gelding; I saw both testicles completely removed with my own eyes! He was only 11 months when gelded and never showed any colty behaviour other than biting, although I have to say with the spring grass he is rather a loon at the moment. We have done a lot of work on personal space and boundaries, as I suspect he was allowed to get away with lots as a young foal, but it has been working well - perhaps we need to go back to basics again though.

So - unfortunate accident of play or am I harbouring a future horror story?
 
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Unfortunately I have seen this happen more than once and it is not play! Some horses will try to kill dogs.
 
My grey attacks dogs. She aims to stamp on them with her front hooves. When the farmer comes to move his sheep I have to take her out of the field to stop her from going after his sheep dogs.

She is however perfectly fine with dogs on leads.

It all stems from when she was a yearling and she was chased by a dog (stupid owner walking along the footpath through the field, let it off the lead even though it was obviously trying to go after the horses). So anyway, I looked on helplessly as the dog chased the horses for three laps around the field. You could see that she was thinking - rather than in shere panic like the other horses - and suddenly she turned around and went for the dog.

Could your horse have been chased by a dog without you knowing about it?
 
my friends horse, tried to kill my dads dog when i took them done the yard once! he'd been around my friends dogs a million times but for some reason just didnt like the look of my lab and chased her around the field, luckily i had a bit sectioned off and managed to get her in there, he then proceeded to walk up and down the fence just staring at her! he was only 3 and a half, but it was horrible! he defo wanted to hurt, not play!
 
my horse will go for dogs-generally using front legs and teeth, he literally has picked up a GSD (not mine), that was trespassing in his field, by the scruff and chucked it-he's a gelding. my older exmoor has kicked out with hind feet at strange dogs when hacking that have got too close but he's fine with mine. The youngster is ok but wouldn't trust him. Our section C once ran one out of the paddock when I was a kid.

honestly I would never take for granted any horses and dogs, not worth it.
 
Yep both my horses chase my dog if they get the opportunity and I'm pretty sure they would hurt him if they got the chance. Its quite common for horses to snake their head down and chase dogs when loose in the field. I often cross a field on the footpath close to my house where there are horses turned out, I've also seen them chases dogs in the field. My horses are fine with the dog on my yard even if he runs up to them, walks round their legs etc but if he goes in their field or in the arena when they are loose, they will go for him. I am just very careful that the dog stays by my side when the horses are loose.
 
my youngster used to do this when i first got her but she was nasty, he would pin her ears back and try and bite him while trying to trample him, she also tried to do it to a fox that entered the field, it wasnt even near her and she charged across the field trying to bite and trample it! one day she tried it and my other horse (who is quite fond of my dog) bit her chased her across the field standing between them making sure the dog was ok and stopping her from coming any closer to him. she never did it again. she no longer even bothers with him running between her legs (not that im happy with him doing it) and him running along behind and he was trotting along down the field the other day and she trotted along behind him but no nastyness at all.

i think your youngster was just playing but if it happens again the youngster needs to be reprimanded to make sure nothing more serious happens :)
 
Faracat I suppose it is possible a dog could have gone after him, they are in the field next door but there is a footpath. Hmm, seems like it's more common that I thought then! Which in a way is a relief - hopefully he's not a complete psycho in the making then...
 
Hmmm my section A hates dogs,she kicked the gate one day to try and get to a dog.My missing cob kicked the same dog in the head,but thats because the wretched dog was trying to bite his heels.Stupid dog tried to go back for more.
In your case it could be play or that hes just decided he doesnt like the dog anymore?????
 
One of mine has tried to stomp our smaller dog, he's also chased the dog round the stable block, he does it with pricked ears and gives the impression he just wants to play not that he's out to kill the dreaded wolf.
 
Stiggy detest's dogs with a passion. He tries to grab them by the neck and then crush them by going down on them with his knees.
He will also kick and lunge at them if he cant actually catch them.
Safest thing is to not let the dog in the paddock.
 
My 19 year old mare is fine with my dogs and the neighbours but I was looking after a dalmation for a friend once and took it out the field with me as I do all the dogs, she took one look at and charged across the field and chased it out through the gate. Not sure what she would have done had she got near enough but her ears were back and teeth bared so don't think she was playing! She never liked the dalmation who stayed with us frequently when her owner went on holiday but could not take her in the fields with that horse. The dog has long since died but I still have the mare and she has never reacted to any other dog like that and I always walk my two springers and my friends labrador in the field with no problems. I have had this mare since birth so know that she has not had any bad experiences with dogs just doesn't like dalamtions it would seem.:)
 
I had a mare who attacked my white German shepherd dog, my dog has been brought up round horses and has a healthy respect for them and was close to my side sniffing around while we were in the field and she was loose, all of a sudden without warning she charged at my dog with her teeth bared! needless to say she got a right telling off!
 
Thanks just read thread on missing cob, very distressing. Hope he is found soon. I know that area a little and it is a big area. Very strange that he has not made his own way back to the pony if he has just got loose. I know with mine when I take one out the other three make such a fuss.
 
i never let my dogs into the paddocks with the horses, the paddocks are their territory and having heard how my big girl would pick up the sheep and throw them at her old home i've not wanted to use one of my dogs as a test dummy to see how she reacts to dogs!
Farrier brought his young dog yesterday and she was pootling about no problem outside of the paddocks, then she went in with my daughters pony, pony just looked and had a little snort and the dog ran out, then dog went back in and pony chased her:o thankfully farrier was just of the opinion that it's all part of her training!
 
Fat Lad is fine with the dogs, doesn't give them a second glance, but Skinny Minnie is very watchfull when they are around and will start moving towards them at speed if they are in the field. I have always called the dogs out before she can get to them though, so not 100% sure if she is just interested or aggressive. I don't really want to find out so keep them apart.
 
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