Horses & dogs

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armada

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Hey, I'm kind of new to all this & the horsey world in general & I've just recently signed up so please be gentle! :) I was wondering how to introduce dogs to my horses?

My dad bought me 2 recently & they're great fun, if slightly scary lol

I really want to have all my dogs with me when we go for canters around the estate but i'm nervous in case something happens.

Are horses ok with all dogs or will they act funny? :confused:
 
As long as the horse and dogs are properly introduced, you can take them all together wherever you want.

By proper introduction I mean having the dogs around the yard so the horses can see them, smell them and get accustomed. Don't ever let the dogs bark or be in anyway territorial or aggressive towards the horses.

I've always had dogs and I've always taken them with me everywhere. Never had a single issue.
 
Horses and dogs work when you put the work in to train them. It is not an automatic response. I am not sure from your thread if you have 2 new dogs or 2 new horses...or how experienced you are?

It took me a long time and still need reinforcement to train my dog well enough that she would be safe to come out with my horses on hacks, still listen to me, leave other dogs and horses alone and learn to stay when needed. First rule of thumb, if you can't do all this easily on foot, never try on horseback!
 
All different I suppose … some will get on better than others. My rottie has been coming to the farm since he was 14 weeks old (hes now 18 months). If the horse is loose in the field and you’re not near them he’s fine, if you’re in the stable with them he’s fine – as soon as you’re leading them and he’s loose – his instinct to herd/protect kicks in no matter what training we have done. He just barks and barks and barks, circles the horses and is plain irritating! Now he has to be led at the same time as the horse to stop this. Yet in the stable he’ll be next to you whilst grooming, lick the sudacrem off their legs etc. Horses are completely unflustered with him and a little bored probably (and great for when you’re out hacking – “little barky dog you really cant compete with what we have back at home”) and he did get a kick off my mare when he got a little too close once – he still didn’t learn! x
 
Our dog arrived when she was already a year old and she thought horses were potentially a lot of fun, but has now twigged her role is to remain steady no matter what they do.

She was pretty good in fact, but to get her used to faster paces she sat observing horses on the lunge, then went out with one being long reined (pedestrian did remark that dog was better behaved than horse :eek:). I also cycle a lot and this really helped prepare her for moving round the countryside at a faster pace and still reporting back to the Mother Ship!

I use a sharp 'move self' for those moments when she has stopped to sniff just as we are bearing down on her and she moves off double quick. 'Close' for when she has to come alongside and 'Steady' if I am not too sure what is ahead and I don't want her bowling on.
 
Luci07 said:
Horses and dogs work when you put the work in to train them. It is not an automatic response. I am not sure from your thread if you have 2 new dogs or 2 new horses...or how experienced you are?

It took me a long time and still need reinforcement to train my dog well enough that she would be safe to come out with my horses on hacks, still listen to me, leave other dogs and horses alone and learn to stay when needed. First rule of thumb, if you can't do all this easily on foot, never try on horseback!
Click to expand...

I like all of Luci07's reply, and especially the last sentence is very well said. Except that I interpreted Armada's post as that it is about 2 new horses and owner already has an unspecified number of dogs?

To Armada's last question, I think the answer is that some horses likes dogs, some horses neither likes nor dislikes dogs, some horses are scared of dogs, some horses truly dislikes dogs, some horses only dislikes specific dogs but are okay with other dogs, and everything between what I've just mentioned.

The same could be said about dogs, some dogs never learns to like horses, some dogs likes horses from the moment they first meet one etc. For instance, several years ago I had one bitch that had a big problem with "talking horses" = rider on the horse talked = my bitch barked. A person that was talking while walking next to a horse was no problem, a horse doing any type of horse sound while having a rider on top was no problem, a "talking horse" = bark bark bark...
Of course I got better at distracting her, but she was stubborn and very convinced about that horses that talked was an abomination! :eek: Strangely enough, the one time we met a horse whose rider asked us to move as far out to the side of the road as possible, because her horse was scared of dogs, my bitch must have sensed that there was something different, since she kept herself dead silent.

Besides, even when horses and dogs likes each other, it isn't always easy for a rider to be able to have control both over the horse he/she is riding, and have control over dogs that is either on a leash or loose. And if you then is new to the horsey world in general, in your shoes, I'm not sure that I would want to add the extra responsibility by riding out with both horse and dogs too quickly.
 
I used to keep English pointers which are totally non-aggressive (except to small mammals and birds). I'd put a new pony in the dog run (1 acre) and let out about 20 dogs. The pony would initally try to attack the dogs but they are too smart and keep out of the way! Eventually, the ponies give up and all is harmony. See video below.

But a lot does depend on the breed of dog. I now have a GSD off working stock. At first, she thought it would be fun to attack the ponies but she now knows they are off limits except at a gateway or when I give her the command. She will guard the gateway until I have driven through with the tractor and trailer. The ponies know they must not try and escape so this is very useful! If they do, two rows of sharp teeth change their minds for them!

Yes, dogs do need to be trained!:D

[youtube]llLgWst3UlQ[/youtube]
 
My dogs and horses are fine around each other. They come out on hacks and instinctively know that we are all part of the same team. Even when we've had a gallop, the horses will avoid running into the dogs and vice versa.
The are very useful for giving confidence to a young horse learning to hack alone.
Don't think I've ever taught them any special skills other than to come to call, which is pretty standard for dogs when off lead.
 
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