How can I teach my horse to kick dogs?

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kickonchaps

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There's a little terrier type thing that lives in a house on our nearest bridleway, and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME you go past it crawls through a gap in the fence and chases after you barking. I've been chased while walking the dog and riding my horse, my sister has been chased when jogging down the road, and she's even had to slam on the brakes to avoid running this dog over when it's been chasing cyclists!

The owners have been told and their response is 'oh... he can get through the gate you see...' :confused:

This morning I got chased again twice on my hack and the 2nd time the owner showed up to collect the dog. It wouldn't come back when she called it so she asked me to wait while she came over. Horse ignored it as usual while it yapped round his back legs. I said to her as she grabbed the dog by the scruff 'I don't want to scare you but my horse is wearing hind shoes and if he kicks it, he'll kill it.' Completely ignored. She apologised for the chasing and that was that.

Now I've been chased by many a dog in my time, including a huge doberman that pursued us for a quarter of a mile, but this little thing is a danger to everyone now that it's running around on the road, and the owners certainly aren't intimidated by my big scary horse when he has his ears pricked and doesn't look like he knows what kicking means....

My conclusion is the only way to make them take my threat seriously is to teach him to kick the dog ;) I don't want to start off with a death blow immediately, thinking more along the lines of 3 stage kick training. Stage 1 is a warning kick, stage 2 is a sharp nudge in the ribs to say back off (and hopefully leave a nice hoofprint for the owner to see) and Stage 3 is the full on, flying-dog death blow. Can anyone advise how to go about teaching this?





Before anyone calls the RSPCA on me I should add I'm only joking... though not in my dreams :mad:
 
We have this exact same problem!!!!! Yappy little ***** just wont let up and it literally is EVERY time we ride past! Again owners couldn't give a hoot, and the one time I shouted at the dog, they came out and gave me a mouthfull, so I politely told them that when the little rat gets kicked, not to blame us as they have been warned! They laughed in my face and walked off!! I dont get it!! Now unfortunately non of our horses will kick dogs as they all hunt. But oh I wish...
Disclaimer, I do not condone cruelty to animals, but this dog is on my hit list, big time!!!
 
I don't mind dogs coming at my horse, she's not bothered by them, so neither am I :).

Why don't you carry a squeezy bottle of water in your pocket and spray the dog with that?

Do you really want to teach your horse to kick things that are round its legs :confused:?
 
Rather than teach your horse to kick at dogs could you not get off yourself and give it a quick one up the jacksie?

I have found in the past that when a dog is chasing a horse if you turn the horse to face the dog and stand still and quiet then the dog normally stops and slopes off. May be worth trying with this one?
 
Upskyc said:
whats the problem , your horse doesn't care?
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He doesn't, no, but we're not the only ones that use that bridleway and I can't vouch for all those other horses. I think the fact that it gets on the road and the owners don't give a *** is more worrying, they genuinely don't seem to realise that it's endangering itself and whichever poor driver happens to be coming round the corner. I think a call to the dog warden is definitely in order.... (if my kicking plan doesn't come off of course :cool:)
 
I think people have missed the bit at the bottom of the post where I said I am actually joking, and won't genuinely be teaching my horse to kick dogs... :confused::confused: But a girl can dream!
 
I would have strong words with the owner.
A friend of mine knows a terrier on her yard that has just been run over because it escaped onto the road :(
Be firm and tell her if you horse gets bitten by her dog she will be recieving the vets bill and will be expected to pay in full.
She may think repairing/modifying her fence/gate is cheaper then a several hundred pound vet bill!
 
Theres 2 like that near us!!!! They go for OH when walking or on his bike, they have even been hanging off my dog neck before, good job she's a little simple! :D And chace after me when hacking, I got fed up with it and turned my pony around and trotted at the little so and so's. They've never come after my pony again but still do with everyone else so I know how you feel :)
 
kickonchaps said:
There's a little terrier type thing that lives in a house on our nearest bridleway, and EVERY. SINGLE. TIME you go past it crawls through a gap in the fence and chases after you barking. I've been chased while walking the dog and riding my horse, my sister has been chased when jogging down the road, and she's even had to slam on the brakes to avoid running this dog over when it's been chasing cyclists!

The owners have been told and their response is 'oh... he can get through the gate you see...' :confused:

This morning I got chased again twice on my hack and the 2nd time the owner showed up to collect the dog. It wouldn't come back when she called it so she asked me to wait while she came over. Horse ignored it as usual while it yapped round his back legs. I said to her as she grabbed the dog by the scruff 'I don't want to scare you but my horse is wearing hind shoes and if he kicks it, he'll kill it.' Completely ignored. She apologised for the chasing and that was that.

Now I've been chased by many a dog in my time, including a huge doberman that pursued us for a quarter of a mile, but this little thing is a danger to everyone now that it's running around on the road, and the owners certainly aren't intimidated by my big scary horse when he has his ears pricked and doesn't look like he knows what kicking means....

My conclusion is the only way to make them take my threat seriously is to teach him to kick the dog ;) I don't want to start off with a death blow immediately, thinking more along the lines of 3 stage kick training. Stage 1 is a warning kick, stage 2 is a sharp nudge in the ribs to say back off (and hopefully leave a nice hoofprint for the owner to see) and Stage 3 is the full on, flying-dog death blow. Can anyone advise how to go about teaching this?





Before anyone calls the RSPCA on me I should add I'm only joking... though not in my dreams :mad:
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The red mist came down and I have pressed quote and about to call you a moron then read the last bit haha.... i would have looked a moron!!!!!!


I would suggest telling the owner that one kick from your horse will kill the doggie so they really need to keep him in! My terrier used to be a right git with the bullocks until one day he got really beaten up, beaten up bad but not enough for lasting injury, he now has total respect for the bullocks and is a dream, so although you jest it would do the little monkey good!

Might scare them enough to know their dog could get fatal injuries xx
 
Call the dog warden

But if you can, when you see it running at you, turn your horse and trot as fast as you can AT it to try and scare it. Heopfully it will then top tail and run off.
 
Devonshire dumpling said:
The red mist came down and I have pressed quote and about to call you a moron then read the last bit haha.... i would have looked a moron!!!!!!


I would suggest telling the owner that one kick from your horse will kill the doggie so they really need to keep him in! My terrier used to be a right git with the bullocks until one day he got really beaten up, beaten up bad but not enough for lasting injury, he now has total respect for the bullocks and is a dream, so although you jest it would do the little monkey good!

Might scare them enough to know their dog could get fatal injuries xx
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Tried that one this morning and she completely ignored me!! But she also didn't care when my sister described nearly running it over when it was in the middle of the road so I think these people might be nutters! I get the impression they don't really like the dog themselves either...
 
Just report the owners, I know the dog is annoying (we live next door to one that yaps constantly and is a pain in the butt) however for you to even try and discipline it wouldn't help. This is the owners fault and problem and I think if they can't be bothered with ensuring the animal is safe then they should have the threat of the repercussions to them.
 
kickonchaps said:
Tried that one this morning and she completely ignored me!! But she also didn't care when my sister described nearly running it over when it was in the middle of the road so I think these people might be nutters! I get the impression they don't really like the dog themselves either...
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i am still laughing at myself having a sense of humour failure!!!!!!! Serves me right for skim reading!!!!

How annoying, there is a collie at a farm I ride through and its fairly aggressive and a heel nipper, the horse I ride really would kill him! I scream at it and tell it to go back home, it always does and when it sees me now it cowers lol...

What about carrying a hunting whip with you?? and when it comes nearby flick it with the thong like you would a hound?? may work, or may wind it up and you might have to ride home with a little terrier latched onto your whip haha
 
I get chased by a farmers 2 collies - they are usually locked up in barn but sometime are loose and have been chased by them on several occasions both my horses are scared of them - dogs run up silently then nasty barking / snarling and I think they would bite if they could. Farmer calls them but they dont obey - last time while i was plunging around on the road a car drove past which didnt help.

Dont want to fall out with farmer (or more particular his son who sells us hay and does the odd job) so haven't complained, but could cause an accident.
 
I unfortunatly have the opposite problem after an incident involving a pack of 5 dogs in my local woodland. The said terrier ended up on the other side of a ditch. Now when we are out I can see my horse judging the distance before the dog gets there, and she's normally very accurate, but I have to say dog owners normally take action when I explain that she will kick!
 
The dog warden should be able to deal with this. At least your horse is not worried, although I am sure the same won't be true of all horses trying to ride past there!
 
Devonshire dumpling said:
What about carrying a hunting whip with you?? and when it comes nearby flick it with the thong like you would a hound?? may work, or may wind it up and you might have to ride home with a little terrier latched onto your whip haha
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I love the picture that conjours up!

While your horse is learning borrow my mare, shes had to stop hunting as shes 'Dead Eye Dick' with hounds...
 
Clodagh said:
I love the picture that conjours up!

While your horse is learning borrow my mare, shes had to stop hunting as shes 'Dead Eye Dick' with hounds...
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LOL yes if she could come stay with me a few days I think she'd sort the problem right out!!

I might combine all the suggestions and charge at the dog flicking my hunting whip and squirting water, might even get my sister to play the dambusters music through my ipod speakers in the background
 
My filly goes for dogs (she was chased by an agressive loose dog as a yearling and after three laps of the field she turned around and tried to stomp on the dog) and wants to hurt them. I have had to put alot of effort into training her out of this. She will now walk calmly past dogs (on leads) when I walk her down the lane, but she still wont tolerate loose dogs in the field. She's not managed to hurt one yet and I always tell friends with dogs to keep them out of the field (although one Jack Russel was attacked by the cat instead!).

I do worry what will happen if I'm chased once she's broken in. We have quite a few farm dogs that love chasing me and my mare up the road. I have got pretty good at shouting 'go home!' at them, which often works.
 
Faracat said:
although one Jack Russel was attacked by the cat instead!
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Our cats do this to our Jack Russell too!! Although my best/most disturbing dog/cat moment ever was walking through the door to discover my female (spayed) JR mounting our small male cat.... she jumped down and ran off and the poor cat just looked embarrassed! :D
 
Shame its not near me, my 4 year old chases dogs/cats/foxes and anything else that invades her space for FUN, if she doesn't get close enough with chasing them neck outstretched then she'll spin/buck/fart and double barrell at them, I might add the dog and cats are my very own and are used to her so run for their lives and so far she hasn't managed to get any of them, but I could loan her to you if you'd like to give it a try, she's a big lumpy 16hh WB x should be enough to flatten it :D
 
Contact your local district council dog warden and also go to your local police station and report it (ask for an incident number).
If the matter is then nor resolved within 4 weeks contact your local district council and ask them to take action. They can use the Enviromental Act (as ammended) to compel the owner to ensure that the dog is kept within the confines of their property and if necessary even away from the boundary of their land with the bridleway/road.
 
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