Ambers Echo
Still wittering on
But we do all know that requests for help don't mean any is actually granted.
True!
But we do all know that requests for help don't mean any is actually granted.
Mrs Spaniel hacks out with me and takes possibly a few liberties around my part loan. She is wary of horses after being sneezed on as a pup(!) And keeps about 15/20ft from the other horses at the yard.
If we're out walking, I obviously pop her on a lead if we meet horses and I see them coming. Sometimes we dont have warning and meet horses head on in the path while shes ferreting around in bushes so recall vanishes as she doesnt want to get close to the strange horses but she will sit and wait for them to pass so I always warn the riders that even if they cant see her, she is there but wont approach.
Miss Collie has only been with me 5 weeks and is learning recall and to respect horses and so if I'm walking on a known area for hacking she stays onlead and we use the opportunity to practice sit-stays.
"Well how do I do that then.... He's not remote controlled!"
What do you do if you meet other dogs while you are hacking? I don't see how you can 'pop her on a lead' then but don't see the difference from meeting other dogs when you are on foot.
Totally agree. I adore all of my dogs, but my big guy is not reliable (comes eventually rather than immediately and unpredictable around horses). He is therefore always on a leash in public places. Takes nothing from his quality of life as he can run and play on our own property. He is safe, others are safe, and really how much effort is it to hold a leash?You probably met me on my horse. We live on a farm with several footpaths. I regularly come across dog walkers on our land far away from the footpath and will tell them to go back to it as they have no permission to be where they are, and as it is our farm I can ride where I choose.
I have also been attacked by dogs both whilst riding and unmounted and have absolutely no tolerance for out of control dogs. (Out of control being lack of recall or obedience in any form, not just aggression) My horses dont kick but I have no problem using a dressage whip on a dog that wont leave my horse alone and the owner will get a mouthful from me.
I own a large GSD and several collies so its not like I dont like dogs, they are lovely. BUT I absolutely HATE other people thinking it is acceptable to allow their animals to disturb/upset/attack/approach other people without permisson, whether that animal is 'friendly' or not.. you dont know if that person has fear of dogs, allergies, etc and its your responsibility to manage your animal in a way that doesnt upset others. If you cant control it KEEP IT ON A LEAD!! (and stick to the footpath!)
Rant over![]()
Not necessarily. Some people are terrified of dogs. Others could be like my late sister who had a medical condition causing her skin to be very fragile. She became very afraid of loose dogs because of the damage they could do her. One jumped up at her and the claws ripped her skin in such a way that she needed weeks going to the hospital wound clinic treating the damage.On the other side of the dog ownership thing, I had a woman a year or so ago have a complete hysterical (as in needed sedation!) fit at me because my dog was off-lead. We were walking along a very very narrow footpath, popular with dog walkers. Dog was at most 6 ft in front of me, walking the path, and politely walked around the lady, didn't try to approach or touch her in any way; didn't even look up at her. If it had been on a lead it would have still had to pass her just as closely as the path was only 4" wide. Some people are just nuts.
To be honest I'm always more concerned by an off lead jrt than an off lead gsd, my personal experience has taught me several times that my dogs will be attacked by terriers way more often than big dogs, sadly the last time this happened it led to Ash turning sharply to see what was snarling at him and re injured his back which led to pts, the owner didn't seem to think there was anything wrong with her small dog approaching my large on lead dog and snapping and snarling at him because obviously the size difference means that my dog would be OK ðŸ˜I keep an eye out for fellow walkers’ body language, and put the JRT on a very short lead if they look at all worried when they see him. He’s fine with people, and loves children, but not everyone is comfortable around dogs.
Dog lovers are maybe at least as likely to be wary of a JRT as of a GSD.
It’s strange how hopeless members of the public are with their dogs and total lack of control or care that they are terrorising horse folk wherever they go .....by contrast members of this forum are faultless in their dog control !
It’s strange how hopeless members of the public are with their dogs and total lack of control or care that they are terrorising horse folk wherever they go .....by contrast members of this forum are faultless in their dog control !
I think it is a difference in perception. A person who is scared of dogs (or who is mounted, and therefore afraid) sees an unpredictable loose dog. The owner is walking down the path, same as every morning, and has no reason to expect the dog to cause a problem, perhaps because they know their dog, and perhaps because they just weren't expecting anything new.
I think it is a difference in perception. A person who is scared of dogs (or who is mounted, and therefore afraid) sees an unpredictable loose dog. The owner is walking down the path, same as every morning, and has no reason to expect the dog to cause a problem, perhaps because they know their dog, and perhaps because they just weren't expecting anything new.
Bottom line is that if owners of dogs and horses spent more time desensitising their animals to make them safe, and less time criticising each other, we'd all be much happier.
As we are near a popular dog walking spot (wide, flat, stone path field with full fencing...) we do a fair amount of dog training assistance.
The biggest muppet I've ever met up there was a guy with one of those big remote controlled planes, I had to go past him to get home and as I got a few meters from him he picked up his plane, looked at me, then threw it in the air!! Poor mare took off across the moor with the utter ***** flying his plane after us!!
What I find so amazing is that when I rode my horse in Hyde Park or Hampstead Heath in London I never had any issues with dogs. Yet in the countryside there are loads of loose and uncontrollable dogs. Why do dog owners not train their dogs or just keep them on a lead?
It's really frightening how common that response is.I said to a dog owner once really nicely, can you call him back because the horse will kick as the dog was literally round its back legs.
The reply was “don’t worry, that’ll teach her to bother horses”
Wtf! Really? It may also kill her.