Riding out with your dogs

[debsey1]

Do any of you do this and what breed of dog do you own?

I regularly ride out on my cob with my Staffie, fortunately part of the hack is off road and the remainder is on small country lanes where you hardly meet a car and if we do a sharp whistle and he is back by our side. My cob is very laid back and doesn't mine Sonny joining us on our hacks out together. The only thing he doesn't like is when he is over exuberant at the beginning of our hack and tries to jump up but once we get going he settles down (the dog that is).

The only only time I was met with any hostility was on one occasion when we met husband and wife walkers who shouted that I should have the dog on a leash. Maybe it was because of the nature of his breed or that I really should have had him on a leash.

I don't take him anymore with us because I don't want to be irresponsible. But it saddens me that's another natural thing we can't do anymore

 

[Barefoot Endurance]

Me!!! I take my border x patterdale out with me every time I ride ( except the time I forgot him!) I keep my horse right next to Cannock chase and we have 200 m to ride on the road to get on the chase which then is miles of of road but he's fab on the road, I have him on a lead as you never know but cause of this I can go on routes that mean crossing busy roads with out worrying he'll run out.

Anyway he's fit and he's fast (can run at 25mph, I put my GPS on him lol) he loves it and so do I, nothing better than being out just me my horse and my dog

I get comments like, that's a lazy way of walking your dog, that's cruel!!! But they are wrong, my dog is the fittest happiest dog I know!!!

 

[wench]

There was a post a couple of months ago on this

 

[debsey1]

There was a post a couple of months ago on this

Was there? Oh, sorry didn't realise not on here daily

 

[mandwhy]

I don't have a dog but I would like to do this when I have one... I am just skeptical, can you really call a dog back to your side when you're on a horse? Also I would be annoyed if a dog was off the lead and bothering someone, I think dog owners should be able to put their dog on a lead of needed. I suppose you can jump off... I guess I would struggle to do it here as I live near main roads, if I lived among miles and miles of off road hacking then I would definitely do it

 

[Littlelegs]

Mines a doberman cross, non dog people assume he's a pure bred though. Only take him with us when off road, but he's very well behaved. Never walks on lead anyway. The only negative comments I've had are the same rubbish spouted by dog haters if I wasn't riding. Eg when he's 50m away at my side, paranoid mummy shouting about those breeds should be muzzled. Or old ladies scooping up their yappy lapdogs because my dogs across the other side of the field. Tbh though, most people are friendly.

 

[Goldenstar]

I do never on the road though two or three labs they come to heel when I call them and are trained to sit beside the horse when we meet other dogs by that I mean I stand off the track on the horse and they sit along side the horse so the horse is between them and track.
They are mega obedient we invested a lot of time into training them.

 

[blacksabbeth]

Take my two boys who are staffies all off road and both stay behind me on a hack until asked to go in front.They both dont bother walkers even with dogs,unless the other dog is off the lead but even then they just have a quick sniff and carry on there more interested in staying with me and my mare.I love it that my boys come out with me,my older boy is 11 next year and just starting to slow down bless him,but his son can go for miles with out battering an eye lid,we stop off a few times so they can both have a drink,but one thing I will say they dont do too bad at speed when it comes to cantering across a field.

 

[Star_Chaser]

No simply because if anything should happen to my dog with the responsibility of horse and rider and only having one set of hands its irresponsible. Far too many dogs out there are not socialised properly and having seen numpties riding dogs loose getting into fights with others using the paths the rider pretty helpless to do anything but ride off and call the dog... not for me or mine. Any loose dog on a road is asking for trouble with the traffic these days.

However each to their own.

 

[Circe]

When I was younger and lived in the UK I used to take my lurcher with me. It was all off road hacking apart from about 50m of extremely quiet country lane.
I used to ride several horses, all of them got used to him coming with us very quickly.
I never had a problem with other people. My dog was trained to come back to horses side if I called him, and he was fit and fast enough to keep up whatever speed we went at.
I wouldn't do it if we were going on busier roads, and I used to leave my jack russell at the yard ( liked to fight, couldn't keep up, kept walking under horses hooves )
Kx

 

[millikins]

My Standard Poodle always comes with me/daughter out hacking. We have about 100yds of road, including crossing main road before we get to miles of bridleways and I walk and lead pony and dog who knows to go in front tucked into the side, then I get on. He comes back when called and waits if we have to cross any minor roads, we had a few issues at first but he's good as gold now though he does bounce in front of pony's nose when we get to the cantering places. It does a good job in desensitising the pony to things rustling in the bushes too.

 

[dressedkez]

I used to love riding out with dogs - I had a greyhound and a collie. The Greyhound used to get way laid by good smells / dustbins en-route and when I once did not notice that she had got left behind, she got picked up by a well meaning person - referred to the dog warden, and next day I had to pay £90 to release her from kennels, some 40 miles away! The collie was always as good as gold and stayed with us throughout. He is sadly deceased now.
These days, I am glad not to have the extra responsibility of having dogs with me - whilst the collie was always in front of us - and gave an early warning system to traffic - he also created much fuss with dogs in gardens etc. Often the cause of much leaping around from said horses.....I like the idea still - but the reality these days, when car drivers can barely cope with horses, let alone Dogs, I sort of feel that they are better left at home.
What I DO notice on my rides in my vincinty - that it is the dogs that belong to fellow horse people - who are often the worse behaved in respect of leaping up at gateways when I approach with my green five year old.....many a time I sit tight, and grit my teeth, as I approach a particular gate way, where I know that some fellow horse persons's lovely dog is keen to protect their property......I suppose ultimately good for my horse - very bad for my nerves though.......

 

[RainbowDash]

I don't take my own dogs out when I go riding but my YO takes out her pack - she has three GSD's, A collie-cross and a terrier-cross - quite a sight as they all trot down the lane after her - and she's never lost one of her dogs yet ....

 

[Burmilla]

Used to take my well trained and very fit GSD out with pony over the thousands of acres of fields,woodland and scrub that we had direct access to. Lovely times had by all. The land was not used by stock and was arable or set aside. Now, both those dear animals are gone, horse, long dog and me ride together on forestry commission land that abuts our own fields and woods.Long dog pretty good at being/staying in right place - having zero prey drive helps - horse very good with her. Wouldn't take her with me on public access land, though. Far too much to have other people, children, dogs and pushchairs to worry about, as well as keeping control of own animals.

 

[mynutmeg]

We ride out round our cross country course with our dogs - a collie and a lurcher. I tend not to canter when the dogs are with us.
I wouldn't ride on roads with them tho, I do sometimes ride in the woods with them but they both walk to heel alongside the horses

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

My YO always takes out her two dogs, they are both lab crosses, mother and daughter, she sticks hi viz jackets on them and often rides one mare and leads her other with two dogs in tow and she is over 50! She really is a fab and courageous lady

 

[Molasses]

yes with my collieX who i trust completely to stay by my side and she's far too busy herding my horse along than to give a fig about anything but her job
and like a good modern dog she high-vizes up too

 

[Shysmum]

My beautiful lab Stanley used to come out with me and hubs (him on foot) all the time, but Stan passed away from cancer in June at four years old. He was Shy's best friend - they used to chase each other for sticks God I miss Stanny every single ride.

Anyways, we now have the beautiful Percy, a 5 month old black lab - and he is following in Uncle Stan's footsteps brilliantly ! Shy is very careful with him, as Percy is a bit clumsy, and Shy lifts his feet up out of the way to avoid trouble.

Tonight, Percy did a secret leap out of the bushes in front of Shy, who went bananas, until he realised it was the pup and then settled down. And they canter together beautifully. I love all three of my boys xxx

ooo and Percy has a two hi viz jackets too !

 

[Holzdweaver]

My friend and i used to hack out together with her collie. Never encountered any problems on the country roads and tracks but her recall was brilliant, when we called her she would tuck herself to the other side of the horses and wait for either of us to say 'ok then off you go'. if she didnt recall right away, we would call her back by growling at her (every horse owners naughty voice!) and when she came, tell her to 'up' and she would jump up at your boot looking very upset and sorry allowing you to lean down and clip a leadrope on her. She actually thought of being on a lead as punishment and was always very crestfallen, which is probably why her recall was so good!

 

[Irishbabygirl]

Yep, my lovely Collie! Used to take my jrt when he was alive, he couldn't keep up quite as well!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Years ago with my little pony I used to take the dog we had then with me out riding and we'd go for miles. She was a lovely dog; I never had to worry about where she was coz she's just tuck in just behind us and would always stay there when cars or anything came along, she'd just follow along faithfully, bless her.

I wouldn't dare take the two loons I've got at the moment; neither dog has got any traffic sense whatsoever and if I didn't physically pull them into the side of the road would soon be committing suicide - and the roads around here are just far too busy to take the risk. Its a pity, coz I'd love to take them, and have tried to train them to keep in, but they're both far too scatty. So I have to leave them behind when I ride out, which makes me feel incredibly guilty, but it has to be.

 

[dollymix]

I have no objection to people doing this off-road, but there is a women near me that rides out everyday with her black lab running loose. He is never on a lead and often ends up a fair way ahead or behind her... Our lanes are very narrow and twisty so its very unnerving to come round a blind bend to find an unconcerned lab wandering in the middle of the road! I am honestly amazed that it hasn't been run over yet!

 

[Pilib]

I have ridden out with my vizla x lab. She's very obedient and heels to the horse. But I only do this on our private farm land not on the roads. It's great cantering across the stubble with my two best friends

 

[I.M.N.]

I used to with my other dogs, it's so nice seeing them canter along with you on the horse. They both heeled to the horse better then they did to people. However my current one is too damn lazy and sods of home if you go out of view!

 

[Hedwards]

Nope never done it myself... apart from the safety aspect, I dont like the idea of having to get off and pick up the poop and then carry it home on horseback....

 

[posie_honey]

do it everyday unless they are working or have worked trhe day before (actually still take cocker out - lab has day off though as hes older)
have a cocker and a lab - we go everywhere inc on roads - they wear high viz and heel very well - i stop and they sit by side of road when cars go past.
i live in a quiet rural area and my neighbours are used to seeing me out and about

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

I have a Pointer (who were originally bred for hunting alongside their master on horseback!)

If I go on my own, I only have one totally off road route, round the woods at the back of our yard. Sometimes my OH comes running with the dog and I meet him on the horse, and we go further afield. That is fun! I do feel sorry for my poor OH though who struggles to keep up with the 3 of us when we find places for a good canter!

 

[Faro]

Ronniedog comes out with me - but only if we're staying entirely on the farm or the farm park, where it's completely safe. I'd never consider taking him out on the roads though. This was in the park last winter...

PS: Ronnie is a Bedlington Whippet mini lurcher!

 

[JFTDWS]

I've taken my current and previous collie out on a fairly regular basis. I put him on a lead on roads (advantage of small and well mannered horses who will stand while he jumps up on their shoulder to be leaded!) and they're both sound to recall when off road and stick close to the horse. Current collie especially isn't really interested in other dogs / horses etc so is very easy to take out with a horse.

 

[lrobson]

havent tried it with the new horse yet (only had him a week pushing it a little) but yes used to lead 3 from my old horse who i started doing it with as a 3 rising 4yr old! we lost one lab, which left us with 2, a lab x pointer and a lakeland terrier not very obedient but when you ride at silly oclock in the morning it doesnt matter as you tend not to meet anyone and we just keep moving which stops them running off too far and they generally stay close to keep up! it was so much easier, used to lead then on the roads and let them of in the fields got quite a few funny looks and the odd comment but i dont mind the dogs were happy and clearly loved it, not only that it ment we had peace from them all day as they were tired! we just take them round the farm at the moment where leads arent needed!