Teenager thrown off horse, dog owner refuses to call off dog – Devon 7th Jan

MiJodsR2BlinkinTite

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This was at Exmouth beach here in Devon; unfortunately it isn't the first time something like this has happened either on this beach or the local common which is a 10 mins drive up the road.

We seem to have a lot of damn-fool plain ignorant dog-walkers in this part of the world :( (and don't let me even get going about the bleddi cyclists..... !!).
 

meleeka

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I hope the horse chased by the dog is not seriously hurt and I hope the dog’s owner is spoken to by the police.
I’ve been chased by dogs on the beach whose owners couldn’t catch them. On a frightened horse, if you are worried it is going to panic / bolt, what’s the best thing to do? Dismount and fend the dog off?

Ps along with PaS I am always amazed by plastic bags of dog 💩 left hanging off a branch...
A friend was chased by a dog and her young horse did bolt. She fell of anyway and the horse carried on some distance so in hindsight she’d have been better off dismounting. The incident shattered her confidence and she still hasn’t hacked out again and probably never will. This was an area known for having horse riders about so I’m not sure what the dog owner was thinking. They probably weren’t thinking at all.

My pony kicked a dog once that wouldn’t leave her alone. I’ll never forget the scream the dog made and it was unable to walk. I found it very traumatic and probably as upsetting as the stupid owner. :(
 

Snowfilly

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My old pony picked a collie up in his teeth and flung him some considerable distance across the road...there was an almighty scream as it landed but it lived several more years and never came out of it's garden to chase us again.

In general, the past 5 years or so I've seen a lot more out of control or badly mannered dogs. Had one run out from a pub garden, across a road and come to say hello to my Clyde - 'don't worry, he's very friendly,' shouted the owner and while he was only wagging his tail, he was on a road trying to play with a 18.3 draft who could easily have killed him just by standing on him, not even kicking. Owners got a mouthful and eventually called him back.

I like the pebbles in the pocket idea!
 

paddy555

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"BuT tHeN hOw Is ThE dOg SuPpOsEd To RuN aNd ExErCiSe???"
Is usually the response to that.
Simple, stick it on a long line. Dog gets to run, but within a sensible distance (ie within owners view), and can be dragged back and restrained should the need arise.


yes this, but also don't have a dog if you haven't the facilities to exercise it. Exercise could be improved by dog running fields. Our local GSD club has one. Councils could allocate areas to dog fields and so could farmers in suitable areas. One dog walker uses a field up from us to exercise her customers. These fields could be dog fenced and owners simply buy a permit. It would recompense the farmer and the charges paid by the owners could fund the dog warden to keep everyone in line on the payment front. Dogs could run as much as they want in a safe area and, if the public went in, they would know there would be loose dogs.
 

hellfire

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I've had it far too many times in the local woods. I even had one dog go for my Shetlands belly teeth bared. My foot got in the way very quick and the dog owner had the cheek to have a go at me! I told my friend's daughter to close her ears and my god did I let loose! Had many other incidents over the years. My farm dog is highly trained and it's not difficult! If you have basic recall then you have control of the dog. I've had small dogs running under my horses legs for part way down a trail with the owner laughing thinking it funny!! Mine are so used to dogs they don't do anything and kinda wish they would at times!! I charged a pair of Jack russles years ago!! They turned tail and ran!😂
 

Tarragon

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Simple, stick it on a long line. Dog gets to run, but within a sensible distance (ie within owners view), and can be dragged back and restrained should the need arise.

I have had one experience where I met a youngish child out walking with a young puppy on one of those extendable leads. The child made no attempt to shorten the lead and I have visions of the puppy running circles around us and ending up being trapped with lead wrapped round us with a puppy at one end and a child at the other!! I really had to put on my best "Head Teacher" voice to get the child to sort out his dog. I was riding my older pony who is also a driving pony and really rather used to all sorts and he might have coped but it could have ended very badly!
 

ponies4ever

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I have 2 rescue staffy crosses and that is not an excuse for them to be badly behaved. The older one we can let off around horses as he has excellent recall and is wary of them anyway. The young one (7 months) will not be let off yet as her recall isn't good enough despite the fact she is fine with horses around the yard. Simple as that. If dogs can't be trusted around horses take them on footpaths where horses are not allowed and there can't be an issue!
 

Landcruiser

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My horse was chased down a hill towards a barbed wire fence by an off lead lurcher on The Ridgeway. I didn't even see it behind us, we'd passed the group of walkers a minute before going the other way. Horse suddenly bolted off the track and downhill with no warning. It wasn't until I managed to swing him round before the fence and stop him on the uphill I saw the lurcher heading back up towards the path. I'll always regret not going after the walkers and having a go - but I was so bloody shaken I just wanted to go home.... We could both have been killed, easily.
I did report to BHS though, as I hope everyone else does when they have an incident with a dog.
 

Hallo2012

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this is why i always carry a thick strong whip when out in public............we went to the beach on NYD and my biggest fear was out of control dogs.

my stallion i think would square up to them and bite/strike as hes been seen to attack a couple of random dogs in his field, but it terrifies me for the kids on the other pony who would deffo bolt if they jumped to bite.
 

abb123

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I've been on both sides. I walk my dogs regularly in a forest that is popular with dogs, cyclists and horses. A horse rider once shouted at me to put my dog on a lead. It was at least 20 meters away from the horse showing zero interest and I could recall it at any time. If your horse can't cope with a dog being that close then don't go to the forest!

I've also had to lead my two horses past dog walkers to get to their field. Most put on leads but one once said oh don't worry he'll keep away". Owner seemed surprised when I said that he'd better because my horse would kill it if it didn't.

To be honest I don't really mind dogs approaching my horse that much as long as the owner tries to get them to come away and apologises. They are animals and it might be the first time it has ever seen a horse. It is rare for the dogs to be aggressive to the point of being dangerous in my experience. But then my horses are well used to dogs and don't get bothered by them.
 

scruffyponies

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I have had one experience where I met a youngish child out walking with a young puppy on one of those extendable leads. The child made no attempt to shorten the lead and I have visions of the puppy running circles around us and ending up being trapped with lead wrapped round us with a puppy at one end and a child at the other!! I really had to put on my best "Head Teacher" voice to get the child to sort out his dog. I was riding my older pony who is also a driving pony and really rather used to all sorts and he might have coped but it could have ended very badly!

I had exactly this situation, but with a 'responsible' adult on the other end of the lead, and puppy was a staffie, who was doing a zeberdee impersonation under the pony's nose. Owner was so useless that her friend had to step in to rescue the situation.

My pony did exactly as he was told and stood stock still as stranger crawled under him, dog jumped up and down (friendly, thankfully) and lead entangled his legs. Very fortunate, as lose in the field that particular pony would have killed the dog, no question.
 

Pedantic

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Mine kicks if he feels threatened, he's had a few over over 14 years of riding him, I am fortunate that he only does this if needed, he's even had a dog walk under his belly without any problem, and friendly jumping up no bother, but yapping and snapping it's zap zap end of yap, some can be a bit tough, he kicked a staffie twice in the face and it still wasnt fully put off, last incident was a large black German Shepherd size dog, hurtling towards us across an open space, ignoring it's shouting owner, I aimed my Po straight at it head on at a canter, it changed it's mind and ran off, usual remark from dog owner is, "don't see horses round here", which is rubbish, it's a standard way of indirectly making it look like you shouldn't be there, always have to make a quick decision on how to handle each dog situation, as each is different depending on location and type of dog and whats it's intentions are.
 

Sealine

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I'm a dog and horse owner and the majority of dogs I meet out hacking are the same dogs/owners and are very well behaved. I have shouted at dogs that have run towards me when I'm mounted and luckily, so far, it has stopped the dogs in their tracks.

Unfortunately I have no confidence in dog legislation as no-one want to enforce it. Both me and my GSD dog were attacked on a public footpath by two large mastiff type dogs that jumped over a fence out of their owners garden. The owner stood and watched whilst I fought the dogs off. I didn't hang around for an apology! Neither the police or the dog warden were the slightest bit interested. The Police wouldn't even log it as an incident as according to them I was collateral damage from a dog fight which is not reportable. The dog warden only deals with dog fouling and stray dogs. I learnt that if you live in Central Bedfordshire you're on your own when it comes to aggressive dogs and stupid owners.

Edited to add - I've had dogs for the last 25 years but I'm seriously considering not getting another in the future so I don't have to come into contact with other dogs/owners out walking. I've noticed a change in dog owners and there are too many people who treat them as children (aka 'fur babies') who are absolutely clueless. I also know of dogs that have been put down as they have become aggressive towards their owners. I'm not sure if this is due to bad breeding or bad owners but it makes me very angry/sad.
 
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Auslander

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I do quite a lot of dog/horse PR whilst out hacking. Alf is rock solid with dogs, and completely ignores them barking and leaping around - so if we come across people with a dog that is nervous around horses, we'll often stop for a chat and let the dog figure out that horses are ok, and don't need to be shouted at.
 

tallyho!

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"BuT tHeN hOw Is ThE dOg SuPpOsEd To RuN aNd ExErCiSe???"
Is usually the response to that.
Simple, stick it on a long line. Dog gets to run, but within a sensible distance (ie within owners view), and can be dragged back and restrained should the need arise.
Why DOES everyone need a dog? To be honest, not everyone has to have a dog. It seems that everyone needs one to walk with, like you are strange if you are walking alone with no dog or buggy/pram. It's as if, walking, without either of the two things or both makes you a weirdo.

It's rare to meet people that do not have out of control dogs anymore where we are. It's rare to meet people without a dog.

While it's lovely to have them, surely, it would be lovelier to have a dog you can control and that is a pleasure to walk?
 

paddy555

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Why DOES everyone need a dog? To be honest, not everyone has to have a dog. It seems that everyone needs one to walk with, like you are strange if you are walking alone with no dog or buggy/pram. It's as if, walking, without either of the two things or both makes you a weirdo.

It's rare to meet people that do not have out of control dogs anymore where we are. It's rare to meet people without a dog.

While it's lovely to have them, surely, it would be lovelier to have a dog you can control and that is a pleasure to walk?

I agree all of this. I don't remember so many dogs around years back nor such badly behaved ones. I only have one as needed as guard for my stable yard and house but otherwise I wouldn't.

I don't have too many problems with kids, I simply don't allow any kids near our horses. Just can't risk it any longer. My problem after dogs is mountain bikers. I appreciate where the lycra clad brigade keep their brains but what part of "if you overtake or usually undertake so close and your pedal hits my horse's leg he will kick" is difficult to understand?

the ones who come hurtling down our steep off road bridleways are great as well. We are quite used to seeing what happens when they have to break downhill at speed, they come over the handlebars. I remember asking one lot of bikers to slow down on a bridlepath. They refused, it was their right and anyway they could stop if needed. The rest of their ride arrived and promptly went over their handlebars, it rather proved the point!
 

paddy555

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getting back to the original topic just in case there are any local people on here, this is a description of the man per the newspaper.


"He was described as being white, between 60 and 65-year-old, wearing a green wax jacket, corduroy trousers and a checked flat cap." along with his 2 hungarian vislas.

I have a pretty good idea I have ridden past him (bike) fairly recently on the Exe trail between Topsham and Exmouth. I remember the dogs which are not that common a breed. Hopefully someone will know of him. He must live somewhere in the east Devon area and it would be hard to hide those 2 dogs.
 

ester

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I do quite a lot of dog/horse PR whilst out hacking. Alf is rock solid with dogs, and completely ignores them barking and leaping around - so if we come across people with a dog that is nervous around horses, we'll often stop for a chat and let the dog figure out that horses are ok, and don't need to be shouted at.

we do quite a lot of puppy training at our local dog walker spot- our only off road riding but fully fenced so used by a lot of dog walkers. Always happy to stand and have a natter and have done with older reactive dogs too.

My usual withering remark otherwise is that if I can manage to have 450kilos of animal under control could they not try a bit harder with their distinctly smaller one :p
 

Silver Clouds

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I don't think the excitable behaviour of dogs when they are let off the lead is helped by the fact that most people need to work now, and a lot of them don't seem to realise that dogs need walking every day (twice a day in my opinion). I have two work colleagues who leave their dogs shut in the house alone (they each own one dog) for over 10hrs a day whilst they and their partners are at work (5 days/wk), and both have said that they 'don't have time' to walk their dogs during the week because of work. They work in an office with several other dog owners who regularly talk about walking our own dogs before and after work, but it still doesn't dawn on them that this commitment is part of dog ownership. One of the two owners said to me before Christmas that her dog was 'really naughty' when she walked it at the weekend, because he wouldn't come back when called (he's 7 months old with no recall training anyway). When I talked to her a bit more, it transpired that he hadn't been walked for TWO WEEKS because it had rained the previous weekend. Funnily enough the dog had also started being destructive in the house when alone. Despite a couple of us talking to her about this, she seems incapable of seeing that no walks and isolation = excited and unhappy/stressed dog.

I find it really difficult to restrain myself from actually getting cross with her about the poor dog.
 

Silver Clouds

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the ones who come hurtling down our steep off road bridleways are great as well. We are quite used to seeing what happens when they have to break downhill at speed, they come over the handlebars. I remember asking one lot of bikers to slow down on a bridlepath. They refused, it was their right and anyway they could stop if needed. The rest of their ride arrived and promptly went over their handlebars, it rather proved the point!

Paddy- was this Woodbury Common by any chance?! Mind you, Haldon is even worse, but at least there are marked cycle trails there so bikes are expected at certain parts (and there are signs asking cyclists to take care and look out for other path users).
 

paddy555

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My usual withering remark otherwise is that if I can manage to have 450kilos of animal under control could they not try a bit harder with their distinctly smaller one :p

wonderful!! I have made a note of this. Why didn't I think of it before!
 

paddy555

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Paddy- was this Woodbury Common by any chance?! Mind you, Haldon is even worse, but at least there are marked cycle trails there so bikes are expected at certain parts (and there are signs asking cyclists to take care and look out for other path users).

no Dartmoor.
 

Silver Clouds

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no Dartmoor.

Ah, yes it's not great there either. I moved out of the area and thought I'd miss the expanses of moor/common land but actually I don't miss how busy those areas had become. My parents still live there and I can't believe how much busier all the places are that I used to ride (and not just the roads, I didn't think the bridlepaths/common land would have got busier :oops:). And as TipsyTinsel said, there definitely seems to be more dogs around.
 

ester

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Lol feel free, it does seem to bring some perspective.

We do tend to get to know a lot of the regulars, on my early morning rides one chap with three had a lovely pointer who liked to say hi but super politely! We are always cautious of any 'new ones' and the dog walkers who take 10 out at a time.
 
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