Two Police horses attacked by dog and one horse injured

twiggy2

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what's the best thing to do if caught in that kind of situation?

I think in the situation I would have done the opposite of what the police did - I would have tried to get away as fast as I could I think? but that probably wouldn't have been the right thing to do. at least that way the dog would be at the hind end and more likely to get kicked?

I think the officers did really well, if they had turned and cantered off i guess they would have run out of space pretty quick in a London park, the horses would be more likely to get 'revved' up and bolt too I reckon. Also possibly ended up with a lot of off lead dogs chasing them, dogs ignoring a horse wandering around quietly is one thing but horses being chased by a dog is far more likely to get the chase instinct to kick in for other dogs.

I think the owner is a brainless numpty but I can see why people would be intimidated by a horse in that situation, dont forget thats why these horses are chosen, their size and presence is meant to intimidate unruly humans.
I wonder if pepper spray is carried by mounted officers but even if its was if the horse had been accidently sprayed then maybe the situation would have been made even worse?

I wonder where things will go from here with all the out of control dog incidents that we hear about nowadays, it cant be left to continue for sure.
 

MyBoyChe

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Its always the owners, All dogs have the capacity to kill, obviously the big powerful breeds more so. But how to stop it, I simply dont know. You can bring in as many laws as you like but thats why the prisons are so full, people break them because they just have no respect and dont care. I hate to say it but the type of person that lets its dog behave like this is not a dog lover, if said dog is PTS by law they will just go out and buy another and there will be no shortage of dodgy breeders to sell to dodgy owners. It needs to be stopped at source but Ive no idea how you would do it, after all, selling class a drugs is illegal but that hasnt stopped them being sold has it!!
 

holeymoley

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We had an issue with a dog on Friday morning whilst out our hack. Public park, lots going on. A spaniel appeared out of no where started barking and circling my horse. As with any dog off a lead I halt my horse to allow owner to regain dog. Owner appeared, roared at his dog with absolutely no recall or attempt to control dog at all. Thankfully after around 2-3minutes of barking and circling, they both eventually passed but we met them again further around. Dog again off the lead bounding towards us barking. Again, no control, guy roared at dog, again no response from dog. Guy eventually caught up with dog and attempted to get slip lead over it's head, which he failed miserably. Eventually got it on and passed saying 'he's just a puppy' .

Puppy or not, which I'm very doubtful it was, perhaps nearer 1-2 years old. Regardless, whether we were a horse, another dog, a child, etc etc this guy had no control or recall on his dog at all, therefore it doesn't take the brains of Britain to work out it shouldn't be off a lead.

The police horse incident is awful to watch, it could have turned out very different. I really hope something proper is done now with laws around dogs. The video showing the Highland cattle is only going to become more common too, from farmers in the local area and what I've heard online, many are not giving the dog any chances now, it'll be a case of shooting right away.
 

Bob notacob

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I ride daily on Epsom Downs but I keep well away from the car park areas. My theory, based on experience is that an owner who is prepared to walk their dog a mile from their car is also serious enough to train it well .A big thank you to all those many responsible dog owners I meet. I always make a point of complementing them if they are restraining a hyper pup or have a well trained grey muzzled veteran (love em).I know it isn,t always possible but I try to gauge dogs temperament from a distance ,spot if its on a lead and spot if the owner has seen me.It does help in most cases.
 

reynold

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Another attack by dogs on a child who is in hospital.

The article states that there were 22000 dog attacks last year. That is a terribly high number.

My worse case was that of a woman at a livery yard who used to turn up with 3 or 4 staffies off lead around the horses. The YO was at fault because the woman wasn't told not to bring them, but you couldn't tie your horse up outside as the dogs would worry their back legs - even when they were being shod by the farrier.

I've been chased numerous times by out of control jack russels and also remember as long ago as the early 80s being chased on my young 4 yr old by a pair of retrievers whose owner used to egg them on (a man in his 50s) and they made a lovely field for cantering virtually a no-go area for the whole yard of 25 horses. You took a risk riding there as it was a lottery if the dogs were loose.
 

BallyJ

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After attending a puppy class last week the rise in dog attacks doesn't surprise me!

The owners there didn't have a clue! Even down to the owner of a 15week old Rottweiler who 'doesn't like the lead' so twice he turned on the person holding it, jumping up and growling/mouthing. The owner chuckled and said don't do that silly its ok.

It's so Scary!!
 

MurphysMinder

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After attending a puppy class last week the rise in dog attacks doesn't surprise me!

The owners there didn't have a clue! Even down to the owner of a 15week old Rottweiler who 'doesn't like the lead' so twice he turned on the person holding it, jumping up and growling/mouthing. The owner chuckled and said don't do that silly its ok.

It's so Scary!!


When I started my GSD pup at puppy class there was a woman there with a Viszla pup. She told me that if she tried to get the pup off its bed it bit her and couldn't see a problem with that! Unfortunately she only came for a couple of weeks, don't think she liked the fact that the trainer didn't share her thoughts on what was and wasn't a problem.
 

Most Curious

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I think the officers did really well, if they had turned and cantered off i guess they would have run out of space pretty quick in a London park, the horses would be more likely to get 'revved' up and bolt too I reckon. Also possibly ended up with a lot of off lead dogs chasing them, dogs ignoring a horse wandering around quietly is one thing but horses being chased by a dog is far more likely to get the chase instinct to kick in for other dogs.

I think the owner is a brainless numpty but I can see why people would be intimidated by a horse in that situation, dont forget thats why these horses are chosen, their size and presence is meant to intimidate unruly humans.
I wonder if pepper spray is carried by mounted officers but even if its was if the horse had been accidently sprayed then maybe the situation would have been made even worse?

I wonder where things will go from here with all the out of control dog incidents that we hear about nowadays, it cant be left to continue for sure.

What on earth are you talking about ?
The policewomen on the horse being attacked was pulling on the reigns preventing the horse from defending itself,
and the policewomen on the other horse did absolutely nothing.
Letting go of the reigns and dismounting the horse would've been the correct course of action.
Please view the channel 'Think like a Horse' on Youtube for a full analysis.

I'm surprised the other police officer didn't lob their pepper spray over to the member of the public who was valiantly trying to get the dog off.

A police officer giving a member of the public a weapon would be stupid idea for many reasons.
 

twiggy2

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What on earth are you talking about ?
The policewomen on the horse being attacked was pulling on the reigns preventing the horse from defending itself,
and the policewomen on the other horse did absolutely nothing.
Letting go of the reigns and dismounting the horse would've been the correct course of action.
Please view the channel 'Think like a Horse' on Youtube for a full analysis.



A police officer giving a member of the public a weapon would be stupid idea for many reasons.

It looked more to me like the officer was trying to stop the horse going down, the other one kept their horse calm and under control, either way they stayed in contact and control of their horses, they didn't incite any other dogs to join a chase and there were no human casualties. I would say that's a job well done.
That sort of situation is so easy to look at after the event and criticise, whilst analysing from a comfy armchair, it must have been very scary and I bet whatever they did would have been wrong in the eyes of many.
 

Rowreach

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What on earth are you talking about ?
The policewomen on the horse being attacked was pulling on the reigns preventing the horse from defending itself,
and the policewomen on the other horse did absolutely nothing.
Letting go of the reigns and dismounting the horse would've been the correct course of action.
Please view the channel 'Think like a Horse' on Youtube for a full analysis.



A police officer giving a member of the public a weapon would be stupid idea for many reasons.

*reins 🙂
 

ycbm

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Letting go of the reigns and dismounting the horse would've been the correct course of action.

In my opinion that would have been stupid. If the officer had been able to keep hold of the horse there would have been a very big likelihood of being hurt either by the dog or the horse. And, of course, a huge risk that the horse would have got loose to be chased across the park with its reins round its legs and the dog still attacking.


Please view the channel 'Think like a Horse' on Youtube for a full analysis.

You wrote on February 23rd that you were new to riding. Please don't take YouTube as the be all and end all of advice about how to manage difficult situations with a horse.
.
 

ester

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What on earth are you talking about ?
The policewomen on the horse being attacked was pulling on the reigns preventing the horse from defending itself,
and the policewomen on the other horse did absolutely nothing.
Letting go of the reigns and dismounting the horse would've been the correct course of action.
Please view the channel 'Think like a Horse' on Youtube for a full analysis.



A police officer giving a member of the public a weapon would be stupid idea for many reasons.

lol
 

reynold

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I would also think that like most horse riders the policeman on the horse being attacked was worried about his horse (plus the natural instinct to not want to fall off - fear of falling is one of the earliest human behaviours to be acquired I believe (?)).

Despite recent events and publicity not all police are nasty wotsits
 

Most Curious

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In my opinion that would have been stupid. If the officer had been able to keep hold of the horse there would have been a very big likelihood of being hurt either by the dog or the horse. And, of course, a huge risk that the horse would have got loose to be chased across the park with its reins round its legs and the dog still attacking.




You wrote on February 23rd that you were new to riding. Please don't take YouTube as the be all and end all of advice about how to manage difficult situations with a horse.
.

I disagree, police horses are large usually 17hh in height, they are not attached to carts, it is quite capable of defending itself against an aggressive dog.
Sitting on the horse yanking on the reins (not reigns) is not helping the situation.

I started riding the beginning of last year in group lessons at a local riding school. On two separate occasions riders were thrown from their horses landing painfully on their back in the arena. Both times I dismounted my horse, gave the reins (not reigns) to another rider and went to see if the fallen riders were OK.

An earlier post on this thread even states the same thing. They dismounted so the horse was able to defend itself.

My first horse was attacked by a Staffie on what was classed as public wasteland. The video of the police horses being attacked is very triggering and brings back horrific memories. In my case I had to jump off and hold Biggles as he was threatening to take off as the staffie kept biting him. It was launching at his throat and his tail. In the end the residents whose houses backed onto the wasteland came out to see what was going on, one had a shovel to beat the dog off. My horse got bitten on the flank and drew blood and in the end the dog ended up falling between his legs and my horse kicked him.

'Think Like a Horse' and 'Raleigh Link' on Youtube say the same thing on this matter also.
 

AmyMay

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I disagree, police horses are large usually 17hh in height, they are not attached to carts, it is quite capable of defending itself against an aggressive dog.
Sitting on the horse yanking on the reins (not reigns) is not helping the situation.

The last thing a police officer would ever do is dismount from their horse. Of course their initial concern in this particular situation would be for the safety of their horse. But their primary concern and responsibility would be for members of the public. You simply don’t dismount and risk the horse getting loose - it’s simple common sense.

Your riding school experience is in no way comparable to this situation.
 
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Indy

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I disagree, police horses are large usually 17hh in height, they are not attached to carts, it is quite capable of defending itself against an aggressive dog.
Sitting on the horse yanking on the reins (not reigns) is not helping the situation.

I started riding the beginning of last year in group lessons at a local riding school. On two separate occasions riders were thrown from their horses landing painfully on their back in the arena. Both times I dismounted my horse, gave the reins (not reigns) to another rider and went to see if the fallen riders were OK.

An earlier post on this thread even states the same thing. They dismounted so the horse was able to defend itself.



'Think Like a Horse' and 'Raleigh Link' on Youtube say the same thing on this matter also.

I disagree, police horses are large usually 17hh in height, they are not attached to carts, it is quite capable of defending itself against an aggressive dog.
Sitting on the horse yanking on the reins (not reigns) is not helping the situation.

I started riding the beginning of last year in group lessons at a local riding school. On two separate occasions riders were thrown from their horses landing painfully on their back in the arena. Both times I dismounted my horse, gave the reins (not reigns) to another rider and went to see if the fallen riders were OK.

An earlier post on this thread even states the same thing. They dismounted so the horse was able to defend itself.



'Think Like a Horse' and 'Raleigh Link' on Youtube say the same thing on this matter also.

Birkers poor horse didn't quite defend himself though, thankfully a neighbour came out and beat the dog off with a shovel.
 

ycbm

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I disagree, police horses are large usually 17hh in height, they are not attached to carts, it is quite capable of defending itself against an aggressive dog.
Sitting on the horse yanking on the reins (not reigns) is not helping the situation.

Horses are flight animals David, they don't usually fight, they run. The police officer was stopping her horse from bolting through a busy park full of people.

Even non riders know that horses run from danger.
.
I started riding the beginning of last year in group lessons at a local riding school. On two separate occasions riders were thrown from their horses landing painfully on their back in the arena. Both times I dismounted my horse, gave the reins (not reigns) to another rider and went to see if the fallen riders were OK.


Which relates to a horse being attacked by a dog in what way?


'Think Like a Horse' and 'Raleigh Link' on Youtube say the same thing on this matter also.

Well I've warned you already about not believing everything in the Internet as very novice rider. I think if you search more widely you will find plenty of opinion that you should never dismount in that situation in a crowded area unless unavoidable, and never anywhere unless you're prepared for a long walk home.
 

conniegirl

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I disagree, police horses are large usually 17hh in height, they are not attached to carts, it is quite capable of defending itself against an aggressive dog.
Sitting on the horse yanking on the reins (not reigns) is not helping the situation.

I started riding the beginning of last year in group lessons at a local riding school. On two separate occasions riders were thrown from their horses landing painfully on their back in the arena. Both times I dismounted my horse, gave the reins (not reigns) to another rider and went to see if the fallen riders were OK.

An earlier post on this thread even states the same thing. They dismounted so the horse was able to defend itself.



'Think Like a Horse' and 'Raleigh Link' on Youtube say the same thing on this matter also.
You do realise you are trying to correct someone who has
over 30 years of riding, horse ownership and horse experience at very high level.

youtube is full of idiots with no horse knowledge at all purporting to be experts.

So here is my knowledge coming also from over 30 years of horse ownership, high level competition, probably thousands of miles of hacking and having been chased by dogs a time or two. 99.9% of the time you are safer on the horse.
you never get off a horse if a dog is attacking as the horse will likely bolt and end up killing itself or the dog will turn its attention on you and you will end up dead.

You sound like an instructors nightmare and a liability around horses.
if someone falls in a lesson you do not dismount unless the instructor tells you to. Dismounting introduces so many dangers for the person on the floor, not least because the person you have handed Your reins to now has to control 2 horses whilst being a novice themselves and not having great control whilst being on another horse.
leave your instructor to deal with the accident (they are trained to do so) unless they directly ask for help
 
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