When a rider is on top?

[TheresaW]

Wasn’t sure whether to post this here or in dog section, or what to title the post.

We have an ex working collie, who cannot be off lead at horses, as he constantly tries to herd my two, nips at their heels and has been kicked but goes for more straight away. Calling him off just doesn’t work, he’s completely focused on doing his “job”. Out and about in the woods, he’s generally off lead, if we see other dogs who are on lead, we call him back and put him on lead unless told by other owner not to worry. Today, as we were entering the woods, 3 riders went past. Kept him on lead and went the opposite way. Sometime later we crossed paths, and he took off towards them. Called him back, and he came straight away. It has made me wonder, does he see them differently with a person on top?

 

[Shay]

Or is he just doing what you always do when you are out on a walk - coming back to you. It might be he has improved in time. Working collies do have a strong instinct to herd of course but they must also back off and lie down on command. Rceall might not be how he understands life to be. But the barked (no pun intended) command "lie down" might be more effective?

 

[TheresaW]

That is possible, but when he focuses on my 2, nothing will distract him or get his attention.

 

[JennBags]

Mines the same Theresa, in the field she won't leave them alone but when we've encountered horses out on a walk, she ignores them. I wonder if their movement is different when they're being ridden.

 

[TheresaW]

Mines the same Theresa, in the field she won't leave them alone but when we've encountered horses out on a walk, she ignores them. I wonder if their movement is different when they're being ridden.

That’s what I am thinking. In the dogs head, is something different!

 

[JFTDWS]

Mine calls off anything, but if allowed, he would chase horses whether ridden, lunged or in the field. Fortunately, as I say, him manners over-ride his instincts!

(Possibly as he's never worked - I'm not suggesting he's better trained than yours, just a different personality / background!)

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

There is a dog we pass every day at work who totally ignores the horses as we ride up the road. Then one day I lead one home as it had lost a shoe. The dog went mental! She wasn't used to seeing horses without riders and followed us barking and growling for a good 100 meters before I turned back to take her back home. Daft creature! But she had never seen one without a rider on before so she was confused.

 

[case895]

I completely misunderstood the title of this thread.

 

[TheresaW]

I completely misunderstood the title of this thread.

Ha ha ha! I really didn’t know how else to word it!

I can’t take any credit for Bo’s training (or lack of). We’ve only had him since Feb, and although we have had issues with lead walking which we are working on, he is a good boy, apart from when he thinks he should be working! Our poor elderly cat also gets herded when he pops into the garden to do his business 😂

 

[Slightlyconfused]

My collie will herd up if I'm on the horse, other people are not his so no need to herd.
If that makes sense.