"You Should'nt Be Riding Your Horse Here, Horses Are Dangerous Animals"

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Mithras

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Award for the most stupid comment when on a ride? I was riding my mare on a piece of open ground last night, covered in tracks and popular with walkers, runners, dog walker and a few horse riders. I was riding quietely past past a man with a dog (fortunately on a lead), not really close to him at all and he said to me the above "You shouldn't be riding that horse here. Horses are dangerous animals". Now, I'm pretty good at speaking up for politely but firmly and took him to task and he knew when he was beaten, but the silly idiot said "Have you ever been kicked by a horse?" to which I replied "No, have you ever been bitten or chased by a dog?". (he just walked off). I have been chased by snarling dogs many times too, particularly when I'm out running. I should also point out that his dog ( Wiermanner type) was snarling and straining at the lead all the time when my horse was perfectly well behaved.
 
Some people are annoyingly stupid! I once had a man with a dog (boxer - not on lead) and the dog was literally running around my horses legs, in a circle from front to back, luckily she was quite a calm mare and didn't kick the dog but was understandably fidgety, the man said when he was trying to catch the dog "It might help if you could keep your horse still" - "I said it might help if you could control your dog".
 
It annoys the hell out of me. Zoom is in the grounds of a National Trust Park and there are lots of dog walkers. There are a few in particular who let their horrible unruly aggressive dogs run riot off the lead :mad:

One idiot woman has a big staffy cross who continually chases Zoom when I'm riding and snaps at her legs. Zoom gets very fidgety since she only has one eye so turns in a circle following the dog with her good eye. She has NEVER kicked and, being a polo pony, never would (even though sometimes I am secretly willing her to!!!) but the woman always gets totally hysterical and moans on about my horse 'almost kicking' her dog. It's never occurred to her to put the bloody thing on a lead!

Numpties!
 
Some people just don't like horses and maybe he or someone he cares about/knows has been kicked by a horse but a shame if he should then tar every horse with the same brush. I had the total opposite today from 2 separate people I met on our bridleway this morning. It's quite narrow in places and first dogwalker was with a young bull terrier who she said hadn't seen many horses and as he was quite excited though not barking she kindly tucked right into the hedge to let me go by. Then on way back met another dogwalker who immediately put her dog on its lead but the only problem my horse had with her was that it had started raining and she'd just put one of those huge rain ponchos on...could barely see her face or what she was as she was like a big blue triangle coming towards us so pony span away as I got close and I explained it was just the big rustly sheet of blue and I apologised but she was apologetic too though she needn't have been - on second approach he was fine as she spoke to him and put down her hood so pony could see she was a human and not some strange blue alien!
 
Some people are insanely stupid. Personally if I had my way I would like to trample all over them so they can't utter such nonsense again
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I was on the beach once when a dog owner had a go at me. (Dogs are allowed on some parts of the beach on a lead) We are allowed to ride on the beach from Oct to March any time and have restricted times the rest of the year. I'm always careful when on the beach, move out the way of people etc. But this woman just started shouting at me at the time we were standing still letting a load of kids say hello and fussing the horses. The lady's argument for why she should be in the beach and that I shouldn't was in her words 'I PAY COUNCIL TAX YOU KNOW' duh we all pay council tax. By this point we had attracted quite a crowed of people wondering what was going on (I didn't raise my voice once and tried to be as polite as I could be) when when the lady came out with this comment everyone just started laughing including other dog walkers, she went red and walked off, don't think she will telling anyone where they can or can't ride again!
 
Kitsune - how embarrassed am I?!

I have to say round here its normally very good with dogwalkers keeping their dogs on leads and people love horses (I get a lot of comments along the lines of "what a beautiful horse") but a lot of new housing estates have been built recently and I suspect he is only used to living in a little box and not encoutering live animals, other than his very frustrated and under-exercised dog. I also suspect he let a dog chase a horse once and it did get kicked, or similar.

The next dog walker I encountered did have her dog off the lead but tried to call it back and was very apologetic - no problem, my horse is an unflappable hunter. However the dog followed me even though I only walked away, yet when I turned round and pointed and said to the dog in a loud voice "back" it immediately returned to the owner. Why can I control other people's dogs and they cannot control them themselves???

I did have a bad experience when I was out running once as I nearly got bitten and badly clawed by two very aggressive small vicious dogs and an owner who was very rude.

What a stupid comment though - nasty passive, aggressive little man - horses are not exactly known for being involved in attacks on humans, are they?
 
We had permission to cross a playing field as long as it was only around the edge and it was in dry weather.

We were walking along and this old man starts waving his walking stick at us and telling us off. We stopped to explain that we had permission, which he refuted. All the while his dog was snarling around behind us. I asked him to please call off his dog and he refused. So my Arab kicked it in the head.

Problem solved!
 
I was taking my horse out for one of our first hacks in the local country park - where you are not allowed to walk dogs off the leash as there are deer, and other animals in pens, sheep, goats and even some Lhama's. We were walking along the path and saw a couple coming towards us with a young puppy with no leash on. Not having met a dog on Arion at that point I shouted to them if they could put their dog on the leash and was met with a "we dont have a leash for him" - to which I responded "well can you pick him up then cause I have no idea how my horse is going to react to a young puppy and I dont want him to get hurt". Me and my friend then pulled both horses into a layby bit off the path and let them past while both horses stood quietly. The biatch had the cheek to then challenge me and accuse me of being "not very polite" and I could have been nicer and she "had a right to use the park too" and we "didnt own the place". I said to her that perhaps next time I would let her dog get a kick in the head and she can think about how not nice it was to have either a dead dog or a huge vets bill!!! I also pointed out that whilst she can use the park she must have doggy on a leash at all times, like it says on the big sign as they came in the park!!! Stupid moo.

Arion is luckily rock solid with dogs - we had a loose rottweiller cross snapping at his heels and barking like mad and he never flinched. In fact I got so pissed off at it that I turned him round, kicked him into canter and chased the dog all the way back along the path while waving my whip in the air and screaming "how do you like it mutt!" - the golfers got a good laugh that day :D
 
I had someone say to me once, and that a horse should stay in the field, I had no right beeing on this track, that was in a county park...... it was a bridle path and he was walking, he dog off lead!!! I was so gob smacked, and trying to say on as the pony I was riding didn't like dogs, I couldn't say anything!!
 
We used to get this all the time at the local country park. Unfortunately it's the dogs that get injured in the hands of stupid people! My gelding used to be perfect with dogs until a staffy went for him (I was worried it was going for his neck!). After that, any dog that ran at him would get kicked at unfortunately.

In reply to the original posters "silly man" I would have replied "Yes I have been kicked by a horse, and it hurts a damn site less than being bitten by a dog" ;)
 
Once when my mum was riding Toto on a hack, a dog (not on a lead) ran over to Toto and was running around him and snarling at his hooves, Toto had never kicked out before but the dog was snapping at his tail and so Toto kicked out, missed the dog but at this point the owner of the dog finally had the sense to call the dog back, and put it on a lead! :confused:
 
I was riding up our a path that has recently been put back to a bridal path after being just a footpath for many years & of course you now meet the fine weather dog walkers. I am too a dog owner but if I meet anything whether it be a person, dog or horse mine are put straight onto leads.

I ride up slowly behind a young girl & her dog neither of them had seen me so I called to the girl which caught the dogs attention next min snarling dog snapping at horses heels nowhere to go except up in the air & spinning round horse now looking like a possessed circus pony & owner totally oblivious as she had her ipod on full blast STUPID IDIOT!!! hadn't heard a thing & carried on walking, it wasn't untill I screamed at full volume to her she just turned around & called the dog & walked o, NO apology, nothing & it took a while for the dog to bugger off!! Result horse now petrified of dogs something she has never had a problem with!!
 
My daughter was riding on a bridle path & I yappy dog rushed up behind her causing her pony to kick out, although she didnt kick the dog.

Lauren asked the teenage girl with the dog to put its lead on only to be told " I cant. Once the lead is off I cannot control my dog" Whatever next!!!
 
I have so many of these stories!

In Hyde park we have regular problems with dogs being off leads, which is fine assuming they can be called back. I'va had dogs chasing me down canter tracks, snapping at the horses heels, all sorts usually the owners can call them back but we had one woman the other week who just stood watching while our horses were leaping about confused. We always try to be polite ask them to put it on a lead and explain that its dangerous for both dog and rider but they dont take ablind bit of notice mostly!

I was out riding the other day and a girl roller bladed right up to our back ends, the noise spooked my horse, so when calmed, I turned around and said - very politley (considering the leap he put in!) - please can you be careful coming up close to his back end, he gets scared but could also kick you.
She then went into a huge rant about how we shouldnt be in the park blah blah blah!
I tried to reason with her and she just carried on and on - the whole time skating by us so I just told her to complain the household cavalry and pointed to the huge kit ride of about 30 men and horses trotting towards her in full kit with swords! Her face was picture!
 
Cavblacks said:
I have so many of these stories!

In Hyde park we have regular problems with dogs being off leads, which is fine assuming they can be called back. I'va had dogs chasing me down canter tracks, snapping at the horses heels, all sorts usually the owners can call them back but we had one woman the other week who just stood watching while our horses were leaping about confused. We always try to be polite ask them to put it on a lead and explain that its dangerous for both dog and rider but they dont take ablind bit of notice mostly!

I was out riding the other day and a girl roller bladed right up to our back ends, the noise spooked my horse, so when calmed, I turned around and said - very politley (considering the leap he put in!) - please can you be careful coming up close to his back end, he gets scared but could also kick you.
She then went into a huge rant about how we shouldnt be in the park blah blah blah!
I tried to reason with her and she just carried on and on - the whole time skating by us so I just told her to complain the household cavalry and pointed to the huge kit ride of about 30 men and horses trotting towards her in full kit with swords! Her face was picture!
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Glad to see another London rider! We're stabled in East London over at Lee Valley Park and have similar problems - although the biggest is the sheer lack of space and rules and regs the local authority lay down over exactly where we can and can't ride and at what times of year. (I'm not used to it, despite nearly all my previous hacking being in permitted MOD or forestry commission areas)

I've actually been surprised at how good most people are at sharing the space though. It's everything from kite fliers, to dog walkers to canoists and runners, not to mention the bordering railway lines.

I have previously kicked a dog in the head when it lept at Cleo's stomach, I wish I hadn't, but it was an instinctual reaction. I've just taken to taking control of the dog if the owner isn't with a loud and firm 'No' and bringing Cleo to a halt. I do find it very unacceptable that people will allow their dogs to act like idiots around a large and potentially dangerous animal.
 
Not long ago, I was out riding with a friend in Hainault forest. A man and lady were walking their big German Shepherd (not a prob, my horse is used my labs and I am not afraid of big dogs). However it was off the lead and rather too interested in our horses, running round them and getting way to close for comfort. Again it wasn't on the lead and the owners made no attempts to call it away. I politely called to the owners: "Can you please watch your dog I would be upset if my horse accidently caught your dog." The lovely man replied "If your f**ing horse kicks my dog I'll pull you off and kick you." "To which I replied, ok well if your dog bites my horse, I'll bite you."
This was obviously followed by lots of swearing and shouting at me and friend. I wasn't about to get more abuse, so I shouted to the dog to "sit" and then "stay". Which it did, and we rode off, with the guy still shouting at us, but the dog sat politely still. I wish I had suggested the guy take a leaf out of our animal's book of how to behave. lol
 
FionaMc said:
Glad to see another London rider! We're stabled in East London over at Lee Valley Park and have similar problems - although the biggest is the sheer lack of space and rules and regs the local authority lay down over exactly where we can and can't ride and at what times of year. (I'm not used to it, despite nearly all my previous hacking being in permitted MOD or forestry commission areas)

I've actually been surprised at how good most people are at sharing the space though. It's everything from kite fliers, to dog walkers to canoists and runners, not to mention the bordering railway lines.

I have previously kicked a dog in the head when it lept at Cleo's stomach, I wish I hadn't, but it was an instinctual reaction. I've just taken to taking control of the dog if the owner isn't with a loud and firm 'No' and bringing Cleo to a halt. I do find it very unacceptable that people will allow their dogs to act like idiots around a large and potentially dangerous animal.
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:D Always like to hear of others London riding experiences!!!

I havent been over east yet, what is Lee Valley like I have heard of it but not been yet! Do you have problems with those ski-bladers?! Thats the new craze there are tonnes of them out on a Saturday morning waving their ski poles around - had some terrifying experiences with these! Like you say most are good and if I know my horse will spook at something I try and pre-warn them not to do x y or z and most do.

We have been called "posh b1tches" before by someone with a loose crazy dog when we asked her to get it from our horses legs and on a lease. Once I opened my northern gob followed by my friends yank accent she soon shut up!
 
Cavblacks said:
:D Always like to hear of others London riding experiences!!!

I havent been over east yet, what is Lee Valley like I have heard of it but not been yet! Do you have problems with those ski-bladers?! Thats the new craze there are tonnes of them out on a Saturday morning waving their ski poles around - had some terrifying experiences with these! Like you say most are good and if I know my horse will spook at something I try and pre-warn them not to do x y or z and most do.

We have been called "posh b1tches" before by someone with a loose crazy dog when we asked her to get it from our horses legs and on a lease. Once I opened my northern gob followed by my friends yank accent she soon shut up!
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Lee Valley is a very nice yard. I've only been there for about 6 weeks now having just got the horse back from loan. It's rather expensive (I guess full livery in London was always going to be though...) but not ridiculous (I need to find a sharer, incidentally, if you know anyone looking).

It's a very busy riding school, but has decent (if limited) turn out, knowledgeable, professional staff, and some lovely liveries. Nice arenas, indoor & out and enough 'hacking' to go for a canter round a couple of fields. It's obviously not entirely perfect but I'm relatively impressed so far. (It's also very convenient for me). Having always had my horse in DIY livery though, having everything done for you is slightly odd. They're also really into their horse ball - so I might try that out at some point. The only other London yard I have experience of is Westway Stables... under the flyover. I found the whole set up there a bit to strange to feel comfortable with. At least in Lee Valley you can pretend you're in the countryside a bit - just wish they'd connect our hacking tracks up to the bridleways towards Epping Forest though.

The only thing we've encountered out and about that have been a problem are people canoeing on the canal. Cleo can't work it out at all and bolts very uncharacteristically as she's normally pretty unflappable.
 
London riders?! flipping heck, two of you aswell!!

I ride at Trent Park in North London and thankfully haven't met anything other than polite dog owners who immediately put there dogs on leads when they see us!
 
Hevs said:
Arion is luckily rock solid with dogs - we had a loose rottweiller cross snapping at his heels and barking like mad and he never flinched. In fact I got so pissed off at it that I turned him round, kicked him into canter and chased the dog all the way back along the path while waving my whip in the air and screaming "how do you like it mutt!" - the golfers got a good laugh that day :D
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:D:D:D:D:D:D:D hahahahha soooo funny just have this image in my head of you chasing a dog, and now im getting funny looks over the office :o
 
Sounds lovely, yeah I dont know anywhere in London that offers cheap livery at all. Shame but we cant have everything! Wish I was closer to East London now! LOL I will ask around the girls and see if they know of anyone interested!

I did my BHS 1 at Trent Park near Cockfosters and on the day it was fine, people friendly etc nice horses to ride, but I went up the weekend before to have a look around and it was SO busy, at one point their main indoor arena had 4 riding groups having different lessons at the same time! It looked far too cramped and chaotic for my liking!
I had a lesson at Ealing once too and that was a nice yard but the lesson was a bit too basic for what I wanted (without sounding up myself!!! Im by no means the best rider but i do know how to ride a circle!)
Havent tried Hyde Park Riding School just due to their prices, we see them out in the park a lot and they have some lovely horses and ponies and staff are always pleasant to us! Even when our beasts get weirded out by seeing another horse! haha

Ive heard of horse ball! Sounds so much fun Id love to give that a go! Im also trying to persuade a friend to come and do a polo day with me but not getting far! haha
 
Benji1 said:
London riders?! flipping heck, two of you aswell!!

I ride at Trent Park in North London and thankfully haven't met anything other than polite dog owners who immediately put there dogs on leads when they see us!
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LOL Our posts must have crossed! Do you have a horse there or do lessons? I have been tempted to go back mid week and have some jumping instruction as we aren't able to jump ours?
 
I'm doing a lot of escorted hacks with them at the moment, weekends are pure madness up there, but i don't ride on a weekend. All the staff have been really friendly with me and I've thoroughly enjoyed it - I'm there again on Tuesday!
 
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