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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask horsey people what I should have done

108 replies

hitchedhiker · 21/09/2020 13:33

I was out for a walk with DP yesterday, dog well-behaved on his lead. We were on a well-marked public footpath crossing a field with 2 horses and a small pony in it. The shape of the field meant that we were already past the horses and moving further away from them as soon as we entered.

The horse came towards us, as they sometimes do, DP said 'hello boy' to it in a friendly way, but it immediately started prancing around trying to get at the dog. Turning it's back towards us and kicking, stopping us leaving the field. By this time the other two had come over and they were starting to act oddly as well.

When I'd stopped laughing at DP (who was struggling to keep hold of the lead as the dog was trying to get away from the horses) I managed to position myself between DP and the horses and backed out of the field waving my arms and shouting to try and keep the main attacker away from them.

I'm an ex-farmworker and a keen walker, I've worked with pigs and cattle and worked around (but not really with) horses many times. I've never even heard of a horse going out of it's way to attack a peaceful dog on a lead.

What should I have done in that situation? And AIBU to have reported the landowner to the council?

OP posts:
krustykittens · 21/09/2020 14:20

"I think he'd have defended us and ended up getting kicked to bits if we'd let him off his lead. He's a thug when he's off lead, but very protective"

Oh dear, that is a difficult position to be in. :( I would be devastated if my horses killed a dog that wasn't attacking them.

Abraid2 · 21/09/2020 14:20

This quite often happens in our horsey village. One of my friend's dogs, a calm boy who doesn't bark at horses or chase them, was left with brain injury from being kicked. In the past I have had to stuff my own small dog through a hedge into another field to get her out of the way of a furious horse, having had her on a lead, under control, not barking. It's very frightening. Some horses do regard dogs as a threat, even if there aren't foals with them. Once the dog is out of the field they calm down.

Abraid2 · 21/09/2020 14:21

ANd just to add, that we were on the public footpath, not trespassing.

Alltheshoes74 · 21/09/2020 14:22

I had horses when i was young and ended up getting rid of a psychopathic horse who started off wonderful then once he got comfortable flipped, cornered people in his stable, tried to kick my mum in the head etc . Sadly he had to be put down - its uncommon but not unheard of. Glad you are ok, he should not be in a field where people can pass through.

PalTheGent · 21/09/2020 14:28

Just another voice to say that I frequently come across public rights of way through horse fields. The dog and I have often been approached for food (which is never given), but never experienced this kind of behaviour.

In all honesty, OP, it sounds like you did well. All of you managed to leave the incident without any harm to any of you. A result.

It is worth trying to let the owners know - sometimes a local FB page will help get the message to the owner. Not least because their horse sounds like it finds walkers (and possibly dogs) upsetting and so might be more comfortable in a different field. If one can be found.

Original poster
hitchedhiker · 21/09/2020 14:30

I'll pop back there after work and knock on the house nearest the field. I don't think it's anything to do with them but they should know who owns the horse I expect.

OP posts:
Astrabees · 21/09/2020 14:31

We used to have two horses and two dogs, they used to play like this, although it was quite dangerous for the dogs. Dogs would run around between the horses legs and horses would buck and kick out, generally a bit of letting off steam on both sides. Horses are not aggressive creatures but they can run up to you fast. My two horses were great with any dogs they met when they were being ridden, totally unflappable, and the dogs didn't chase livestock either. Maybe the horse was feeling skittish?

Hoppinggreen · 21/09/2020 14:42

This happened to us and I did used to have horses.
We let Ddog off the lead and DH and Ddog legged it out of the field (theory was Ddog was the issue) but then the horse cam back towards me and the dc and went to kick DD. I shoved DD out of the way and whacked the horse on the bum, while making sure I wasn’t in the line of fire and it ran off. Unfortunately it ran straight at DS . I ran after the horse shouting and waving my arms to get it to divert from DS, which it then did.
I had horses and am usually very comfortable with them but I was quite scared to be honest. At first I was telling Dh and the DC not to be silly that it was harmless but for some reason it started behaving quite aggressively. I think it might have felt trapped as we were in an area that had high plants that had formed an alley and once it followed us in it wasn’t sure how to get out

12309845653ghydrvj · 21/09/2020 14:49

Former horseowener here—this is odd, most horse owners are very interested in dogs, but rarely aggressive out of nowhere. Usually when a dog gets kicked it’s due to them getting too close.

What size is your dog? If it’s smallish I would generally carry it around a horse.

The horse might have been being playful or genuinely aggressive, but both can get you hurt. They also read body language very well, so the best thing to do is be fairly square shouldered and business like around them if they start to get frisky.

The behaviour sounds like (a) an aggressive stallion (b) a mare in season (c) coltish behaviour from young horses. If it’s the latter, “away!” and a wave off will generally have them canter off, but if you freeze they’ll be all over you. More than likely it’s not actually agression from the horse, they just don’t know their own strength.

It doesn’t sound to me like he was searching for food—most horses will do a quick pocket sweep with their nose!

12309845653ghydrvj · 21/09/2020 14:50

Also a small minority of horses are just dicks

PalTheGent · 21/09/2020 14:53

@12309845653ghydrvj

Also a small minority of horses are just dicks
This made me chuckle Grin
midnightstar66 · 21/09/2020 14:53

Sounds like you did the right thing. Horses can absolutely be aggressive. DD's pony hates dogs. Pins his ears back if they come anywhere near him and lashes out , I don't doubt he'd act like this if a dog entered his field. He's never had a bad experience, he's just a bit of an arsehole! Assertive body language, waving your arms directly facing them and shouting will all help. Wouldn't hurt to extend your arms with a long stick or reed if you can grab one. It's not ideal to have horses on public rights of way as even the nicest can have an off day and most get bolshy if they are being fed frequent tit bits but I'm sure they are there because they don't have a better option.

starsparkle08 · 21/09/2020 14:55

I don’t think you laughing will have helped

Floralnomad · 21/09/2020 14:56

I think you are right to report it , if you’ve got a horse that is likely to do this type of thing then you shouldn’t put it in a field with a footpath running through it . We had this issue with one of our horses and it was a nuisance not being able to put her in all the fields but she was a nightmare with dogs / people . I’ve owned horses for 40 years and some of them are a real pain , when I was hiking with a cub group once we had to detour as some horses simply wouldn’t let us access the footpath across their field and it was really scary for the children .

KeepingPlain · 21/09/2020 14:58

I think you did the right thing. My horse for sure would and has attacked dogs in his fields before. He got chased by one quite young so he now hates them. He will only behave around them if I am nearby, otherwise they seem to be fair game to him. But I would never, ever put him in a field that has a public footpath through it for that very reason. The only dogs that have gone in his fields are ones off the lead and the owners have zero recall (stupid owners) or dog owners who have gone in his field with their dogs for some unknown reason, it wasn't a footpath. The dogs didn't stay long of course, they were chased out.

WiddlinDiddlin · 21/09/2020 14:59

I'd have sent OH with dog out of field whilst bollocking horses fairly firmly in a bossy sort of tone (or grab by forelock!)...

Unfortunately whilst YOU have the right to use a public footpath, there actually is no legal entitlement to take your dog across it, and so livestock in fields being a danger to the dog, and you because you have a dog with you is likely not an offence as you have no actual right to take the dog...

If the horses do that to people without a dog, then you can complain and the landowner must not put livestock into fields that they know to be a danger to humans (above and beyond their general nature, for example its known that sometimes cattle will be nosey and follow closely and chase if you run, but thats normal behaviour for cattle. It isn't normal behaviour for horses to approach, back up and try to double barrel people on their own.)

islandislandisland · 21/09/2020 15:00

My horse hates dogs in the field and will chase and stamp on them given the chance. But she isn't in a field on a footpath! However there are footpaths around the field and I have seen a couple of people idiots with their dogs off the lead running in and out of the surrounding horses fields. I would take zero responsibility if my horse injured a dog that shouldn't have been allowed into her field in the first place, I'm always surprised walkers seem to think a horse wont mind a dog on their territory barking round their legs. I think you did the right thing in the circumstances.

CaptainMyCaptain · 21/09/2020 15:03

Really? It's very common where I live.

CaptainMyCaptain · 21/09/2020 15:04

Quote fail. That was to @Florencex.

midnightstar66 · 21/09/2020 15:04

(or grab by forelock

Sorry but grabbing and unknown, and clearly agitated, horse by the forelock, especially when you have no previous experience handling horses and no halter is absolutely terrible advice. Please never do that!

Original poster
hitchedhiker · 21/09/2020 15:07

Unfortunately whilst YOU have the right to use a public footpath, there actually is no legal entitlement to take your dog across it

www.ramblers.org.uk/advice/paths-in-england-and-wales/enjoying-the-countryside/animals-and-rights-of-way.aspx#dogs

OP posts:
Original poster
hitchedhiker · 21/09/2020 15:12

There's some really useful information on here, thanks to everyone who's commented.

I'm quite used to how to act around cattle but an aggressive horse is a new one on me. For some reason it felt wrong shouting at a horse - and a bit unnerving that it didn't run away when I did. It was still coming at me when I backed over the stile.

OP posts:
IncandescentSilver · 21/09/2020 15:13

This sounds very strange. I've been plagued by people letting their dogs run loose because a public footpath goes through part of my farm. I've fenced off the footpath, put multiple signs up saying "keep your dog on a lead" and similar, I've tried to dog proof the fencing and gates, and the one part where it's not dog proof, people STILL let their dogs off the lead so they run underneath the fence and chase my horses

Unfirtunately, my horses are too gentle and don't kick the dogs. I wont detail the injuries they suffered, but suffice to say I take what dog owners say with regards to well behaved dogs being kept on leads with a pinch of salt.

ToastyCrumpet · 21/09/2020 15:15

Horses are an absolute pita, tbh. I hike a lot and my heart goes into my boots if the path I’m on crosses a field with horses in. They tend to associate humans with treats, and being pestered by half a ton of horse is not a pleasant experience, particularly if it’s more than one and they are jostling each other. At worst, they will have learned that humans give more treats if they nip.

movingonup20 · 21/09/2020 15:19

I've been chased by horses several times with my dog, alas it's not uncommon. Stallions every time. I have a collie who is fine around livestock but some are aggressive, cows are of course worse and I've been head butted by a sheep with him on a short lead next to me