To ask horsey people what I should have done

[hitchedhiker]

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?

@Lockheart

I'm not super horsey, so I'm willing to be corrected, but that does sound like unusual behaviour. I've been hurt by horses by accident (you'll know about it if they step on you!!) but I've never been attacked by one before.

I don't suppose you managed to see if it was a mare, stallion, or gelding? I don't have much direct experience with stallions but I could believe one might act like this if it thought you were a threat.

I wondered if it might be a stallion.

I'm not horsey, but I have a friend who is, and I can well remember her telling me that a stallion can be as dangerous as a bull, and you have to be very careful round them.

Whoever suggested trying to 'grab the forelock' is an idiot.

I second this!

Always let go of the dog

Please do not do this.

FFS.. I said ID do that, to stop horse chasing dog whilst dog was removed from field... only if theres no headcollar or mane to grab.

I didn't say the OP should have done that or that other people should do that!

Pretty certain that years at agri college studying horses and years of working with horses mean I know when its safe to do that and when thats the better option than letting someone get chased and booted!

loads of fields with horses, cows and/or sheep by us with public footpaths running through. Yorkshire - we have lots of public footpaths. and a lot of horses, cows and sheep :-)

Was it a dominant mare?
Horses can detest dogs of they have had one snapping at their heels before.
Sounds like this horse has had prior experience.
Horses are quite curious, so often will canter up to see what is what, especially of you are in their field..
Horses have a very good aim when they ''mean it'' but horses have been attacked by dogs.

A well aimed kick can kill a dog.

Any horse owner's nightmare would be to have a bloody footpath running through their paddock.

You'd think with all that knowledge that you'd know there would be very few horses that would tolerate that - and I wouldn't need to be there to bet that an aggressive horse chasing a dog and double barrelling at the dog owner would not be one of them.

My horses always chase our dogs out of the fields. In a wide open space I would let the dog go - the chances of it facing off the horse and either getting hurt hurt is very remote whereas a slow and panicky human in the mix and someone will get a kick or a bite.

Re should you let go of the lead, it very much depends on the dog and is not as cut and dry and NEVER let go.. if your dog has a strong chase drive then, no don't let go but if your dog is a soppy thing that you know will run in the opposite direction of any bother then in that case, definitely let go, you could get hurt in the crossfire if you keep hold of the dog. This advice also applies to cattle, if you and your dog are chased by cows (this happens more frequently than you would think) then let go of the lead.

It's not at all unusual for any herd/prey animal to be aggressive to a perceived threat. The dog represented a threat to their eyes, so they tried to drive it off.

You always have to be very careful when walking across a field with livestock, especially if you have a dog.

Used to work with horses and I think it's so strange to have a path going through a field with one in it whether people bothering horses or horses coming over. Surely insurance wise it's prohibitive too!

My horse used to hate dogs with a passion and would go out of his way to kick out at them too. No idea what had happened to him with his previous owners but we did loads of training with him and we could never fully resolve it. I’d definitely report because it’s a dangerous situation for you and your dog. As the owner I’d be pretty mortified if that was my horse.

I’ve got horses and my own land with footpaths running through it. It’s a nightmare! Where the footpath goes down the side of a field we fence it off so walkers and dogs are away from the horses and all are safe. But one field has a path go across the field and it worries me. We’ve had so many people petting/feeding the horses that they do sometimes run towards walkers expecting treats. I can’t fence off that section of the field without cutting the horses off from the water supply. We tend to use that field in summer when the horses are out at night and there aren’t many people around.

OP you did exactly the right thing to be safe. But I’d try and find out whose land/horses it is and mention it to them. They might not know their horses are a problem.

I suppose there are parts of the country where horses are kept in post and rail paddocks so it might seem strange to some. In other areas there are swathes of in fenced common land where ponies roam and rights of way go through. The racing yard I used to work in had a right of way right through their land. It's very normal in some areas.

General public are often idiots near horses {and other animals} ...There was a girl I saw who tried to ride a TB mare {the owner had taken their shoes off and turned them away for the summer...The girl I assumed was something to do with them ..She was given a leg up by her male friend, and the horse bucked her clean off.

It was then I found out they weren't hers.

Selfish and stupid behaviour...As is feeding horses from the hand.

It is surprising how fast ''curiosity'' can turn into a squeal/kick fest if a herd are looking for titbits.

I learned the hard way as a child never to feed titbits...A relative's mare bit me very painfully on the chest when no more titbits were forthcoming....I kept the bruise to myself...but it was a valuable lesson.

Titbits hand fed are generally a bad idea. Drop them into the bucket at feeding time.

This little boy is grown up now..... and said ''I should have listened to my dad''.. {USA}

Shows how horses ''warn'' but kids /some adults don't read the signs..

We used to live in an area bordering National Trust land and the advice was always to let your dog off the lead if livestock behaved like this. The dog can run faster than you and the livestock will focus on the dog and enable you to get away.

@Shedbuilder

We used to live in an area bordering National Trust land and the advice was always to let your dog off the lead if livestock behaved like this. The dog can run faster than you and the livestock will focus on the dog and enable you to get away.

That advice was given after walkers with dogs had been killed by cattle.... Especially if a dog walker gets between a 'cow and calf'

Cattle can be quite frisky... but slow, smooth movements are meant to be the ''best''.....but try running in slow-mo to the stile ..I'd personally not take dogs through fields with cattle.

We have a few fields like this in our village. I am horsey and always let ddog off as I know he'll run through to the other side of the field, avoiding the horses. If I keep him on the lead they will come and start being pushy to get him out of the field. They don't bother if the perceived threat (the dog) isn't there. I wouldn't do this unless my dog knew the drill, but he was chased by a herd while young so he's rightfully wary.

@WiddlinDiddlin , however experienced you are if you’d tried that method with my mare you would have been sparko on your back with a serious head injury , indeed any attempt to manhandle her just made her worse .

oakleafy,

Cattle can be quite frisky... but slow, smooth movements are meant to be the ''best''.....but try running in slow-mo to the stile ..I'd personally not take dogs through fields with cattle.

No way of avoiding cattle or horses in a lot of areas. Our house backed onto NT-owned common land and the commoners ran their cattle and horses. I had a small terrier which once protected me by yapping and snapping around a bull and keeping it occupied (yes, it really is legal to have bulls of certain breeds out on unfenced common land) while I got out of its orbit. Idiot walkers yelled at me to control my dog and stop it attacking the 'poor cow'. I asked them who they thought was most likely to come off worse — my 8kg terrier or several tons of bully beef?

Was it a dominant mare?

I thought the same. I had a similar experience to the OP, crossing a footpath through a field of horses (no foals). Dog was on the lead, not barking or showing any interest in the horses. One mare came up and would not leave the dog alone. She (mare) was not after food - I spent my whole childhood with horses, and I know how a horse cadging a carrot or a mint behaves! This horse wasn't interested in me at all, she was focused on the dog, aggressively nuzzling her.

I dropped the lead, so the dog could run. Once the dog reached the hedge, the mare wasn't bothered about me at all.

You should have let the dog off.

Yes, it’s normal for horses to be like this. It’s possible someone walked through before you and their dog chased the horses which has made them wary.

YABU to report the owner.

There's a footpath through my mare's field, although not a very well used one. Generally horses are at worst curious but not threatening.

The behaviour described is VERY unusual.

I would advise ignoring them, keeping your distance and walking briskly but not running through the field. If they come over a stern "get back" or "gwaan" or growl often works. A big "away" gesture with your arms is helpful. The advice about swinging a rope is good too, as is keeping your hands out of your pockets.

Do not run away, better to stand your ground, wave your arms and shout.

I wouldn't let a dog loose unless it is a last resort or you are confident it will run away rather than attack. The potential harm to both horse and dog is too high if there is a fight/attack.

It is not unusual. I've seen it loads of times.

I know blummin' Shetlands that chase dogs.