Out of Control Dogs 😡😡!

[Heathercob]

Am I allowed to have a moan about a dog on the beach this morning that was completely out of control and not responding to the owners?
Was having a relaxing boxing day beach ride until it decided to try and attack Heather's fetlocks (ankles). Luckily Heather is a good girl, although I could tell that she was worried about it. When the dog finally went back to the owner, they didn't even put it back on the lead 😡😡!
I REALLY don't want to come off and potentially end up in hospital because someone doesn't bother to train their dog - especially at the moment with Covid about!

I’ve always been of the opinion that if the owner is unable to prevent their dog from harassing my horses , then I am going to be similarly unable to prevent horse from giving dog a good kick .

My first pony was absolutely bombproof . Had no issue with any animal ( well , except pigs , she was petrified of those ) didn’t mind dogs, if they left her alone . However, the day we were out exercising, and she got nipped at by a Rottweiler cross , with the owner doing nothing but bleating ineffectually at it , she kicked it . Just once, but hard enough for it to require vet attention . She tried to get me to pay the bills, so I referred her to my insurance company who laughed at her .

I manage to have my dogs under control, it is not beyond the ability of others to do the same. It takes minutes and saves hours of aggravation.

If the beach OP went to is dog friendly she is exactly the same as every other entitled, selfish horse owner risking their and their horse’s safety

Sorry but I've read that as 'NO ONE CAN USE THE BEACH EXCEPT ME AND MY DOG, ANYONE ELSE THERE IS ENTITLED AND PUTTING THEMSELVES AT RISK"

The beach isn't for your dog. Horses, runners, children etc are just as welcome at the beach as you and your 'predatory animal' as you state
hmm
Your attitude is just down right bizarre
I’m going to try and explain this one last time then no more because we are just going round in circles here.

Some of the animals we keep as pets, like cats and dogs are predators.
People may like to humanise them and treat them as little furry children but they are predators.
Cats will show hunting behaviour towards to small animals, even if they don’t go all the way and kill them.
Dogs will show hunting behaviour towards larger animals, even if they don’t go all the way and kill them.
It is just who they are.

Put a budgie/mouse/hamster etc in front of a cat, most cats will try and kill it.
Put a rabbit/sheep/horse whatever infront of a dog and most will chase (hunting behaviour) and some will bite and try to kill it.

If you have a pet that is a prey animal, like a horse, you have an obligation to do what you can to keep it safe from animals that could harm it, like dogs.

So you shouldn’t take it to areas where you might reasonably see loose dogs, like dog friendly beaches or fields that are known to be very popular dog walking spots etc.

If you have a pet that is a predator, like a dog, you have an obligation to keep other animals that it may harm safe from it, like horses.
So you shouldn’t take it to areas where you might reasonably expect to see a horse, or if you do it needs to be leashed and close to you so it can’t chase.
Areas where you might reasonably expect to see a horse would be areas with bridleways or riding schools, pathways near riding schools where riders might be out hacking etc.

I am well aware that people are likely reading and thinking I’m an entitled cow who only cares for the dog.
But anyone who actually knows me will know I am for all animals and me saying don’t take horses to areas where you know dogs are about isn’t because I think dogs are better than horses.
It’s because dogs tend to chase and sometimes bite horses.
A very stressful and traumatic and dangerous situation for the horse and the rider and the dog and the dog’s owner if they get close to intervene.

Don’t take horses where you think there will be dogs and don’t take dogs where you think there will be horses.

👍

@LolaSmiles

Oh here we go again.. Yes, some dog owners are shit. What a revelation. Let the dog bashing commence It's been at least a week since the last one.

Yep. Tedious AF

Two local teenagers ended up in hospital yesterday after their horses were chased by dogs and they fell off.

Not all dog owners are assholes, but thanks to the ones that are, I think dogs should be kept on leads at all times.

You have to remember too, if your dog is kicked by a horse, that's it probably dead. Is it really worth having your dog killed? Surely people love their pets and don't want them to die, so keep them under control.

Don’t take horses where you think there will be dogs and don’t take dogs where you think there will be horses.

Most sensible comment on here.

@OchonAgusOchonO

Don’t take horses where you think there will be dogs and don’t take dogs where you think there will be horses.

Most sensible comment on here.

Completely wrong, though. If a horse is being exercised somewhere it’s allowed to be, the poster’s personal opinion that it shouldn’t be there is completely immaterial and thankfully doesn’t exempt them from prosecution under the Dangerous Dogs Act should they permit their dog to chase and injure horse or rider. And permit is the right word, if you are choosing not to keep it on a lead but also refusing to take responsibility for its behaviour off the lead, because tHaT’s jUsT wHaT dOgS DO.

The owners were lucky she didn’t kick out and kill the dog or trample it. Many horses would!

A long whip or hunting whip can be handy in this situation, provided it won’t spook your horse.

It really angers me when horse owners think they are entitled to ride in places where you wouldn’t expect them to be, places where you expect loose dogs to be

There are limited open spaces in some areas. We have woodland near us. Are you telling me riders ought not to have the use of it in case some idiot dog owner hasn’t been arsed to train a decent recall? I’ve ridden in those woods and every time I’ve seen riders, I’ll call my dogs to heel/stop to allow riders to go past safely.

I’m bloody sick of owners who haven’t taught recall. I don’t want to be harassed by other dogs. Mine don’t go up to others, nor should other dogs harass mine. It’s relatively easy to instill recall in a dog, somewhat trickier to stop a horse objecting/spooking to/at a predator snapping at its heels and the horse chucking off a rider.

@currahee - please point out where I suggested it was OK to allow a dog to chase a horse? Please point out where I said it is acceptable for a dog owner not to have their dog under control?

There are arsehole dog owners. There are arsehole horse owners. A bit of consideration and common sense by both would go a long way towards avoiding problems.

also refusing to take responsibility for its behaviour off the lead, because tHaT’s jUsT wHaT dOgS DO

Is there something wrong with your keyboard?

I have seen this attitude from horse owners too who allow their horses to crap everywhere and don't clean up or use a nappy because "that's what horses do" and they're not legally required to clean it up. They may not be legally required to but leaving a load of crap on someone's driveway or on a footpath where buggy and wheelchair users will have difficulty avoiding it is obnoxious behaviour.

I've seen a dog get a kick in the face from the horse it was chasing. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Many years ago I used to ride through a small village where two dogs used to come running out of their garden and try and bite the horses. The owners were often in the garden and did nothing. In the end I used to ride our with a hunting whip. The dogs came flying out onto the road one day and jumped up at my horse I let fly with the whip and managed to get them both. The owners came running out screaming at me. I lost it and told them exactly what I thought of their dangerous and bad mannered dogs and I didn’t hold back on how irresponsible they were. I told them I would always carry the whip in future to protect my horse The next time I rode that way surprise surprise their garden was properly fenced

Sorry but if dogs aren’t meant to be on beaches then neither should horses. I’m sick of going to a beach and there’s horse crap all over it. It stinks and it’s unsightly.

For what it’s worth my dog is terrified of horses and people and will shake like a leaf till they’ve gone past. However you don’t get free reign of the beach and I would continue to walk my dog off leash there. He’s a pet the same as your horse is and completely entitled to use the beach.

If a horse is being exercised somewhere it’s allowed to be, the poster’s personal opinion that it shouldn’t be there is completely immaterial and thankfully doesn’t exempt them from prosecution under the Dangerous Dogs Act should they permit their dog to chase and injure horse or rider. And permit is the right word, if you are choosing not to keep it on a lead but also refusing to take responsibility for its behaviour off the lead, because tHaT’s jUsT wHaT dOgS DO
While this is technically true I really struggle to understand the mentality of taking a shy prey animal into an area where you know there will be loose dogs and therefore putting your pet at risk.
Why?
It’s not in the horses best interests.

But then, and I apologise, not only is this a de rail it’s also horribly offensive to probably everyone on this thread..

I do find the horse community generally speaking, unpleasant.
It’s a major reason why I don’t ride anymore.

Horses are shy prey animals.
I don’t think it fair to take them onto roads where they are surrounded by noisy cars, sudden movement and are in danger of being injured by inconsiderate drivers.

Nor do I think it fair to use them in the police to control noisy, often violent crowds and rioters.

Nor do I think it fair to take them to areas with loose dogs who at best are likely to chase and frighten them.

I imagine that actually, they’d much prefer to be in a herd, in quiet surroundings, eating grass.

I don’t consider riding to be in the best interests of the horse at all and found it very disturbing to see the number of people when I was involved in horses who wouldn’t entertain the notion of not riding a horse.
If it couldn’t be ridden it was as good as useless and sold, probably I imagine to be used as meat or dumped.

I’m bloody sick of owners who haven’t taught recall
It’s relatively easy to instill recall in a dog
Dogs have differing levels of prey drive.
Some dogs will never be safe around other animals, despite training.
My own dog has good recall, she doesn’t approach people, or other dogs, she comes when called.
But she is a high prey drive breed.
I avoid areas with sheep or leash her if I can’t avoid because she would chase.
I wouldn’t take her anywhere where I would expect horses, because she will chase.

I just think a bit of consideration would be good, both sides.

What about the horses on the beach where they aren’t allowed to be?

I’m a responsible dog owner.

I don’t go on the beach that allows horses.

So why are those horse owners that I meet on the no horses beach never held to the same standard?

I'm in no way against dogs ( we lost our 16 year old Collie X, Sally in August), and hope to get another after Covid settles down.
I was just annoyed that it was the second time in a short period of time that a dog had gone for Heather (a Weimeramer was hanging off her tail at the end of November).

We have been allowed on Saltburn beach for years ( when our yard was a riding school, there were about six beach rides a week), and we regularly meet riders from other yards, also riding on the beach.
Dogs are also allowed on this beach, and I have no problem with people having their dogs off the lead, just please teach them to come to call/ not stand there ignoring their dog when it starts to cause issues for other beach users (last summer (2019) I was riding out in the evening, and saw this dog barge into a group of people having a BBQ on the beach and stole their sausages!

@Heathercob - do you clean up after your horses on the beach?

LOL, my Starlight was a bitch on four hooves, and hated everyone and everything, barring me and my cat. Sometimes wasn't too keen on me. A dog came bothering her, and she'd either boot it into the middle of next week, or go to take a piece out of it with her teeth.

Reckon some dog owners should be a bit mindful that their out of control animal might take on more than it expected if they allow it to harass other people and their animals.

Oh I love the threads about horse Pooh.

@JayAlfredPrufrock - Oh I love the threads about horse Pooh

Except the op isn't answering the question about the horse poo.....

🙄

My dogs do not have perfect recall

Therefore, they are only let off on the field where I can see if anything is approaching.

I also know, they would run away from horses but would also give a good bark at them too. Not worth the risk.

I remember years ago when I did have a dog with perfect recall, because she was so fluffy, people never took her seriously.

A man was walking his lab and kept allowing him to run back and bother her.

I shouted that she didn’t like other dogs and would he please keep her away. He laughed and talked about how a diddy thing like her couldn’t do much damage

Well, he let the dog come back again and she went for him.

No actual damage done, more noise than anything, but it made him sit up and leash his dog.

He made it look like he meant to do that though and walked off quickly

Serves him right really

We are taking two horses to the beach tomorrow and this is the only thing I am dreading - a dog once very nearly had my friend off in the sea as it wouldn't back off, the owner made no apology. Our horses are very, very good with barking dogs however I can only imagine that if my horse (quite rightfully) kicked someone's dog in the face and killed it because she was being bitten, then the full blame would lie with me rather than the dog's owner who did nothing to control it.

Oh and to the posters asking about horse poo on the beach, what tends to happen is that after a few hours the sea comes in and washes it away. Quite frankly if on the massive 4 mile long and a mile wide stretch of our local beach, that we go to when the tide is out, you can't find the space to step around it before the tide washes it away, then maybe you should just stay at home.

Oh and to the posters asking about horse poo on the beach, what tends to happen is that after a few hours the sea comes in and washes it away. Quite frankly if on the massive 4 mile long and a mile wide stretch of our local beach, that we go to when the tide is out, you can't find the space to step around it before the tide washes it away, then maybe you should just stay at home.

And there we have it. The utterly entitled attitude of horse owners. Horse manure is a serious pollutant, particularly in terms of ground water. But why would you bother cleaning up? After all, you're a horse owner.

Beaches closed in Melbourne due to pollution from a variety of types of poo, including horse - www.thejournal.ie/melbourne-beach-water-3167165-Jan2017/

Children playing on the beach are likely to be less aware of their surroundings and not notice they need to step around it. It also takes away from a walk of you have to constantly watch your step in order to step around it.