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!

YANBU to moan about the dog
YABU for not specifically making it clear that Heather is a horse.

Horse manure is a serious pollutant, particularly in terms of ground water
In quantity, yes. But a few piles on a long beach?

Of all the types of poo my DC used to step in (dog, goose, duck, general bird, cow, rabbit, sheep, cat), horse shit and sheep shit were the least of my worries. Horse barely smells, dries nice and hard quite fast, and is easy to remove from shoes.

TBH, of all the things you're likely to find on a beach and want to avoid, horse shit is quite low down the list.

I know that my reply was sarcastic, however I am not entitled, I'd be far more worried about the harm that is done by multiple dogs shitting on the beach and the rubbish that is left behind by countless thousands of visitors every year than the poo that comes from my singular horse's once or twice yearly visit there. We don't tend to be on an area of the beach where there are lots of small children anyway (it would not be safe). By the same token I do expect to be able to use the beach safely. We give the humans and dogs that are there a wide berth and in return I expect dog owners to have their dogs under control. People's right to walk their dog on the beach does not trump my right to ride my horse on it.

Pity Heather didn’t dispense a meaningful “ears back, nostrils flared” lunge of the head. My old mare was a dab hand at those. Most dogs got the message.

Im just fed up of horse riders on country roads, two abreast who couldn't care less if traffic piles up behind them. It's as if " we're country folk, we're entitled to ride our horses, if you don't like it then it's your problem."

My old girl certainly never got the memo that she was a 'shy prey animal'. She preferred to think of herself as potential death on four legs. For a standardbred mare, she certainly fancied herself quite the Warhorse.

@1morewineplease horse riders are classed as vulnerable road users and if they need to ride 2 abreast to keep the inside horse safe then so be it. If drivers slowed down enough to pass sensibly then they wouldn't need to, but riders have every right to be on a road that is also used by cars.

On the other hand, if I was holding up traffic, I'd get off the road at the earliest opportunity, into a driveway, and let it past.

In quantity, yes. But a few piles on a long beach?

That's the same type of argument irresponsible dog owners use when they don't pick up. It's not just you few (daily) piles. It's also all the other piles. It adds up.

TBH, of all the things you're likely to find on a beach and want to avoid, horse shit is quite low down the list.

Again, the horsey sense of entitlement. It may be for you. I find it repulsive.

[quote slavetothenhs]@1morewineplease horse riders are classed as vulnerable road users and if they need to ride 2 abreast to keep the inside horse safe then so be it. If drivers slowed down enough to pass sensibly then they wouldn't need to, but riders have every right to be on a road that is also used by cars.[/quote]
I appreciate that but they just don't let cars past, for miles. I dare not pass them as there are few passing places so you just have to sit behind them. The riders often look behind them and know full well that there's a long queue of traffic behind them and I live in an area with a shit ton of bridleway .

Well that's not good horsemanship, you're supposed to find a way or place to enable traffic to pass, so you don't piss them off.

I'd be far more worried about the harm that is done by multiple dogs shitting on the beach and the rubbish that is left behind by countless thousands of visitors every year than the poo that comes from my singular horse's once or twice yearly visit there.

It's not just the horse shit on the beach. It's the shit on the paths, the bridleways, the fields. All of this ends up washed into the waterways and contributes to water pollution.

If you can’t recall your dog in every situation, including meeting animals, wildlife, humans and traffic it has no business being off lead, ever.
There are plenty of options to exercise dogs safely if they do not have recall without risking danger to another person or animal, but owners are too lazy to bother looking into this and it’s easier to let them off and hope for the best.

It’s really that simple. Why dog owners can’t follow this simple rule is beyond me

And yes I have had both horses and dogs. I would expect to ride my horse anywhere I am legally allowed to without being bothered by a dog. I also expect to walk my dog in peace in the same way, but lots of entitled dog owners ruin this for me too.

I have one burning question, Leonberger? Is your dog a Leonberger?! They are one of the most gorgeous of dog breeds!

@Leonberger totally agree. Quite frankly some of the dog people on here are absolutely nuts and entitled beyond belief. Keep your dogs on a leash if you can’t control them and even if you think you can, still do it. And pick up their shit.

And pick up their shit.

Shame the entitled horsey folk won't return the courtesy.

And pick up their shit
Ah, like the horse people do!
Oh wait..
Can you imagine the reaction if I let my dog take a shit on the beach then said ah no worries, the sea will come and wash it away shortly!
And anyway, it’s only one little dog turd.

My four year old daughter is petrified of dogs because we’ve had so many run ins with loose dogs at the kids play areas come bounding up to her. She used to take her comforter everywhere and one time this big Alsatian went for the teddy she was clutching in the park,I honestly thought the dog was about to attack her, thank goodness he was trained and stopped as soon as its owner called but why let it off the lead in a kids play area.

My husband was bitten by a dog on a lead while out running a few weeks ago, and I’ve had countless run ins while riding my horse. Dogs should not be off leads if they cannot be trusted. Bugs me when owners bring them into cafes and shops, a few years ago they’d have to wait outside but seems to be the norm now for dogs to be sat under tables etc

@mbosnz yes, we have 2 leonberger and a German shepherd. The Leo’s are around 70kgs each

All 3 of mine stay on lead at all times around people, children, around roads, around other animals, livestock and horses. They all walk to heel and ignore everyone. I’ve purposely taken them to places I wouldn’t normally go in training so they do see almost everything and so I can test their reactions to new things. There are horses up and down the country, there’s no excuse.
Regardless, if your dog is trained well enough it should override any prey drive and if not I would never ever let it off.

I do allow the 2 trusted ones off when I am alone but if I see someone I recall and put them on lead as I pass or ask them to sit as the person passes me. I have never had one approach someone or an animal without permission because I have trained them within an inch of their lives and wouldn’t allow them too. I really don’t get why people get dogs and then just let them run riot, that’s not training it’s the equivalent of sticking your child in a park annoying everyone and playing on your phone.

Allowing your dog to approach another animal or human without permission is rude and dangerous. I’m sick to death of dogs running up to mine, training really isn’t rocket science but it takes more work than most people can be bothered with.

Oh wow. Two leonbergers and a german shepherd, plus horses. You're living my lottery dream, lol. (And very responsibly too, might I add. . .)

@mbosnz we no longer keep horses as our hacking dissapeared into nothing and it wasn’t worth it without anywhere to ride safely!

Hence acquiring more dogs than normal people trying to fill the horse gap

I know what you mean about the hacking. It's not just over here, in NZ, rides that I did as a matter of course, now I'd never contemplate them. Hacking is just disappearing.

To be fair, horse poo generally doesn't have the toxins that dog/cat poo can carry. It makes great fertiliser once it's been rotted down and I use it on my garden to help things grow. But I wouldn't do the same with dog poo. They really are not the same thing at all.
It isn't only horses who get upset by out of control dogs. Other dogs, people, all are affected by the irresponsible dog owner. Just within the last week a lady walking her dog on a local beach was attacked by an out of control dog and ended up with a broken leg.
It isn't the animals' fault, it's their owners'.

One of my dogs would be terrified of horses, and has excellent recall so if I saw a horse, I would immediately recall her and put her on a lead. 2nd dog is currently in training and would be an arsehole so wouldn't be offlead near a horse. He is being trained with a long line at moment so would just recall him ( and have lead if he didn't behave)

We were very lucky when we got our Mutt. The beach where our caravan is had a permanent horse ride with owners we had got to know over the years. They let us take the Mutt to the horses to socialise her with them and after a weekend of 5 or 6 introductions (and one ride along on a long lead that was wonderful!) she barely even raises an eyebrow when we see horses (and cows, strangely) on walks. Good job really as the common nearest to us has horses out daily.