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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Horse and dog incident this morning

200 replies

DrHildegardeLanstrom · 21/04/2022 10:56

Had quite a scary experience on our morning walk this morning.
My dog and I have crossed this field and the others with horses on many times and have never had any incidents. I have been around horses all my life and understand how they can be inquisitive. My dog is under full control on a short lead and is well behaved around horses.

This morning he was with me on a short lead as normal, and my DD was with me. The field had several horses, all grazing at the bottom of the field well away from the footpath route. As we got halfway across, two trotted over and reached us in no time.
One came up and sniffed my dog very close, which scared him so he barked. The horse instantly turned around and kicked him, luckily a glancing hit which appears to have done no damage.
We turned around straight away however the horse kept trying to kick us (I really thought I was going to be kicked) and was blocking our path. My DD was very scared, so I sent her to run back to the gate and managed to get there myself despite being pursued by the horses.

There is no damage done, however I have never experienced such a thing in 30 years of horse experience. The horse clearly felt threatened by us being there and came across the field.

AIBU to email the yard and make them aware?

OP posts:

KarmaStar · 21/04/2022 10:59

No harm in informing them if you can identify the two horses?
Hope your dd and dog are ok now.
Horses can be unpredictable as you know but if you were in a public footpath you have a right to walk it unharmed.🌈

Tschecked · 21/04/2022 10:59

I'm a horse owner and I'd want to know. I'm assuming of course that you're on a public footpath because if not you would be unreasonable. Referring to the other thread running at the moment - this is another reason why people shouldn't feed them. If just left alone by passers by they will generally ignore people. If fed... then they will come running as soon as they see people.

Gizacluethen · 21/04/2022 11:00

Definitely let them know. Either it's a public right of way and they need to move the horse or they need to lock the gate. I'm guessing it's a public right of way so they need to move the horse to another field. It's not safe for the horse, the horse is clearly unhappy with the situation and everyone is lucky it didn't land a kick on your child.

Original poster

DrHildegardeLanstrom · 21/04/2022 11:01

Absolutely a public footpath.

OP posts:

Brefugee · 21/04/2022 11:02

If it's a public right of way let them know. If it isn't - don't go there again.

ForeverLooking · 21/04/2022 11:04

Yes, I'd want to know if it was my horse.

CaveMum · 21/04/2022 11:05

I would perhaps notify the yard of what happened but ultimately to the horses your dog is a predator and him barking will have triggered their prey response. Now of course as a horse person you know the usual prey response is to run but in some animals it will trigger the fight instinct.

Can’t really offer any other advice, you were in the right so far as having your fog on a short lead and sticking to the path goes, but this is one of those things you have to put down to the unpredictable nature of animals.

user1471505494 · 21/04/2022 11:06

Definitely let the yard know. One useful tip if horses are approaching in a situation like yours start to jump up and down waving your arms in the air.

Oldtiredfedup · 21/04/2022 11:07

If this was my horse I’d want to know. We’ve had this happen in my village - people were hurt. The horse was eventually removed.

If I was you I’d also be letting the police and local authority know.

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

SoftSheen · 21/04/2022 11:09

Yes, I would let the yard know. Some horses can be aggressive towards dogs (most aren't) and if they are, they shouldn't be kept in a field which is traversed by a public right of way.

FairyCakeWings · 21/04/2022 11:12

Yes, they need to know. They shouldn’t be keeping a horse that is prone to aggression on a field that is open to the public.

ClaudiaWankleman · 21/04/2022 11:18

this is one of those things you have to put down to the unpredictable nature of animals.

Disagree. A horse owner who puts their horse in a field with a public right of way through it accepts a higher degree of responsibility. If their horse presents a danger to the public it should be moved.

Laiste · 21/04/2022 11:21

This is on the ramblers rights page:

''Horses and rights of way People keeping horses must ensure that their animals don’t cause a danger to other people. As with cattle, they must assess the risk and decide if it’s safe to keep horses in fields with public access.''

''Horses which chase people or otherwise act aggressively should be reported to the local authority.''

Report to yard and see what their response is. If they're dismissive you can calmly tell them you'll take it further if they're not interested.

It does sound as if the barking kicked this off though.

Original poster

DrHildegardeLanstrom · 21/04/2022 11:22

Thank you everyone, I have emailed the yard with a description of the main 'problematic' horse and asked them to consider whether this horse is suitable to be in a field with a public footpath. If they don't reply or don't take it seriously, I will go to the council.

OP posts:

Laiste · 21/04/2022 11:22

Sorry, Oldtiredfedup has already linked to it.

Original poster

DrHildegardeLanstrom · 21/04/2022 11:24

I'm sure the barking did spark the aggression. But the barking only occurred because my dog felt threatened when the horse's nose touched him. Horses have been in fairly close vicinity lots of times and he has never barked, and I always keep his attention on me. This horse was literally in our space.

OP posts:

Floralnomad · 21/04/2022 11:26

One of our horses couldn’t be kept in one of our fields that had a footpath as on a bad day she would be absolutely terrifying to people let alone dogs . Hope your dog is ok

Original poster

DrHildegardeLanstrom · 21/04/2022 11:29

Thanks, I will keep an eye on him as I'm sure it caught him but no obvious damage.

OP posts:

Original poster

DrHildegardeLanstrom · 21/04/2022 11:30

It was actually completely terrifying and I know horses! Can't imagine how terrified someone who doesn't would have been. I was certain I was going to be kicked. My poor DD to have seen it all.

OP posts:

CaveMum · 21/04/2022 11:41

When I said "this is one of those things you have to put down to the unpredictable nature of animals." I wasn't trying to minimise what had happened, I meant it more in the context that if this horse has always been in that field and never behaved in that way before then it may just have been spooked/having a bad day. Of course if it is a new horse to the field, or something else had ruffled the herd dynamic like a new horse in the group that day, then absolutely the owners will need to look at what happened but sometimes these things are just a one off - ultimately the horses were behaving "normally" in the context of feeling threatened.

ForeverLooking · 21/04/2022 13:19

Hopefully you will get a reply. I would be mortified if it was my horse -I've got a bunch who are all very neutral around dogs and are happy to have them around but you never know what might set off a spook so I do keep an eye on them. I'd have been scared too, however much you are around them and with years of experience, being pursued by horses trying to kick you is not fun. I'm glad you are all ok. This is why I wouldn't keep mine on any kind of field with a public walkway without fencing off a section of the field away from the path! You just never know with animals.

Zilla1 · 21/04/2022 13:20

If you've previously not had trouble then there might be a mare about to foal in the field or there might have been an aggressive dog in the field recently with an owner who didn't control their dog.

Pineapplechickenpizza · 21/04/2022 13:42

I’m the OP from the other current horse thread (with 900 messages- started about feeding horses and went on to discussing fields and rights of way- exactly this scenario)

you didnt do anything wrong here. You had the right to be walking there and your dog was under control and on a short lead. If you had cut across a random field or if your dog were off the lead then it would be a different story, but your dog was on the lead and on a public footpath therefore you did nothing wrong. 😀

if this was my horse I would absolutely want to know, both to protect my horse and the public and dogs. It’s also helpful for the owner to know if the horse is scared or aggressive towards dogs (especially if triggered by something as simple as barking) and means they can try to avoid them when riding, hacking, in the field etc.

I hope your dog and DD are ok aswell. It must have been a terrifying situation, my heart was in my mouth just reading your post!😨

SolasAnla · 21/04/2022 13:44

Sorry but you are nuts to walk with a dog through the middle of an open field with horses or cattle in it. There is always a risk that some of the animals feel threatened. Its a natural instinct for them to keep push the dog away from the herd.
You should always shoo them away from you and your daughter as you both are at risk of being hurt as they try to get at the dog.

At the same time if it is a public path where people bring dogs there should not be livestock in the field so please let the landowner know what happened.

Clymene · 21/04/2022 13:48

@SolasAnla

Sorry but you are nuts to walk with a dog through the middle of an open field with horses or cattle in it. There is always a risk that some of the animals feel threatened. Its a natural instinct for them to keep push the dog away from the herd. You should always shoo them away from you and your daughter as you both are at risk of being hurt as they try to get at the dog.

At the same time if it is a public path where people bring dogs there should not be livestock in the field so please let the landowner know what happened.

Absolutely untrue that livestock cannot be kept in a field where there is a public right of way. And absolutely not the OP's fault to use it.

I walk through fields of horses and sheep with my dog often. Everyone ignores everyone else which is what you should expect.

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