Bright white fluffy dog- how do I stop frightening horses?

[Newfluff]

I have a large very fluffy and very white dog. He is well trained and is at heel/sat whenever we meet horses. He does not bark or interact.

We've had a few issues with horses spooking when seeing him, if the horse seems spooked I stop, put him in sit and wait for the horse to pass.

Today a horse rider shouted that I needed to learn how to pass horses, so I am here asking.

I step to the side of the road, dog sat at heel, I couldn't get further away as ground off road is bog and I don't see this as a reasonable option. Rider said that my dog was spooking her horse.

Is there anything I can do to stop this? I don't want to spook horses but I can't walk elsewhere and these are rural roads/bridleways.

Thanks.

Are you getting dog on lead and putting it into sit as soon as you see the horses and while the horses pass? Or are you waiting for it to spook the horses first?
As a horse and dog owner I would get my dog on lead as soon as I saw horses, waiting for them to spook is leaving it too late.

As long as you're genuinely a good distance from the horses and your dog is on a lead then I'd say that it's up to the riders to deal with their horses spooking.

Immediately to heel, as soon as I see a horse I call to heel. So horse in distance.

We keep walking towards horse (as it is out direction of travel) and if horse is at all jittery I've been stopping still. But wondering now if stopping is making it worse.

I've walked these routes for 20+ years and never had a problem (dog to heel and walk on) but it seems like the stark white of current dog is causing problems

I'm as far away from them as possible but we are passing each other. I will always try and get off the road but some areas are borders with bogs so I can't get any further away.

Sounds as if you are doing all the right things to me.

For interests sake, I might be tempted to try a dog coat to see if it makes a difference. Prob not best timing though given the heat! Not that I would do if it did as I wouldn’t make my dog wear one…….

Agree with PP, it depends whether you put dog on lead as soon as you see a horse or wait until they spook. It’s also best if you stay in plain sight - I’ve had people try to be helpful by hiding in the bushes, which just convinces the horses there really is a hiding monster.

If you are putting your dog on the lead as soon as you see the horse and having it sit at heel
until the horses have passed, there’s not much more you can do.

If it helps, I’ve had horses and dogs all my life but my springer chased a horse and rider when she was about ten months old even though I put her on the lead until horse and rider were both out of sight over the hill. Turns out I’d not listened enough to the dog trainer when he said that the dog has a longer memory than I do 😬 No harm done but I was that person I dread meeting and I was mortified 🤦‍♀️

Cross post.

Is it just one horse, or all horses.
If it's just one, the horse is a problem, not you, you seem to be doing everything right.

Personally, I prefer people to go about their business as normal and my horse just has to deal with what is going on 🤷🏻‍♀️

Now that I think about it, my (fairly bombproof horse) has only spooked at a dog once, and it was a big, fluffy, white dog that resembled a cloud 😂. It sounds like you're doing a good job already, and possibly that the rider who said you don't know how to pass horses was nervous and lashed out (not that it's excusable).

Honestly, my horse would be a lot more suspicious of a stationary big white fluffy thing hiding off the track than a big white fluffy thing acting like a dog and walking alongside its owner. But you’ve not done anything wrong, ignore the rider today. Different horses spook at different things so you can’t win.

If you're on a generic path that's open to all then the horse riders should have a vest on if the horse is scared by dogs - if the dog isn't reacting and is quiet and on lead/heal then there's no problem IMO. If the horse is so bad it can't cope with that it needs more socialisation.
Is it a Samoyed you have?

How big is big? I think that's probably the factor here more than what you are doing/how you are doing it.

The only time my TB spooks at people is if they are helpfully hiding in bushes 🤣
Leaves on the other hand!!

My horse is worse if an object stops, if they keep coming slowly she will pass anything. But she is a good girl and thinks nothing of hacking down main roads 😇

You sound very considerate, maybe the rider is anxious and taking their anxiety on the horse out on you.

You're fine, for most horses what you're doing won't be an issue, though I'm inclined to agree with pp that just carrying on might be better than standing stationary - I've had more horses see their arse over something stationary that they couldn't identify than something moving.

But I also once had a horse who was scared shitless of daffodils so Christ knows.

It is some horses. Definitely not all, but enough for me to question if I'm causing it.

That is helpful, possibly staying still is making dog seem less dog like. I will try walking on.

Now that I think about it, my (fairly bombproof horse) has only spooked at a dog once, and it was a big, fluffy, white dog that resembled a cloud

That is my dog! Sorry if it was me that spooked your horse

What you are doing is fine , just ignore her , stupid woman - if her horse doesn’t like big white dogs then that is her issue not yours and I say that as someone who has owned horses constantly since 1980 .

You aren’t doing a thing wrong. The rider that shouted at you sounds one of those hopeless nervous types that shouldn’t be on the road! If their horse was nervous because you were still they could have politely asked you to keep moving. The fact that you have come on here asking speaks volumes that you are a good dog owner. Honestly I despair of some horse riders.

Actually my bombproof horse has always had a problem with sheep, cattle she doesn’t bat an eye but sheep are worth a snort and a spook.

39kg and masses of bright white fur. I've had bigger dogs with no issues but never one that is solid white

@FloofPaws yes. Fabulous breed but oh the brushing.

@Tulipvase I had thought of a coat but poor dog finds everything above freezing to be hot

Thank you for taking the time to find out what you can do to help horse riders.

You sound incredibly considerate and your dog sounds like a lovely, well behaved cloud of floof.

If every dog owner I encountered whilst out riding was as considerate as you it would be fantastic.

My children are desperate to take their ponies to the beach and I just won’t risk it with all the crazy uncontrolled dogs.

That is because sheep are unpredictable fluffy clouds that should be in the sky , a bit like the OPs floofy white dog .

Remember horses don't have the same vision as we do so a bright white object could be danger.
Mine always spooks at big rocks that he goes past every week for 8+ years. Somehow they catch him by surprise every time. Some horses are just more spooky than others but sounds like you are handling it correctly.

Remember horses don't have the same vision as we do so a bright white object could be danger.
Mine always spooks at big rocks that he goes past every week for 8+ years. Somehow they catch him by surprise every time. Some horses are just more spooky than others but sounds like you are handling it correctly.