Curious Whippet - Horses!!

[julie123]

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Hello all

On two occasions in the past week i've had awful encounters with a very unpleasant horse rider 'lady'.

On Saturday, i was having a pleasant walk with Louie my almost 1 year old whip along the Mersey Banks river near our home, when all of a sudden from around the bend, two ladies appeared riding their horses. As there was no prior warning, I could not get hold of Louie, & he ran straight up to the horses trying to smell their tails or rear ends as the case may be. I was then trying frantically to recall Louie, & get hold of his collar, but he was completely ignoring me & slipping out of my reach every time.. . In the meantime this horse rider was very abusive, shouting aggressively at me, although i was clearly apologetic, & was eagerly trying to resolve the situation. I eventually was able to attach my lead to Louie & walk further on.

A similar situation happened again on Tuesday with the same (couldn't believe she appeared again), very unpleasant woman, where i had no prior warning to the horses appearing, & Louie making a bee line for them :unsure: . I was met again with aggressive behaviour, although Louie was just being a curious whip (no barking or growling displayed whatsover) wanted to investigate these mighty four legged animals.

From now on i know i'll have to keep him on his lead during the walk on this route, as i know Louie has the potential to completely ignore my recall when it comes to spotting horses.

Has anybody else had 'situations' concerning curious whippets with horses?, & has anybody got advice on recall when situations like these occur?

Thank you

 

[TC]

Cheese and liver and loads of praise when he comes back! Let him know you've got treats from the minute you get on that walk and give him a couple of random recalls and treats and big up the praise. As soon as you see the horses, loads of 'happy' voice and lavish the treats on him!

Is there a local stable to you? I've taken all my dogs there as pups to get them used to horses both in stables and in fields. Most people will let you introduce your dog to the horses as long as they can see you're responsible.

Good luck

TCx

 

[jinnyfizz]

I have horses and whippets but I am very careful not to let the whippies go in the field with the horses as accidents can and do happen.

However, when I am with them, they move freely around the horses in the stables and the horses accept this happily.

Even though mine have been brought up with horses outside the back door, they are still curious about them and I can see they think it would be great fun to try coursing a horse :blink: (w00t)

One thing to bear in mind is that horses have metal clad, heavy feet which will crush a whippet's paw in a moment - and the horse won't even know it has done it

With regard to this woman rider ..... as a horse owner and rider I am ashamed to hear of such ignorant behaviour. She is certainly not a careful or sensible horsewoman as any aggressive feeling will transfer itself to the horse and potentially cause a massive problem (w00t) I have occasions every day when a dog or dogs will run up to my horse whilst I am out exercising him and the most practical thing to do is to stand patiently and calmly while the dog owner retrieves their charge :thumbsup:

Good idea to keep Louie on a lead when there may be horses around, it will keep him safe and it sounds as though you will have a far more peaceful time :thumbsup:

 

[fallenangel]

I would do as saidand use any type of brbr to helpreinforce recall but next time you meat the woman just say oh I am terbly sorry but as horses are not somtyhing we have come across up till seeing you its not been possibel for me to sociled my dog with them. as its distressing you so much i am sut=re you wont mined if i come along to were you stabel your horse so he learnd to ignor them smile sweelty and i bet she shuts up lol

if you want to help get him sued to houres though a good place is heaton park the ponys and donkys there a re prity bomb proof and you can pratces recall on a long line at the side of the feald easly we were there doing the same with our pups today

 

[oakmoorehill]

When I had my old horse we used o ride in the local woods were we regularly met dogs My horse had previously been bitten by the farm dog next door so was inclined to kick out if a dog aproached her. I would shout out to the dog owner that she didn't like dogs and would kick and most pt dogs back on their leads .If the dog did approach I would stand the horse still and talk to her until the dog was caught or moved on. In the end we stopped going to the woods as we thought it wasn't safe or fair on Roxy to take her there.

 

[affieluver]

sorry you are encountering problems with horse riders i was one myself once (not so much now) and i have to say that for me there was nothing worse than wandering dogs not because i was ever worried about my horse but because i was worried the damage they could do to the dog if they lashed out

they have NO excuse whatsoever to be rude and discourteous :angry: as sometimes these places have to be shared by walkers and riders and there isnt a lot you can do to avoid coming head on with each other but if i were you i would keep louie on a lead as like jane said the damage a horse could do to a little whippet is un thinkable and if he was to frighten them accidentally there wouldnt be much you could do to save him

please dont think all riders are the same as there are some nice ones about im just sorry you have had to encounter such ignorance really

 

[~Annie~]

I've had a similar problem with Finn. One of our walks is along a stretch of old railway line that has bridle paths feeding in to it and a couple of times I've been caught out by a horse and rider suddenly appearing a little way in front of us on the path. Finn was very keen to investigate both times, the first time even play bowing at the horse and seemingly asking it to chase him (he is one crazy dog lol). Anyway, as TC says, having been caught out once the second time I was carrying garlic sausage and although Finn took off to investigate he did come back when called. We don't walk that way much any more (too many smelly ditches full of water that Tolly feels compelled to swim in :x ) but the couple of times we've encountered horses since I've had no trouble ... just wish I had as much success calling Finn back when he spies another dog to play with :b

Annie

 

[hely]

yes im afraid i have had a horrible encounter with a horse and rider..................the horse appeared from nowhere and gypsy was at the top of a very steep bank, i shouted to the lady (who was leading the horse) that she was friendly and if she could just hold gypsys collar for a few mins while i got to the top of the bank and i would put her on the lead...........i had to run quite a way to get to her as i couldnt climb up the bank...to steep for me............the woman just stood there muttering and swearing and then the horse kicked gypsy...well i have never heard such a awful noise in my life.........i finally got near her and the woman had started walking off and as i passed her to get to gypsy she smiled at me and said "i think my horse has just broken your dogs leg " then she laughed and went on her way !!!!!!!!!!

if my children had not been with me i would have gladly punched her in the face :angry:

all she had to do was hold her collar for a few mins........but no she didnt bother :angry:

gypsy went straight to the vets...the vet said she was very lucky if the horse had kicked any lower her leg would have been broken !

needless to say...she is now terrified of horses

 

[julie123]

Cheese and liver and loads of praise when he comes back! Let him know you've got treats from the minute you get on that walk and give him a couple of random recalls and treats and big up the praise. As soon as you see the horses, loads of 'happy' voice and lavish the treats on him!
Is there a local stable to you? I've taken all my dogs there as pups to get them used to horses both in stables and in fields. Most people will let you introduce your dog to the horses as long as they can see you're responsible.

Good luck

TCx

Thanks TC, i have practised loads of recall this morning on the banks of the river. I used to practise this such a lot when i first took Louie out for walks & runs when he was a pup, but i kind of got out of the habit of it, so it is good to reintroduce this. I took pleny of treats, & used my 'happy' voice - gosh it worked wonders . That's a good idea too about introducing Louie to some local stables. Next time i walk i pass them, i'll see if they're some friendly faces there - hopefully that horrid woman does stable her horse there

Thank you

 

[julie123]

I have horses and whippets but I am very careful not to let the whippies go in the field with the horses as accidents can and do happen.However, when I am with them, they move freely around the horses in the stables and the horses accept this happily.

Even though mine have been brought up with horses outside the back door, they are still curious about them and I can see they think it would be great fun to try coursing a horse :blink: (w00t)

One thing to bear in mind is that horses have metal clad, heavy feet which will crush a whippet's paw in a moment - and the horse won't even know it has done it

With regard to this woman rider ..... as a horse owner and rider I am ashamed to hear of such ignorant behaviour. She is certainly not a careful or sensible horsewoman as any aggressive feeling will transfer itself to the horse and potentially cause a massive problem (w00t) I have occasions every day when a dog or dogs will run up to my horse whilst I am out exercising him and the most practical thing to do is to stand patiently and calmly while the dog owner retrieves their charge :thumbsup:

Good idea to keep Louie on a lead when there may be horses around, it will keep him safe and it sounds as though you will have a far more peaceful time :thumbsup:

Ah, thank you for your support, it's good to hear a horse owner & rider's opinion on this. Just goes to show that it seems that this ignorant woman has the problem, & by the sound of it, it is unfortunately to the detriment of her horse when her aggressive feeling transfers to it.

 

[julie123]

I would do as saidand use any type of brbr to helpreinforce recall but next time you meat the woman just say oh I am terbly sorry but as horses are not somtyhing we have come across up till seeing you its not been possibel for me to sociled my dog with them. as its distressing you so much i am sut=re you wont mined if i come along to were you stabel your horse so he learnd to ignor them smile sweelty and i bet she shuts up lol if you want to help get him sued to houres though a good place is heaton park the ponys and donkys there a re prity bomb proof and you can pratces recall on a long line at the side of the feald easly we were there doing the same with our pups today

Lol - good advice Wendy i'll bare that in mind if i ever encounter the horse rider. I've been meaning to take a trip too to Heaton Park, so that is a good excuse as any to practice the recall there. Cheers

 

[julie123]

When I had my old horse we used o ride in the local woods were we regularly met dogs My horse had previously been bitten by the farm dog next door so was inclined to kick out if a dog aproached her. I would shout out to the dog owner that she didn't like dogs and would kick and most pt dogs back on their leads .If the dog did approach I would stand the horse still and talk to her until the dog was caught or moved on. In the end we stopped going to the woods as we thought it wasn't safe or fair on Roxy to take her there.

Ah, sorry to hear that your old horse had such a bad experience with the farm dog. No wonder she felt inclined to kick out when a dog came up to her. It does sound though, that you've always handled the situations really sensibly, unlike my unnerving experiences.

 

[julie123]

sorry you are encountering problems with horse riders i was one myself once (not so much now) and i have to say that for me there was nothing worse than wandering dogs not because i was ever worried about my horse but because i was worried the damage they could do to the dog if they lashed out
they have NO excuse whatsoever to be rude and discourteous :angry: as sometimes these places have to be shared by walkers and riders and there isnt a lot you can do to avoid coming head on with each other but if i were you i would keep louie on a lead as like jane said the damage a horse could do to a little whippet is un thinkable and if he was to frighten them accidentally there wouldnt be much you could do to save him

please dont think all riders are the same as there are some nice ones about im just sorry you have had to encounter such ignorance really

Ah, thank you for your support - you're right about the shared places, & unfortunate situations that can occur. But i know now that i will definitely keep Louie on a lead for sure around that area of my walk, if an accident did happen, i'd be heartbroken. There's definitely no excuse for rude & abusive behaviour. I dislike conflict at the best of times, its a shame that there are some people out there ready to explode, instead of handling the situation in the best way possible - gosh, being a dog owner definitely opens your eyes dosen't it!

 

[julie123]

I've had a similar problem with Finn. One of our walks is along a stretch of old railway line that has bridle paths feeding in to it and a couple of times I've been caught out by a horse and rider suddenly appearing a little way in front of us on the path. Finn was very keen to investigate both times, the first time even play bowing at the horse and seemingly asking it to chase him (he is one crazy dog lol). Anyway, as TC says, having been caught out once the second time I was carrying garlic sausage and although Finn took off to investigate he did come back when called. We don't walk that way much any more (too many smelly ditches full of water that Tolly feels compelled to swim in :x ) but the couple of times we've encountered horses since I've had no trouble ... just wish I had as much success calling Finn back when he spies another dog to play with :b
Annie

It seems as though that is definitely the key to getting the dogs back by carrying some tempting treats! I know what you mean too about Finn spying other dogs to play with, Louie again is just the same, every dog he spots, he wants to play with, & there's no stopping him, think i'm going to have to practice recall there too!

 

[julie123]

yes im afraid i have had a horrible encounter with a horse and rider..................the horse appeared from nowhere and gypsy was at the top of a very steep bank, i shouted to the lady (who was leading the horse) that she was friendly and if she could just hold gypsys collar for a few mins while i got to the top of the bank and i would put her on the lead...........i had to run quite a way to get to her as i couldnt climb up the bank...to steep for me............the woman just stood there muttering and swearing and then the horse kicked gypsy...well i have never heard such a awful noise in my life.........i finally got near her and the woman had started walking off and as i passed her to get to gypsy she smiled at me and said "i think my horse has just broken your dogs leg " then she laughed and went on her way !!!!!!!!!!
if my children had not been with me i would have gladly punched her in the face :angry:

all she had to do was hold her collar for a few mins........but no she didnt bother :angry:

gypsy went straight to the vets...the vet said she was very lucky if the horse had kicked any lower her leg would have been broken !

needless to say...she is now terrified of horses

My gosh what an awful experience for Gypsy & you. What a nasty & hateful woman she sounds , & what a down right vicious thing to do - laughing about her horse breaking Gypsy's leg, thankfully not the case though.

It just shows you, how nice & courteous you can be, it will never please some people, & they will still react with aggression & nastiness.

 

[Jillb]

Hi, I had an awful experience too when my oldest whippet was about 1 - he slipped under a fence when we were out walking and into the next field which had horses in - despite our desperate attempts to call him back he ran around the horses one of which kicked him - our view was partially blocked so we couldn't see him but the noise was terrible, it sounded as if he had been hit by a car and he let out the most awful yelp/cry - we fully expecting to find him dead or seriously injured, but, the next thing he came flying out from under the fence again, very shaken and with a cut under his jaw, he was very lucky as he was obviously kicked in the face but he must of had his hard plastic frisbee in his mouth at the time which obviously took a lot of the blow - thankfully he is scared of horses now and just barks at them from a distance!

I do find that although my two are usually very good at recall if they are in a highly exciting situation they do tend to go deaf, no matter how many goodies I have in my pocket.

 

[Janimal]

sorry you are encountering problems with horse riders i was one myself once (not so much now) and i have to say that for me there was nothing worse than wandering dogs not because i was ever worried about my horse but because i was worried the damage they could do to the dog if they lashed out
they have NO excuse whatsoever to be rude and discourteous :angry: as sometimes these places have to be shared by walkers and riders and there isnt a lot you can do to avoid coming head on with each other but if i were you i would keep louie on a lead as like jane said the damage a horse could do to a little whippet is un thinkable and if he was to frighten them accidentally there wouldnt be much you could do to save him

please dont think all riders are the same as there are some nice ones about im just sorry you have had to encounter such ignorance really

Agree with Kelly here too....having also been a rider myself..and the owner of naughty whippets at times too.

No excuse for the rudeness of the woman in question....but I would try and discourage your dogs from getting too close up behind strange horses

...One kick could be fatal.. let alone spooking the horse and setting it off galloping off possibly...

not getting at you at all...just life experiences really, my dogs are quite used to livestock around where I live..but I still dont trust some of the cows

we encounter on our walks either.....you have to be so careful.

 

[Kimbo]

Hi

I too have a horse and my whippet Otis was introduced to him very early on. He is very sensible around him and hacks out with me in the forest.

I have had a friend who was attacked on her horse by a dog and can in a small way sympathise with the rude woman - I am not condoning her bad behaviour - but being on a horse being attacked by a dog is terrifying. Horses are a flight animal and will run or bolt from danger and this is also terrifying. When you are mounted there isnt much you can do and yelling only upsets you, your horse and everyone involved.

Perhaps this woman had had a bad experience with a dog in the past. I know I am very nervous aboout other dogs approaching me when I am riding - despite owners claiming their dog doesn't bite or bark.

 

[TTT]

Hi
I too have a horse and my whippet Otis was introduced to him very early on. He is very sensible around him and hacks out with me in the forest.

I have had a friend who was attacked on her horse by a dog and can in a small way sympathise with the rude woman - I am not condoning her bad behaviour - but being on a horse being attacked by a dog is terrifying. Horses are a flight animal and will run or bolt from danger and this is also terrifying. When you are mounted there isnt much you can do and yelling only upsets you, your horse and everyone involved.

Perhaps this woman had had a bad experience with a dog in the past. I know I am very nervous aboout other dogs approaching me when I am riding - despite owners claiming their dog doesn't bite or bark.

I think this post sums it up for me. I have been on a horse that was bitten by a dog. Luckily that horse did not bolt on the road. The thought of the consequences don't bear thinking about. It's all too easy to say 'my dog is friendly, he won't do this, he won't do that' but the reality is that all animals, including dogs and horses, are unpredictable. I don't know how i could live with the thought that one of my dogs caused a person to be seriously injured or even killed off a horse by my lack of control over my dogs.

In the interests of everyone's safety please keep your dog on a lead or make sure is has good recall if you know horses are in the area. I know it is not nice to feel that you are being verbally abused - but just think- that woman on the horse may have been on the recieiving end of some shoddy behaviour by people with dogs out of control..........

 

[julie123]

Thank you all

It's also good to hear the the opinions & experiences of horse owners. Yes, i can totally understand horse riders uncertainity & anxiousness of unfamilar dogs approaching. There is far too much at stake to be complacent with a dog wandering up to horses. I will be definitely putting Louie on a lead during this approach in my usual walk. Its just a shame that i happened to meet a horse rider that instead of acknowleging how much i was trying to resolve the situation, & how apologetic i was, created so much commotion, & had such an aggressive manner.

Thank you for your experiences & advice.