I would also hesitate to use anything like pepper spray or ammonia or a firearm since I believe those things could pretty easily make a bad problem worse. As mentioned before, it would be so hard to get a clear shot on an attacking dog, and the risk of injuring or further aggravating a hitched horse under attack would be quite high. Unfortunately in a dog attack situation, thereâs not a lot of good options to diffuse the situation aside from finding some way to restrain the dog.
The reason I liked the slip leash idea is that you would at least have a shot at containing the dog. It wouldnât be easy, but itâs possible. With a slip leash, you initially make a large loop that gives you a greater chance of being able to get it around the dogâs head while allowing you to maintain at least some distance between your hand and the dogâs face. As soon as you find a way to get the dogâs head through the loop, you immediately snug it up and the dog could then be somewhat contained. Of course the dog could then turn on you, but you could at least drag it away from the horse and go from there. We used simple poly slip leashes to handle dogs when I worked at a vet clinic many years ago.
Might not work, definitely not a great solution, but a slip leash is better than nothing and safer than a firearm or pepper spray. Itâs cheap and easy to throw in with a spares kit and emergency supplies, so itâs probably something I will plan on carrying.
Also not opposed to the tire iron! And as a bonus, a tire iron could also be used to deter aggressive humans. These days you never know what youâll come across! I knew drivers that carried a gun on them, just in case.