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Freakin hikers! Hold on to your dogs!!! grrrrrr

Endurance and Trail Riding
#1

So, went on a what started as a nice trail ride this afternoon. A trail I recently discovered goes directly right by the end of a runway at a small airport.
The end of the run way is really built up to clear the tree tops in the state forest. So, you can’t see the planes until they are airborne right over you, which is actually pretty cool.:wink:

Just as I was riding by the runway, I heard a plane starting take off…eek!
It buzzed right above the treetops above us and I was amazed that Twinkie wasn’t fazed in the least…

I’m feeling all ecstatic that I have the greatest trail pony…lol

Then we come across a single hiker who is holding 3 full grown boxers. She asks me if they bark will it disturb my pony. I said no, as barking doesn’t bother her.

She continues a few feet and of course one of the full grown boxers which she has velcroed to her arm breaks free with it’s retractable leash and comes running at us.
The leash by now is dragging leaves and debris and my mare just spins…and off I go. :mad:

Dumb arse… Did you really think a piece of velcro attached to your arm was going to hold your full grown big dog??

Still had my Dressage whip in my hands, which I carry for this purpose. I stand up and as the dog is sniffing my pony’s back legs, I whack the dog as hard as I can!!!
Owner saw me and I didn’t give a sheet.

She apologizes, asks me if I’m okay. I can do nothing but glare…

Then she says “Well at least they didn’t bark.” WTF?

I in turn (still glaring and swearing to myself) said “Well, that didn’t do me any good.”

I have nothing against dogs on the trails we share. But one woman trying to hold 3 big dogs??? :mad:

I just thank God that the damn retractable leash didn’t wrap around Twinkie’s legs…:no:

#2

But one woman trying to hold 3 big dogs???

I’ve done that. No problems. Course my dogs are trained, aren’t on those stupid stupid flexis (velcroed to her arm???), and are barn-broke, as in, have zero interest in bothering horses.

#3

Dogs. Arrgghhh! Can’t get away from 'em. At the barn, in the neighborhood … they’re everywhere. You would think that out on a nice trail ride you could get away from them, but apparently not.

I’m sorry your ride was wrecked by such badly behaved dogs. Why don’t their owners train them before they take them out in public?

I like quiet, well-behaved, gentle dogs.

Of course, if I owned a dog, it would always be perfectly behaved … :wink:

#4

Err, how about training your horse not to be afraid of dogs before taking IT out in public?

None of my horses are afraid of dogs (or dragging ropes, for that matter) so a dog dragging a “rope” should be no big deal. If any of my horses ever spooked at a dog (which they clearly saw…I’m not talking about a startle if something comes lunging out of the woods) there would be a “Come to Jesus” meeting for sure, and it wouldn’t be between me and the dog.

People, train your horses. Surely you’re not expecting dogs to be kicked off trails? Cause lemme tell you, horses will be the first to go, not hikers. Live and let live. Yes, the lady should have kept hold of her dog…but she DID have it on a leash, clearly something just went wrong. And the dog clearly was not vicious (casually sniffing the horse’s back legs…just curious.) So the horse owner was at fault here, with their dog-sensitive horse.

If I were out hiking and someone smacked my accidentally-loose dog with a crop because THEIR stupid horse spooked and they weren’t prepared enough to stay on, you can sure as h#ll bet that I’d be wrenching that whip out of their hands and going after them.

Most dog owners don’t have access to horses to “barn break” them. However, most horse owners have access to dogs, so all horses should be “dog proof.” Especially since this was just a casually curious dog, not an aggressive barking rabies-infected disaster.

#5

On no! Geeze, I’m sorry to hear you came off :frowning: Dangit it anyway! At least you didn’t get hurt but what a rotten way to end a ride.

I despise retractable leashes. I think they should all be illegal.

And I also hate it when people let dogs run loose on public trails. Yeah, this woman apparently tried to contain them but failed at that attempt.

I’ve had a lot of close calls due to loose dogs. Thankfully I have 3 dogs at home that I let run loose while I ride so the horses get used to them, but still. You can’t trust strange dogs not to attack or bite and horses can sense the difference!

Many of the trails have some serious obstacles that could be dangerous in a blow-up situation - bridges, drop-offs, culverts with deep water on both sides, highways, wire fencing…those things are fine when you can sanely negotiate them at a walk but when you have a loose dog after your horse’s hocks, it’s really hard to control the situation.

And while I agree that horses should be trained to accept dogs - it’s impossible to train a horse to accept an attacking dog wrapping its leash around its legs and biting him in the hocks fer god sake! When that dog comes blasting out of nowhere, it’s even more difficult. Spooks happen and horses are fight or flight animals. A deer bolting through the woods or a car going by on the highway isn’t the same thing as a predator attacking the horse while you’re on top. That is a VERY dangerous situation, no matter HOW trained the horse is. ANY horse can react in that situation.

#6

[QUOTE=GoForAGallop;4820604]
Err, how about training your horse not to be afraid of dogs before taking IT out in public?

None of my horses are afraid of dogs (or dragging ropes, for that matter) so a dog dragging a “rope” should be no big deal. If any of my horses ever spooked at a dog (which they clearly saw…I’m not talking about a startle if something comes lunging out of the woods) there would be a “Come to Jesus” meeting for sure, and it wouldn’t be between me and the dog.

People, train your horses. Surely you’re not expecting dogs to be kicked off trails? Cause lemme tell you, horses will be the first to go, not hikers. Live and let live. Yes, the lady should have kept hold of her dog…but she DID have it on a leash, clearly something just went wrong. And the dog clearly was not vicious (casually sniffing the horse’s back legs…just curious.) So the horse owner was at fault here, with their dog-sensitive horse.

If I were out hiking and someone smacked my accidentally-loose dog with a crop because THEIR stupid horse spooked and they weren’t prepared enough to stay on, you can sure as h#ll bet that I’d be wrenching that whip out of their hands and going after them.

Most dog owners don’t have access to horses to “barn break” them. However, most horse owners have access to dogs, so all horses should be “dog proof.” Especially since this was just a casually curious dog, not an aggressive barking rabies-infected disaster.[/QUOTE]

Not all horses are as “trained” as yours. They may be newer to trail rides than what you are used to. We all have to start somewhere trail riding…I know all the training in the ring and around the barn wont prepare you for everything that you experience on the trails. With that said, my horse is new to trails, and every time we ride is a new experience…hopefully it is a good one, but it doesnt always turn out that way, as most people know.

That dog was freakin lucky that it didnt get kicked by her pony.
And yes, I would definately use anything near me or in my hand to get that dog away from my horse, so if that meant smacking it with the whip, then so be it, its gonna get smacked.
Then maybe next time it will think twice before going near a horse…or any animal that big…

#7

Excuse me?? I’m supposed to beat my pony because someone can’t control her dog? It is my fault? lol

She is not afraid of dogs, that is why I told her to go by me as my mare is not afraid of barking dogs.

I was the one out minding my own business.

And yes, this dog did come charging at us in the woods and startled my pony.

SHE is the idiot who thinks a piece of velcro attached to her arm is going to hold a full grown large dog.

And I’m glad you were there too - Just how did you know this was a casual curious dog? Was I supposed to wait until it bit my horse? I don’t think so…:rolleyes:
So, you bet your arse I gave it a good whack.

And try reading for comprehension. Where did I say dogs should be banned from trails? So don’t pull words from your arse.

Oh, and my mare is blind in one eye, but I bet you’d beat her for that anyway…

My condolences to your horses.

#8

[QUOTE=Auventera Two;4820613]

And while I agree that horses should be trained to accept dogs - it’s impossible to train a horse to accept an attacking dog wrapping its leash around its legs and biting him in the hocks fer god sake! When that dog comes blasting out of nowhere, it’s even more difficult. Spooks happen and horses are fight or flight animals. A deer bolting through the woods or a car going by on the highway isn’t the same thing as a predator attacking the horse while you’re on top. That is a VERY dangerous situation, no matter HOW trained the horse is. ANY horse can react in that situation.[/QUOTE]

This dog, from the OP’s original post, was not “attacking.” He also didn’t come out of nowhere, since the OP had time to have a conversation with the owner about whether the dogs could go by/bark or not. I did say that I cut horses some slack for things magically appearing, but as the OPs own post says, that wasn’t the case.

#9

Even though this dog was seen by the pony, this pony has an eye issue…so what is to say this dog didnt come up on that side!!
I have been trail riding for 20+ yrs and you still cant train for every situation that pops up on the trails…Huntertwo was just expressing an opinion on a frustrating situation…you dont have to “smack” the rider for it!

#10

[QUOTE=Huntertwo;4820735]
Excuse me?? I’m supposed to beat my pony because someone can’t control her dog? It is my fault? lol[/QUOTE]

Well, you’re the one who couldn’t control your horse. Which yes, is your fault.

So was she.

Well if that is indeed the case, my apologies. But your original post stated that you had enough time to chat with the owner about the dogs passing, which made me assume that your horse had plenty of time to notice that the three dogs were hovering around said lady.

You didn’t say the dog was frothing at the mouth and growling, or in any way indicating that he was going to bite. You said “sniffing around the back legs”. Which is what curious dogs do. Dogs who are intended on biting are growling, stand off at a distance, and lunge.

Oh, you charming thing. Take your own advice and go note that I DIDN’T say that you said such a thing. I just mentioned that there’s no need to be ranting against dog owners, since we need to live peacefully with them because they outweigh us and out number us by far.

Nope, but I’d still expect her to behave reasonably around dogs, even if they are -gasp!- running. And having been the main-rider of a horse almost 80% blind in BOTH eyes, who was also an excellent and bomb-proof trail horse, that’s not an impossible thing to ask.

Don’t know why you’d feel sorry for them…they’re fat, happy, and not afraid of dogs, so we tend to have a lot of peaceful trail rides…

#11

[QUOTE=PletchersMom;4820776]
Even though this dog was seen by the pony, this pony has an eye issue…so what is to say this dog didnt come up on that side!!
I have been trail riding for 20+ yrs and you still cant train for every situation that pops up on the trails…Huntertwo was just expressing an opinion on a frustrating situation…you dont have to “smack” the rider for it![/QUOTE]

There was no mention of the eye-issue in the original post, unless I’m mistaken. So how I would have magically known that, I’m not sure.

And yes, I understand that you cannot train for every situation. I ran into a hot air balloon coming down once, and you can bet that was a fiasco of snorts and startles! :lol: But come on, a dog running along the trail is NOT uncommon. It should just be “Oh, sigh, another miscreant dog running loose along the trail, guess I’d better just ignore it and get on with my ride.”

#12

We did talk, but from afar. We were in the woods, the trees are starting to fill in, HARD to see.

Do you think if I was that close and saw retractable leashes, I would have given the okay to come up to us?

I don’t give a sheet whether the dog was barking, growling, or not. It was at my pony’s hind legs. I certainly was NOT going to take a chance.

Dog gets smacked before my pony, who is minding her own business gets bit. Period.

#13

The absolute undiluted stupidity of dog owners like this blows me away. Untrained dogs? Check. Incorrect equipment? Check. Out in public regardless? Yep! Who cares about other people!

Forget there was a horse involved - what if someone was hiking with their child and a boxer comes flying at the kid? Or just hiking anyway. Even if the person wasn’t scared by a large, unfamilar dog coming at them, a boxer - even with friendly intent - is big enough to knock down and scratch the hell out of someone. Or someone responsible is out with their little dog on a correctly fitted leash and here comes moron and her out of control trio!

If this dog had come at my MFT mare he’d be dead, and I’d be sorry - for the dog and not one whit for the owner.

And I think those %^$& flexi leashes should be banned.

#14

[QUOTE=wendy;4820461]
I’ve done that. No problems. Course my dogs are trained, aren’t on those stupid stupid flexis (velcroed to her arm???), and are barn-broke, as in, have zero interest in bothering horses.[/QUOTE]

Yep me too…I always have three big dogs with me.

Haven’t had any problems, then again, I don’t go out where people are potentially riding either on trails.

However, although I understand your anger/frustration…she did apologize, it was a mistake…you could have been a little nicer than glaring at her. I could understand if she had felt like it was okay, but apparently she realized that she screwed up.

Sheet happens all the time when you ride horses…if you are going to go ride in public places you have to accept that or don’t ride on public trails.

#15

[QUOTE=Huntertwo;4820735]
Excuse me?? I’m supposed to beat my pony because someone can’t control her dog? It is my fault? lol

She is not afraid of dogs, that is why I told her to go by me as my mare is not afraid of barking dogs.

I was the one out minding my own business.

And yes, this dog did come charging at us in the woods and startled my pony.

SHE is the idiot who thinks a piece of velcro attached to her arm is going to hold a full grown large dog.

And I’m glad you were there too - Just how did you know this was a casual curious dog? Was I supposed to wait until it bit my horse? I don’t think so…:rolleyes:
So, you bet your arse I gave it a good whack.

And try reading for comprehension. Where did I say dogs should be banned from trails? So don’t pull words from your arse.

Oh, and my mare is blind in one eye, but I bet you’d beat her for that anyway…

My condolences to your horses.[/QUOTE]

Wow, just wow. Sometimes I do wonder about how people who post such emotional posts on this bulliten board react in real life situations…hysterical?

#16

[QUOTE=LuvMyNSH;4820828]
The absolute undiluted stupidity of dog owners like this blows me away. Untrained dogs? Check. Incorrect equipment? Check. Out in public regardless? Yep! Who cares about other people!

Forget there was a horse involved - what if someone was hiking with their child and a boxer comes flying at the kid? Or just hiking anyway. Even if the person wasn’t scared by a large, unfamilar dog coming at them, a boxer - even with friendly intent - is big enough to knock down and scratch the hell out of someone. Or someone responsible is out with their little dog on a correctly fitted leash and here comes moron and her out of control trio!

If this dog had come at my MFT mare he’d be dead, and I’d be sorry - for the dog and not one whit for the owner.

And I think those %^$& flexi leashes should be banned.[/QUOTE]

Ummm, folks…I hate to break this to you…but far more people own dogs than horses…yes, some aren’t really bright, some make mistakes. People have just as much right to the trails with their dogs as you do with your horse. There are no laws against flexi leashes (gasp, I have THREE…oh, the horrors), there are no laws against multiple dogs…there are laws on how big your dog can be…so, when riding in an area with the genral public…be prepared for the unexpected…whether you think it’s stupid or not.

#17

Well, you know dalpal, when someone says this to me about my horse -

Quote:If I were out hiking and someone smacked my accidentally-loose dog with a crop because THEIR stupid horse spooked and they weren’t prepared enough to stay on.

My horse is STUPID because she spooked?
Criticize me… Don’t she dare call my horse “Stupid” because she was afraid when a dog comes running down the trail at her…

If she gives her horse “A come to Jesus” moment whenever it is scared, yes, I feel sorry for her horse.

#18

I’m going to have side with GoforaGallop on this. Horses need to be broke to strange dogs. I see lots of dog owners along some of the trails I ride in the winter and spring. 99% of them gather their dogs as they see us approach. They usually step off the side of the trail and wait for us. I usually tell them not to worry about it as my horses are used to dogs. I appreciate their courtesy. But my horses are expected to deal with the dogs regardless. And I ride a lot of young horse along that trail just for the experiences they get. Bridges, bikers, hikers, dogs, etc.

I run into many ranchers with their cattle dogs, I run into sheep herders with their sheep dogs, None of these are ever on a leash. If you ride into a strange camp along a mountain trail. Their dogs almost always come a running out barking, as we are intruding what they percieve to be their turf, since their owners have set up camp there.

It’s unfortunate that her dog got loose, But she did try to control it. If she had made no effort, then you could be pissed.

I run into wolves, bears, coyotes, cougars, and all kinds of prey animals along the trail. I expect my horses to spook in place and look to me for direction.

#19

You are right. She apologized and I should have let it go, but I wasn’t going to say I was fine, because I wasn’t.
So, I didn’t say anything to her.

#20

empaathetic…

We have had bad dog issues in our urban park…We used to have the Doggy Day Care businesses arrive and let their dogs out to run in the park-up to 5 or 6 at a time…A couple of riders had bad falls and horses bitten and chased by the ‘pack mentality’ that dogs will get into when running together. The story hit the paper and Dog Day Care vans go to less poplulated places for their “PE” times.

Things that bug me-1.our parks board labelling ‘off leash trails’ and ‘on leash trails’. Off leash dogs are ‘dogs without borders’ who run on and off the trails, through the underbrush bounding out on trails totally oblivious to their masters. One lady was having an awful time keeping her 3 dogs under control, yelling away and appologising that one of the dogs wasn’t hers and he lead them astray!.

2.I’ve- warned them my horse will kick if he comes to close-the response"Good that will teach Sparky a lesson." (If Sparky survives the kick!)

3.Or another- dog jumps up on horse’s shoulder, “Don’t mind Sparky, he’s just wants to make friends with your horse”.

We do have to share the trails, and I dod go out of my way to compliment dog owners when they keep their dog under control on the shared trails. It’s a matter of educating dog owners as many have no sense of how hores percieve things. best of luck on those trails…

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