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Discussion on Mare Kicks Dogs on Trail
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New Member:
mcgover
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Posted on Sunday, Sep 14, 2008 - 1:03 pm:
If I am in the back of the line on a trail ride and a dog is following behind us my mare will kick at the dog and try to move ahead of the other horses. Some of the dogs follow closely behind her and I think it just too annoying for her. She does not show aggression otherwise to dogs and does not kick at horse in the pasture. Is there any way to desensitize her from this or is it just a way of her protecting her space?
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Sunday, Sep 14, 2008 - 1:50 pm:
I personally don't like dogs on trail rides; could you ask that they stay home? My mare will also go after dogs, either by kicking them, or she will snake her head down and paw them with her front feet.
If the dogs must be with, you need to be proactive in watching your mares ears and body language. If she's going to kick, I'd move her hindquarters over with a good kick myself, while I'd say NO sharply and also bring her head around. Then I'd move her forward and praise her with stroking her neck and verbal "good girl."
My mare will do the same to cats in the arena. A sharp "NO" and keeping her busy is sufficient. It's just a mare thing I think.
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Member:
jowidner
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Posted on Sunday, Sep 14, 2008 - 10:48 pm:
Laura, your mare's behavior makes perfect sense from the viewpoint of a horse's survival instincts. In the wild the last horse in the herd would kick out at stalking wolves and then run to get away. After all, its the last horse in the group that gets eaten.
That said, her natural inclinations could create danger for you, the other horses, and the dogs, so you are wise to intervene.
IMO if someone takes their dogs out on the trail the dogs need to be trained to sit, stay and heel with their human and her mount. Like Angie suggests, I'd talk with the owners of the dogs and make sure they understand your concern for everyone's (riders, horses, and dogs) safety.
To help desensitize your mare, perhaps you could ride her side by side with a horse who is used to dogs and doesn't react to their presence.
Alternatively, you could set up some schooling sessions with a well-trained dog and slowly decrease the following distance until she becomes desensitized. Of course make sure that the owner of the dog understands both horse and dog behavior and is able to keep the dog safely out of kicking range. If you feel her start to tense back off to her level of comfort.
Out on the trail, if she knows shoulder-in you could ask for this to take her focus off the dog and get her listening to you. And as Angie says, all horses need to respond to a sharp "No" by immediately shifting their attention to you and waiting for your next instruction. Make sure she can do this in a non-stressful situation so that she will look to you as her leader when she is feeling stressed as she likely is feeling now in the presence of trailing dogs. Good luck!
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Member:
rorien
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Posted on Monday, Sep 15, 2008 - 1:32 pm:
Hi Laura,
The dogs that follow the horses, are they trying to herd the horses (nipping or touching the horse's legs, etc.) or are they just back there following the pack? The answer to that question would determine how I'd handle the situation.
I have two Australian Shepherds, herding dogs. My dogs are trained to herd the horses when I need, but they know that when I'm on the horse's back, they are "out of a job" for that time. My dogs go pretty much everywhere my horses go. I like having a dog on the trail for many reasons. One, it's great exersize for two very active dogs. Two, they give my horses something to look for. I don't think there's any better desensitizing training than having a dog poke his head out of the trees and brush as we are passing by. So, even if it is a rabbit or something that my horse scares out, she is already used to sudden movements around her, and usually doesn't even bat an eye.
Now, when I ride with other people, I'll specifically ask them before the ride if my dogs can go, because I do understand that some horses aren't around dogs, and are not used to them.
My dogs are usually running around out ahead of us. Or, they've chased a rabbit somewhere and are running to catch up. When they get worn down a little (usually it takes about 10 miles for this to happen though) the dogs will fall in behind my horse and just walk along with us.
So, if the dogs are just padding along with the horses, maybe follow the desensitizing methods set forth above to get your horse used to a dog. But if the dog is trying to herd the horses, the owner of that dog needs to call them off, and teach the dog not to do that when someone is on the horse.
Having said all that, I bet it would only take that dog getting kicked one time, and he wouldn't follow that closely anymore behind your horse. 
Nicole
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Monday, Sep 15, 2008 - 10:47 pm:
I sympathize with Nicole in liking to exercise the dogs (I like my dogs too) but have found overall that dogs on the trail bring an unnecessary element of danger into an already dangerous sport. My very "dead broke" guy (Horse #1) had a dog suddenly under him on a day when there were high winds so that he could neither hear nor see the dog as it came out of tall grasses and brushed against his leg. Outcome: he went up in the air very high before shooting forward, then there was me on ground on my back thinking that I would be in a wheel chair for life. Sweet horse stopped and came back to me and put his face to mine, but by then the damage was done, fortunately not life altering though there were months when I could not use my right arm. On another ride, horse #2 was completely TRIPPED on the trail by an experienced trail dog who I was told to ignore and not worry about. Happily for me, my horse took care of me, and though he fell all the way to the ground with all legs under him I was not injured due to his caution on my behalf. It was a very long time, however, before my horse was right again and without a backache and rough way of going. Horse #3 on a ride from home had a dog run under him brushing against his leg resulting in the rider falling off and my horse running home, tearing his feet up over concrete but fortunately not causing any other wrecks along the way. In other instances I have seen dogs cause over-reactions in horses that resulted in them getting worked up and kicking OTHER horses on a trail ride. Have also had a dog that had OCD chasing shadows causing tripping of me when I got off to walk, and my horse nearly stepping on him as he got over-relaxed due to my horse's good nature. I have also been on a ride at night in the forest when the dogs decided to take off after deer that they smelled on the trail resulting in those on the ride putting ourselves at risk in finding the dogs. I have also been on rides where small dogs sat on the hind quarters of the horse they were with -- that is the best place for them. Trail riding is dangerous enough without the added element of dogs, and I think that the risk to the dog should also be considered.
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Tuesday, Sep 16, 2008 - 7:56 am:
I used to always take dogs with riding. Had one incident where a new neighbor went riding with me, on our best, calmest horse. This mare reacted to the dog over something, took off, the rein broke, and with the dogs encouragement, ran wide open the whole way home down our gravel road. She managed to go through the small corral gate opening and stopped at the water tank. I still can't figure how my neighbor stayed on, avoided getting her knees busted, or worse on that ride.
When our daughter was small, she had a little black pony called Molly. Her first ride ever on the road, with a very worried mom walking beside her, ended in tears because our neighbor, who back then was always walking with 2-3 dogs, came by then. Our dogs starting fighting with her dogs, Molly went into attack mode, daughter started crying and screaming, my husband it trying to seperate the dogs, yikes! I don't know who had more fear in them, daughter, horse or mom. I am thinking poor Molly was having it the worst, thinking a pack of wolves were attacking her.
And like Vickie says, consider the safety of the dog too. Does your dog stay by you? Will dogs sit when a car comes by? Do they take off after deer, which around here could get them shot?
I love at least our chocolate lab with, he listens, but it distracts me wondering what he is up to, where he's going, etc. Our Jack Russel on the other hand, seems to loose his hearing ability once he gets running, so he always stays home. And 99% of the time, the Lab stays home too. About the only time he is with is if I was riding in the arena, then just make our loop through our woods, not leaving our property or going on the road.
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Member:
mcgover
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Posted on Friday, Sep 19, 2008 - 6:20 pm:
Thank you to everyone for the great ideas and suggestions.
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