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dogs attacking horses?

3K views 18 replies 15 participants last post by  smrobs 
#1 ·
Hello everyone I need advice about taking my horses in areas where dogs are running loose, which is everywhere around here. The country setting and long road I live down gives perfect opportunities for people to dump all kinds of animals, I constantly bring kittens home. Anyway I was wondering what all of you do when you come across an aggressive dog on your horse? It could be great help for not only me but probably a lot of other riders on this forum.
 
#2 ·
I have had dogs run out barking but they have never actually attacked my horse so I can't say what you should do. If they are really running up behind the horse, I have turned around and chased them away. If they sound nasty I often think to myself, not a good time to fall off.
Hope you get some good advice here, I'll be interested in what other people say.
 
#3 ·
The problem is not the animals, but the people who dump them out. I think I would talk to the local authorities about using some game cams to catch the culprits. If the local law enforcement will help you by threating the culprits with some kind of reprisal, it may curb the problem. The existing animals need to be dealt with, because you don't want your horse to spook and throw you. I have problems with neighbors and their dogs coming onto my land and killing my chickens. Irresponsible people are everywhere.
 
#4 ·
There was a time that a neighbor (who is gone now) had multiple "guard" dogs.
Please don't get me wrong, I love well trained dogs. I have a good friend that raises Cane Corsos and another with a Belgian Malinos.
Anyway, one day this person's "supposedly" well trained dogs ran out on the road and circled the horse I was riding and the horse I was ponying. The owner came out and was yelling in German, a couple of the dogs moved away, the rest didn't. Luckily for me the dogs were just playing and both of my horses were dog proof. The horse I was riding would turn and chase a dog, if I let her. The other horse had actually stomped a dog once.
I very seldom pony and that had to be the day the dogs decided to have fun.
My advise, to everyone (you never know when you might run into a dog(s), even in areas that dogs have never been in before)
Make sure any and every horse you ride is dog proofed. Go to a friend's house or have a friend bring a dog to your house. Intentionally introduce your horses to dogs.
 
#5 ·
I've had a wild ( guessing anyways)dog come after my mare wile I was riding her, he( or she I dunno) tried snapping at her front legs and tried back heels as well, my mare reared( and tried bolting forwards but it was a very crowded trail with low branches so we went in circles or I would have been knocked off for sure) a bit an ended up kicking the dog in the side and it ran off, I don't really know what all you can do to prevent this... I haven't had any problems lately luckily, I'm in the same boat, I live on a dead end road and people drop animals off a lot, but my local authority's do not care at all and ignore me :3
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#8 ·
I'm in the same boat, I live on a dead end road and people drop animals off a lot, but my local authority's do not care at all and ignore me :3
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Our authorities don't either its pretty bad around here but its also a dumping zone for fighting dogs that didn't make it and they are vicious towards EVERYTHING after being so abused, and covered in bite wounds and scars, I came across a horse dying in a field and the authorities wouldn't respond so a stray dog isn't really something they care about.

I should take some pics of the dead dogs in the ditch but its to gruesome to show on here. i feel bad for them and have brought some of the friendlier ones home with me and got them fixed and gave them away. We have 8 dogs so the horses are used to dogs but these are vicious and abused. I called about the place where I think they are fighting, they also have tons of chickens so i think they cock fight. Animal control did seize their goats for neglect but i never heard anything after that.
 
#7 ·
My horses are both "dog proof" in general, but there is one dog on my riding route that I HATE. He is a HUGE white, matted Pyrenees and every single freaking time you ride by he will come out down the road woofing and barking at you. He'll circle around the horses too. It's worse if their kids are out front, of course they don't come get the dog, oh no, they just run away. Last time I got off the pony and stopped/yelled at him to go away. He didn't seem nearly as wary of her as he is of my gelding. Of course the gelding is over 2 hands taller, so that probably helps.

Otherwise, I have chased dogs before that were bothering the horses I was riding. I've considering starting to carry some rocks for that white creature too.
 
#9 ·
I turn my horse towards the dog(s) and run them down. So far, I haven't had a dog that didn't move out of the way and back off. If one of them got stomped or kicked by my gelding I don't think I'd be at all upset, but my gelding has never tried to do either. He thinks it's cool that he gets to cut and move them... he likes dogs though. He and my GSD are happy to hang out together.

Wasn't always that way, the first time I really had to decide what to do was when we had a pack of 4-6 adolescent husky mix dogs run up on us. Jayne was pretty darn worried about them, and they were barking and moving in. I figured running was a bad idea because they would chase, which left offense as out best defense. Jayne thought I was nuts right up until the first dog turned tail and yielded. Then he decided that if the dogs were yielding to him, it must be all right and he was willing to 'get to work' on moving them.
 
#10 ·
I also used to turn my horses toward the dog, say "get him", and let my horse charge the dog(s).

When I lived in SoCal there were a bazillion dogs running loose in our low desert area, so I carried a big squirt gun full of plain water. Just make sure you're getting a straight/hard stream coming out of the squirt gun so it stings them.
 
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#11 ·
Wasp spray is a good choice in this instance. Pepper spray, even if it had a stream that would reach, would be a bad choice because there is always collateral damage with that. Pepper spray, if the wind blew the fumes/spray back in your direction, you're looking at burning eyes and irritated skin for hours or days (depending on your and your horse's sensitivity).

Another option is a good squirt gun filled with ammonia. Has enough sting and stink to discourage dogs coming after your horse but nothing that will do permanent damage.
 
#13 ·
This is the exact reason I ride with my two dogs blue heelers. They don't bother anything or anybody but let some dogs come out looking aggressive then it's on. My advice is to either gun break your horse or get you a good trail dog and take him with you they work wonders
 
#15 ·
Someone i knew had two pitbulls come at his horse barking. He had her stand still, thinking the dogs would go away like most do. Well they both came at the horse and started to attack her. The mare kicked one into a ditch and possibly killed it. the other she stomped on and kicked and it ran off. She had multiple bite wounds on her girth area, nose, front and back legs and i think on the side of her face. Could not be ridden for over a month untill the bites on the girth healed up.

When i had 3 dogs chase my mare (first one jumped underneath my mare while we were loping. My morse just hopped over it and acted like nothing happened lol). I stopped my horse and spun her around and started chasing the dogs. Remember Pray runs. Strong animals fight back so by chasing the dogs they realized that 1, she was not pray. 2, she was WAY bigger than them. And 3, they had made a horrible mistake. Luckily for them their owner came up and grabbed them.

I carry a gun around for that reason. By Arizona law i have a right to protect my livestock from other animals. And if i have to shoot the dog in city limits, by law i can. I would rather NOT but i wont let one dog cost me thousands in vet bills from using my horse as a chew toy.
 
#19 ·
The problem is, it takes training to be able to have good aim under extreme circumstances. Being nervous yourself while trying to control a nervous horse isn't really the best recipe for good aim :wink:.

You also have to consider wind direction. If the dogs are downwind of you, then no matter how great your aim is, there will be some particulates that come back on you and your horse in the wind.

I was always taught that when you decide to use pepper spray, you better be prepared to get sprayed by it along with your attacker. That's why cops train by being sprayed, so that they know what to expect and can continue to function even when blinded by it.
 
#17 ·
Fortunately most dogs won't attack an animal as large as a horse but it has happened several rare times to me over 30 years.
When this happens I turn the horse to the dog and ride aggressively after the dog and chase it away. Believe me, most of them will turn tail and head for home!
The horses seem to figure this out very quickly and seem to actually enjoy chasing/scaring the dog away!
 
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