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Post by mudlark on Dec 30, 2007 0:57:56 GMT 1
does anyone here hack out on roads with their dog(s)?
I've seen a few people round here doing this - it seems like a miracle: the dogs stay politely on the inside, ie trot along the pavement, while the horses walk calmly along the lane...
I'm planning on getting a dog this year and would love to achieve this idyllic picture, but I can't help imagining carnage - dog under horse's feet, horse/dog under wheels of nearest juggernaut etc...
has anyone on here managed to train dog/horse to do this, or am I just seeing Suicide Sally out for a hack?
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Post by Lorraine L on Dec 30, 2007 1:07:33 GMT 1
Can't help here i'm afraid as i don't have a dog - BUT l love the picture you have there !!! lol
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Cheryl Walmsley
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Post by Cheryl Walmsley on Dec 30, 2007 1:30:38 GMT 1
mudlark, my hubby is a dog trainer, could probably help with that, it is possible just as it is possible to have the dog just follow you, same if your on a horse, but tbh, personally, I'm a big fan of leads on the roads just because you never know, the best trained dog could spot a cat and shoot out to grab it causing a road accident. I like the thought though. If you do get your dog and want any training tips, feel free to PM me for hubby's email address. :-)
If you do get a dog avoid a Yorkie if you have an inquisitive ginger horse, only because I have both and ned stalks pooch and tries to sqvish his head!!!
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Post by mudlark on Dec 30, 2007 1:39:27 GMT 1
thanks sherbetdip - I'm thinking that having a dog on a lead is perhaps the last thing you'd want on horseback - ie tangled legs within 3 seconds of setting off??!
i'd love to know how these ice queens I see round about here manage to get their dogs to be so horse - sensitive... frankly, i've always had more of an issue teaching horses not to be scared of dogs - if i was attempting to train my putative new puppy to trot beside my horse, I'd expect pup to have a lot more issues than horse I think???
would love to hear any experiences you may have had!
xxx
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Post by lolamae on Dec 30, 2007 5:03:23 GMT 1
A friend of mine had the most beautifully trained collie that would stay on the inside of the horse at whatever pace, drop to a halt with a signal etc, etc, I was impressed. As for training, the dog was obedience trained from the ground first, then my friend lead the horse with dog at side, and then progressed to riding, with a lot of work in the school before even going out on the roads. The dog always wore a hi-viz dog coat too, and this was 15 years ago!
In general though, sorry, unless your dog is superbly trained and focussed on you 100% I think it is absolutely asking for trouble and should be a complete no, no. It just isn't worth it.
I ride with two dogs in the forests, we cross one 30' wide dirt road with visibility a mile in either direction, don't have bendy roads here, and they will sit and wait until told, but hacking on your own land is a different kettle of fish from out on bendy UK lanes.
I used to see someone driving a pair in Wales and he always had two dalmatians directly behind the carriage.
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Post by rhillahorse on Dec 30, 2007 8:05:24 GMT 1
I've done it but only with OH on foot. Dave is reasonably well trained and this was a very quiet road which becomes a bridlepath at the end. I would only do it off road without someone on the ground. I'm not capable of training a dog to such a high degree that I could trust him 100% with traffic around. I would always be thinking what if? (Love your avatar BTW!)
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Post by sarahfox on Dec 30, 2007 8:47:29 GMT 1
I used to do it with my old dog.We had a small section of road before the bridleway started and I did always have her on a lead for that just in case,its not difficult if both dog and horse are good. Tbh I didnt really train her,I did train her to walk well on and off a lead,to come,heel,sit and stay etc,and obviously she was well behaved around and well used to the horses,but the day she first hacked with us I just took her along to see how she would be and she was fab! That was that really,not much help is it?! My current dog is a shepherd and although he is super behaved off the lead he is a prat with the horses,he just has to herd them and gets very protective of me when I am on one,so I wouldnt even try with him.
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Post by sarahfox on Dec 30, 2007 8:48:44 GMT 1
ETA,I do actually think that doing it on anything other than the quietest country lane is a bit stoopid really,as sherb says you just never know.
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zack
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Post by zack on Dec 30, 2007 9:07:31 GMT 1
Get a dalmation! It's what they're bred to do (they're carriage dogs, so have the perfect pace and disposition as they don't chase things, herd etc)! Oh, and a horse that lets you jump on and off when you need to put leads on, and is super cool with your dog! My dalmation (zack) and my horse see each other all day every day, he is in her stable, steals from her food bowl etc, so we had sussed that side of things before I went out riding. When on the road (which are only quiet country lanes, I don't take him on major roads) then I do tend to have him on a ten foot lead, although he is very good and heels to her well, but it just gives me peace of mind. I always ensure I could drop it if I ever needed to, but I don't have a spooky horse, so that makes things easier too. It is a joy having him out on rides, but can also be a pain sometimes! You do need to get everything sorted on the ground first, like 'wait' and 'stay', particularly useful if you meet other dogs and people. Zack is very good at this, and always impresses passers by! This is less likely to work if you have anything with hunting/tracking/chasing in its breeding, and anything too nervous can flee I suppose. Choose your dog carefully! There is potential risk involved, but I've been doing it with Zack for three years now, and I think the risk is outweighed by the enjoyment and acres of exercise that he gets. But, it's a risk you have to weigh up. This is the happy couple...
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Cheryl Walmsley
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Post by Cheryl Walmsley on Dec 30, 2007 10:29:29 GMT 1
wow zack, that's very interesting info! sherb has met all our dogs and I have hacked with them with Neil along but then I'm not the one with control of them, he is.
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Post by julz on Dec 30, 2007 10:40:43 GMT 1
I regularly take my dog out hacking with me, but never on strictly road hacks... I will take her when there is a little road work to be done, but not anywhere else.
The first thing to do with doggy, is training, basic dog handling/obideince training, she must listen to you while on the horse otherwise it will be a dangerous situation to be in, not justfor the dog and you, but other road users too.
I've had Tara for a year now, and she's been hacking with me for about 18months, it's only just recently that she is really listening to me while sat on a horse! I can now trust her enough to go through a flock of sheep, and she wont chase..
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Post by sarahfox on Dec 30, 2007 10:43:35 GMT 1
I actually cheated with mine,just remembered I was riding a 13.2 at the time and I could clip the lead on without getting off!lol!
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tob
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Post by tob on Dec 30, 2007 11:03:03 GMT 1
i have 3 jack russells and they come out everyday with me.any roadwork though,i get off ,put them on leads and walk leading pony and dogs.its just not worth the risk,what would you do with your horse while tending your dog if it got hit by a car?eek,doesnt bear thinking about!mostly i ride in forestry and hill,but there are good forestry rides i have to go along the road to get to,i just walk. two of my precious pooches,lol!
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tob
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Post by tob on Dec 30, 2007 11:04:20 GMT 1
isnt it against the law,bylaws or something,to ride with a loose dog on the roads?
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Post by emsxx on Dec 30, 2007 11:17:23 GMT 1
I hack out all the time with my dog. He's a new zealand huntaway and is bred as the kiwi version of a collie so very trainable and great with animals. He was highly trained on the ground before attempting it and then I spent some time teaching him in the school when on my horse, then the fields and then progressed to the lanes when out on a hack. I always planned the route so that there was as little roadwork as possible or short burst - frequent and short is best. I wouldn't take him on a main road like an A road, but we do have to do short stretches on B roads to join up to bridleways. He knows on the road he absolutely must heel to her near fore or tuck in behind the near hind depending on where we've tucked in to let a car pass. He also knows that I mean it when I call stay or wait or heel. The compromise is he doesn't have to heel on the bridleways or in the fields and can do his own thing (which is mainly stick quite close!). He isn't bothered by sheep or other horses or other dogs and ignores them all. The only thing he gets scared of is the cows because some herds like to chase him, I think he looks a little wolf-like to them! It's brilliant to be able to go out hacking with him and everyone I know wishes they could do the same, we have a lot of fun together!! And, as a nice side effect, I have found that cars slow down more when there's a dog. He actually takes it to extremes now and heels to her when I lunge (silly animal!!) - much to everyone's amusement Although not a photo in action, here's a piccie of my handsome boy...
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