24/02/2022
ℹ️ For dog owners to avoid making themselves vulnerable to potential prosecution for having a dog ‘dangerously out of control’ (Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 Section 3), it’s important that they have their dogs under control. This means the handler is capable of instantly controlling their dog, no matter what the circumstances.
If a dog does not have good recall, it’s advisable to keep it on a lead if you may encounter horses or other livestock.
Being able to instantly recall your dog and put them on a lead when you see a horse is essential to avoiding potentially dangerous situations, and the least a responsible dog owner should be able to do. Horse riders and carriage drivers will be extremely grateful and should pass you with equal courtesy.
Be aware when walking through or near fields with horses and livestock, it is advised to put your dog on a lead to keep everyone safe.
• Understanding why dogs chase
Chasing is in a dog’s instinct, just like flight is instinctive to horses. It is how they have survived, passed on the genes, evolved and come to exist today. Today’s dogs may not chase with aggression or biting in mind but the horse doesn’t know this and their reaction will be the same.
Dogs are not direct descendants of the modern day wolf we know of today; both the dog (Canis Familiaris) and the modern wolf (Canis Lupus) are descended from a common ancestor. Dogs have inherited a chain of behaviours from their wild fore bearers, which has seven stages in its fullest form
Orient – Eye – Stalk – Chase – Bite kill – Bite dissect – Eat
Specific aspects of this chain have been honed (hypertrophied) through selective breeding in different types of dogs to meet the needs of man. Dogs could then assist and ‘work’ for the human.
Today, the number of dogs kept for a specific role have declined and a large number of dogs are now kept as pets, but their instincts are still there. It’s useful to consider what the dog’s role would have been, and subsequently what behaviours would have been honed within the breed to for human needs. This will help the owner understand and, ultimately, train the dog.
• Understanding why a horse will run
Horses are flight animals because, historically, they were prey. The instinct to flee from any kind of threat is ingrained and very difficult for a rider to influence. A horse can’t distinguish whether the dog is being playful or otherwise, so the horse’s reaction will be the same.
If the horse can’t escape from the threat, they’ll attempt to defend themselves with their hooves, which may have steel shoes attached. If a dog is caught by one of these flying hooves, they could be seriously injured or killed. The rider may be limited as to how much control they have over such a powerful animal in a state of fear; the horse will be fighting back in the only way it knows how.
It’s possible to train horses to accept dogs but it takes time and patience, like any aspect of training a horse.
Horse riders should always slow to a walk to pass dogs so they don’t incite the chase instinct in the dog.
We are asked daily to help to raise awareness around these topics, to consider each other and our pets. Please think about how you enjoy yours and what you can possibly do to change habits. Thank you.
(Credit British Horse Society) 🐎🐕
