Re: RC: Re: Castle Rock Ride/dogs

["Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>]

Thanks, David.  You've really made me feel much better.  I am actually quite
careful to avoid dogs, if possible and only ever take mine out in pairs or
threesomes (I have seven, so if I were to take them all, it would look a bit
like the local hunt!)


I had actually locked Maggie in the house yesterday, as I knew we'd be going
past the horrible dogs.  I thought my groom had let her out too early (he
usually waits half an hour and then lets out the rest of the horde - to save
my couches).  It turns out that my German Shepherd has learned to unlock
doors.   NO, not open them - he actually turns the key between his front
paws.  When my groom told me this I thought "Bullshit, just admit you
accidentally let them out" and then I saw Saxon doing his thing with the
key.  Now I'll take the key out the lock in future.


You're right about the risk-taking.  I just think that my dogs would be
miserable if I didn't take them with me, and what kind of life is that for
them.  The reason we moved to the country was so they could go everywhere
with us.


Maggie just ate a piece of chocolate (only way I could get the anti-biotic
down her) so I guess she's feeling better.


-----Original Message-----
From: David LeBlanc <dleblanc@mindspring.com>
To: Tracey <tracey@tbt.co.za>; owens <owensall@sierratel.com>
Cc: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Friday, May 26, 2000 9:27 AM
Subject: Re: RC: Re: Castle Rock Ride/dogs


>At 07:29 AM 5/26/00 +0200, Tracey wrote:
>
>>My problem is this : I have been told that it is my fault for taking my
dogs
>>with me when I ride - I should expect that they might be attacked, and it
>>was negligent of me to take them with me.
>
>Some people will find fault with anything.  Hindsight is always 20-20. We
>usually take our dogs riding with us, and they love it.  I used to have an
>old QH who wasn't afraid of dogs at all, and if some came out to hassle us,
>we'd charge the dogs until the other riders and dogs had gone by.  There
>was a quote that someone I met on the net had in their .sig - I really like
>it -
>
>"Insisting on perfect safety is for those that don't have the balls to live
>in the real world."
>
>I believe it was attributed to a woman who ran NASA for a while.  If you
>always run around being afraid of what might happen, you'll never do
>anything.  Any time something goes wrong, there are going to be people who
>are quick to tell you that you screwed up.  Sometimes, s**t just happens.
>You didn't know beforehand those other dogs were mean.  If you knew the
>other dogs were going to be there, AND that they were mean, THEN you'd have
>been negligent.
>
>I'm glad your dog is going to be OK - our's meet other dogs on the trail
>all the time, and we've been OK so far - thank goodness.
>
>
>David LeBlanc
>dleblanc@mindspring.com
>