Horse Dogs

[debbie zanot <darkcat5@yahoo.com>]

I have had many dogs through life mostly mixed breeds,
which I personally like. The absolute best horse dog I
ever had was a Bordercollie/Irishsetter cross.Her 
main purpose in life was to be on trail. I think the
combination was perfect. She was very focused on
everything I did and did not chase deer, elk, or
anything else and was quiet in the woods. She was the
perfect companion for any horse and they all looked to
her to run ahead and chase all the horse eaters away.
If I was on a young horse who was reluctant to cross a
stream etc. she would come back and cross and re-cross
until the horse felt confident. She never strayed far
and always came back to check where I was. Along roads
she would go to the inside and stay at the horses
shoulder.
The only time she barked in the woods was one day My
husband and I were out and I was on a very green
snorty,insecure horse that his favorite means of
escaping danger was to buck the rider off,and she was
barking ahead of us and immediatly I felt the prickle
of danger. She had two black bear cubs treed and was
barking to let us know. As soon as she saw us she took
the lead down the trail as if to say "come on get out
of here before Mum Bear comes" by then the horses
smelled the bears and were bowing their necks and
blowing but they followed her lead and sprinted away
without a hitch.
We have always felt that she saved us alot of trouble
that day and this lady misses her very very much. I
don't have that same sense of security riding alone
as when she was by my side. She had the stamina to run
for miles and miles and would take care of herself
when it was hot and humid.  She was a true athlete.
Sometimes when I am out alone out of the side of my
eye I think I see that sleek black figure gliding
through the trees, or I look down beside my horse and
see her laughing eyes looking up at me. Once you have
had the ideal horse dog riding is never the same.


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