Re: Re: new dogs to endurance/trail

["Lynette" <helgeson@ndak.net>]

We have learned the hard way that horses and dogs don't go together well. My twin girls have a pair of shelties that we adopted. One of the dogs, Tucker, love to be with us doing chores. I was feeding the cows when I heard poor Tucker scream. One of the horses had pawed at him and hit him in the back with one of his front hooves and then came down and stepped on his toe. When I got to Tucker he was dragging his back end around in circles. He was in so much pain that I could not touch him without him trying to bite me. But he is very attached to my daughter, so she was able to pick him up.

 

There was damaged done to his spine, how much, we do not know yet. Right now he can only drag around his back legs, but he can move them a little bit and get a little stronger each day. The vet said it could take from 3 to 6 weeks to know for sure, how much use of his legs he will get back. He lost his toe, it was broke clean off.

 

My dogs will never be allowed to freely roam around my horses again.

Best Regards,
Lynette Helgeson
North Dakota
helgeson@ndak.net

You know, so many people think dogs and horses go together like, well, peanut butter and jelly - but in fact consider this - horses are prey, dogs, canines, are predators - by nature. Historically the relationship between livestock of all kinds and dogs has been one of the chaser and the chased. Some dogs are more inclined to chase than others and some horses are more fearful of dogs than others. Horses typically don't "hate dogs" - they fear them.  We have 3 adopted Collies and 6 horses. We never have allowed our dogs to roam freely with our horses. It just doesn't make sense. I know, I know - I am sure I will get flamed by all the dog lovers who feel that their canine counterparts just LOVE going on trail rides. They probably do - but that doesn't mean they LOVE horses, nor that the horses LOVE them. I love our dogs. They have had tough lives, being abandoned so! metimes more than once. I care too deeply for them to put them at risk. My precious now 27 year old mare is celebrating that birthday this week. I wouldn't DREAM of putting her at risk either. Sometimes a particular dog - or horse - cannot learn to stomach certain environments, much as some horses just can't, CAN'T be hunters because they are afraid of fences - and it is dangerous to continue to press them into it. IMHO.
Sandy