ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: endurance dogs

Re: endurance dogs

TrotALongK@aol.com
Sun, 15 Jun 1997 12:56:56 -0400 (EDT)

We have 2 dogs - a black lab and a little sheppherd mix - who love to go on
rides. They are relatively well behaved on the trails and have learned to not
get in the horses way....(....ouch....!). They don't spook the horses -
around here we have so many deer, cayotes, squirrels, rabbits - and when I
ride alone me and my horse appreciate the company. The problem we run into is
that with summer getting closer and temperatures rising the dogs are having a
hard time to keep up. Our trails are mostly up and down and I stopped taking
the lab on longer rides a while ago because I had to wait for him constantly.
And even the sheppherd who is very athletic and fit and loves to run gets
tired after 1hr of trotting and cantering. For this and other reasons I just
can't imagine taking a dog on an Endurance Ride, no matter what distance.
What if the dog disappears, suddenly follows the wrong rider or simply gets
tired? What if at the vet check the dog gets into a fight with another dog,
rolled over by a crew truck or starts munching out on bran mash.... I have
enough to do with taking good care of my horse throughout a ride (and myself)
and I'd like to concentrate on it without getting distracted by a dog, wether
it's my own or somebody elses.

Kirsten

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