So my horse always spooks at this dog..?

Question

Whenever I lead my pony home from our trail rides (I have to lead my pony the last little bit because its along a road and even tho my pony is traffic proof I am not allowed to ride on roads) I turn UP the little side road to her paddocks but every time as I walk past this big bush, a dog leaps out from behind it barking at me and rattling its big chain and my pony spooks. Every. SIngle. Time.

When I am walking DOWN the road (at the start of my trail rides) we also walk down this road but because my pony can see the dog because the angle is different she sees the dog before it starts barking and rattling chains so she doesn't spook at all.

But when I walk UP the road my pony cannot see the dog before it jumps out so she spooks.

How can I stop her spooking? I don't want to lead her over to meet the dog because it is like a pitbull type and it might bite. I don't trust it.

I complained to the dogs owner but she said it wasn't her fault my horse was scared of her dog and it was on a chain so I should get over it.

Also my horse isn't sacred of otehr dogs, just this one because it jumps at her suddenly and she doesn't she it coming, one moment shes walking home quietly and next a dog leaps out of the bush rattling on a chain barking like craz and she spooks.

What should I do?

there is no other route to walk home on.

Having another pony walk up the road first doesn't help because my pony will just spook anyway.

Snezzy · Accepted Answer

This is an excellent opportunity! 

Our driving trainer used a pair of chained dogs that belonged to his neighbour for training driving horses to ignore dogs. They were horrid dogs, and every time a horse went by they would jump out and snarl. He would take the horse back and forth until the horse stopped being annoyed. All day if he had to. All week. Eventually the horse would give up being scared.

After your horse is trained to ignore the dog, bake the dog's owner a pie or something. And find some nice treat for the dog, too. (But leave it to the owner to give the dog the treat.) Tell the owner what a wonderful service the dog has done in training your pony.

Don't give up! Just keep at it until the job is finished, back and forth, back and forth.

hardeosing · Answer

Horses are flighty animals. If whatever scares them they will be heading the reverse method. Unless there may be a few style of coaching process of bomb-proofing a horse...which there is not. Bomb-evidence horses are the horses that experience noticeable it earlier than and recognize that there is no cause to panic. So possibly as soon as she will get used to it and as soon as she realizes that those puppies leaping out of the bush do not pose a risk she'll give up spooking. In the intervening time...you must commonly repair the ones holes for your meadow! Good good fortune

animalluva03 · Answer

Sneezy is right. its a good oppurtuntiy. you should set aside an 30 min a few times a week and just work with her on not being afraid of that dog. just take her over there and come down first so she can see the dog and let her stand and observe for however ling you feel she needs then walk down and come back up and if the dog starts barking and it spooks her just ask her to stand there. I always think its a good idea to teach your horses to stand when something spooks them,it comes in handy. and you have to think when something spooks them they think something is comingto kill them. you will never be able to get rid of that instinct but you can teach them to think and show them that when your around nothing is touching them. so you ask her to stand. if she starts to walk forward have her back up and stand when she starts to relax walkher up some more. another good thing to do would be some desensatizing in a round pen or arena. look up some of stacy westfalls desensatizing techniques( i did them with my horse and its great!)everything will take time but keep at it,kep telling her its ok, a lot of horses are very in tune with their rider or owner (this can be good or bad because it determines whether the horse respects you or walks all over you) so stay calm and she will feed off of that even if its just a teeny bit she will know your not afraid and that will help her not be afraid :)

Anonymous · Answer

just walk your pony back and forth on the same day until they dont care or walk past calm, do this every day till they dont react 

hope this helps

Jeff Sadler · Answer

LOL Snezzy's advice is right on on this one.  It is an opportunity for you and your horse and will make a better trail horse because of it.

Anonymous · Answer

So..
If your dog has behavioural problems and you want to train him, you can find a lot of good tips here http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=315
It works very well.
Hope it helps.

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So my horse always spooks at this dog..?

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