Dogs at horse shows...

[evntr5218]

Hounds should be banned from hunts. They are way to distracting for the horses and horses should not have to learn to deal with them.

[M. Owen]

I have no problem with leashed dogs being at horse shows. We are showing hunters based on hunting with HOUNDS. I think a hunter should be able to tune out a dog bark in the stands, or the myriad other things that can happen such as crackling loud speaker, screaming kid, popping up umbrella and so on.

I do agree that for everyone's safety the dogs should be on leashes shorter than say, 6' so they are not under a horse, and no extendable leashes. I would not have a problem with enforcing rules that dogs not be allowed to enter warm up areas, or be closer than X feet to the gate of the show ring.

[SaltyAcres]

I'd be fine with psychotic kids being banned Or at least leashed!

Now of course I try to desensitize my horses (duuuhhhhh) but I will NOT have dogs running around my farm, especially since it doubles as a breeding facility. Dogs+ afterbirth, do the math , it equals disaster.

So I need to go out and buy a troop of crazy dogs and senseless handlers for them and let them around mine and my client's horses? Hell no. Broken leg waiting to happen.

Most of my horses are fine with the nutcases and their dogs, but when a green horse comes to a show, what do you expect? I have one that will attack dogs, and I am doing nothing to change that, the next time some idiot let's their dog roam into the barn or warmup ring, will be the last time they ever see it.

Do you realize that you don't have to take a damn dog to a show? Ever think of leaving it at home and being considerate? Derrrr
This type of people are in the wrong. Plain and simple, black and white.

[mvp]

Salty, horses should learn to roll along with dogs. Not because "dogs and horses go together." Spare me. If that's so, then horses and cattle go together, too. How many H/J types have taught their horses that pretty run-of-the-mill horse skill? The point is that horses should make up for the stupidity of others. Any stupidity. Any others-- man, beast or ferris wheel. If your show horse can't do this, then what's there in him that's worth a show ring performance?

My objection is to the horse owners with double standards. They'll train, lunge-to-death or drug their hunters into a deadpan performance. But they think it's cute when the dogs get into a fight in the barn aisle. Or the horse gets quickly put away after work and forgotten when the new accessory-- the puppy-- is added to the horse show menagerie. How much more often do you see the junior walking around with her new puppy at a show rather than, say, hand-grazing the horse who worked hard for her?

(You kids! Get off my lawn!)

[mvp]

And another thing!

Salty, if you don't want to keep dogs around your breeding farm to eat (or not eat) placentas, I don't care. But that means you simply cut out a training obligation. Dogs can be taught not to do this. So you need to accept that you *created* a training obligation for your horses by not having dogs as part of their daily life.

This is the time for the Buddhist saying: It's easier to wrap your feet in leather than cover the world in leather so that you can walk barefoot.

[SaltyAcres]

Lol I can't resist adding one last tidbit to mvp over here, ok one more then I'll let the people talk it out and what not.

It is not my obligation to train my horses around something that SHOULD NOT BE THERE. Get rid of the problem, or at this rate just get rid of the horses at the horse shows! No one seems to value them and their safety, let alone their riders. As long as there is a puppy and a nincumpoop, it's a horse show, right?

[comingback]

Salty, I agree with you 100%!!!!!!

Dogs and horse shows DO NOT GO TOGETHER. Nothing at a show will chase your horse, except for a dog.

I have a 4 inch titanium screw in my shoulder from two stupid dogs cavorting and rolling around the schooling area, they happened to roll right into me and my horse who BLEW his top and dumped me. The owners: "oops sorry" as they just went along their merry way and did nothing about the dogs, just let them continue to terrorize the schooling ring.

Were these dogs on a leash? To me that is the biggest difference. Loose dogs have no place at a horse show, but those on a leash are fine in my book.

Perhaps shows should require kids on a leash....just a thought

[meupatdoes]

So I need to go out and buy a troop of crazy dogs and senseless handlers for them and let them around mine and my client's horses? Hell no. Broken leg waiting to happen.

Do you think I hired 300 people to run a 5k around my horse for three months to desensitize him to 5k races or do you think when I pushed the previously installed, "HOLD YOUR GROUND." button with 300 runners coming at us full tilt he listened?

Do you think I hired a hot air balloon to appear over the trees and cross the paddocks and schooling area every late summer afternoon in NJ or do you think when I asked the horse to "STAY FOCUSED ON ME, PLEASE," he listened? The pilot was close enough to exchange greetings with, so I waved and called "HELLO! NICE DAY FOR A FLIGHT, HUH?!" instead of some ridiculous crap about, "It is not my responsibility to train my horse for stuff that should not be here." Wtf, people should know that the sky above my schooling area is MY SKY. MY SKY ALL MINE.

Do you think I personally re-created the ENTIRE CARNIVAL in the background of my Noodle video (it's the 'tiny' link on the right, the left link is a pic) at home to desensitize him to carnivals or do you think when I pick a pace and a path he follows that pace and that path regardless of what is going on elsewhere because I have asked for a particular pace and path and he is TRAINED?

Send your freakin' sight hound after us when we are on course. Attach a flashing light that plays jingle bells to his collar while you are at it. Hire 20 people to do the can-can down the longsides.
Go on, give us the best you got.

You WILL NOT flap my horse, because he is TRAINED.

I see your leashed dog and I raise you a carnival.

My horse is trained.
Are yours?

[comingback]

Lol I can't resist adding one last tidbit to mvp over here, ok one more then I'll let the people talk it out and what not.

It is not my obligation to train my horses around something that SHOULD NOT BE THERE. Get rid of the problem, or at this rate just get rid of the horses at the horse shows! No one seems to value them and their safety, let alone their riders. As long as there is a puppy and a nincumpoop, it's a horse show, right?

You know, I am going to call the organizers of the Devon Horse Show right now and tell them the ferris wheel, carnival games, music, radnor hunt (dogs included) etc. have no place at a horse show...

I really cannot agree with this.

[wcporter]

If I were runing a HS/HT/clinic, dogs would be allowed at as long as they were:
1. On a leash (NO EXCEPTIONS)
2. Relatively well behaved (no excessive barking, aggression)
3. Cleaned up after
4. Kept out of the arenas and away from the in-gate
5. Oh, and NEVER left locked in a car if the temperate is anything even remotely over 65-70 degrees.

Not that my opinion matters but thats just my two cents

[gottagrey]

I don't have a problem w/ dogs at horse shows , I do have a problem with inconsiderate dog owners at horse shows - and that can be all encompassing. if a show states in its prizelist that dogs are banned or must be on leash - that means everyone and I really don't like the attitude of those who feel that rules don't apply to them - if the property says NO DOGS allowed, then don't bring dog, even if we all know that Fido is perfect.

[supershorty628]

I highly doubt that horse shows will ever ban dogs. I don't think they should have to (and to be honest, I'm not sure where you're showing that has hordes of ill-behaved dogs - all the shows I've gone to, the few loose dogs mind their own business).

Train your horse to focus on you and what you're telling him/her to do. Much more productive than whining about something that isn't going to change.

[FrenchFrytheEqHorse]

I'm all for requiring owners to keep their dogs confined (albeit in a pen, in a stall, or on a leash) at horse shows. But that's because I keep my dog leashed at horse shows, and it drives me batty when a loose dog decides to body slam my well-controlled dog on a leash.

That being said, not having dogs around a breeding farm because they uncontrollably devour afterbirth is absolutely one of the craziest things I've ever heard. LOL. It reminds me of that scene in the credits of Taladega Nights- "PACKS OF WILD DOGS ROAMING THE STREETS OF OUR CITIES"!!! "PACKS OF PLACENTA-THIRSTY DOGS ARE TAKING OVER MY FARM!!"

[CaitlinandTheBay]

Send your freakin' sight hound after us when we are on course. Attach a flashing light that plays jingle bells to his collar while you are at it. Hire 20 people to do the can-can down the longsides.

Think of how many more spectators would come to watch the hunter rounds! If we let the community theatre perform in the middle, we could attract the whole fine arts crowd!

[meupatdoes]

That being said, not having dogs around a breeding farm because they uncontrollably devour afterbirth is absolutely one of the craziest things I've ever heard. LOL. It reminds me of that scene in the credits of Taladega Nights- "PACKS OF WILD DOGS ROAMING THE STREETS OF OUR CITIES"!!!

I know, right?

How many afterbirths are there even randomly appearing on this farm? I mean, obviously afterbirths just appear POOF out of NOWHERE every five minutes with NO WARNING WHATSOEVER.

I mean, there is the dog minding its business and suddenly, WHOA, AFTERBIRTH, WHERE THE HECK DID THAT COME FROM?

Man do I hate it when I am leading a horse somewhere and a rogue afterbirth zooms right past our heads.

[Treasmare2]

My horses are desensitized to dogs and generally I have o problem with dogs at shows as long as they are leased and not under my feet or my horse's feet. At the last show I was distressed by the screams of pain from one small dog (I assume it got kicked or stomped and I pray it survived) and witnessed one dog being dragged by a golf cart (it was tied to the golf cart while sitting on it and stepped off during a stop which was not noticed by the driver). Dog was pretty mangled. I don't like having to be dog attentive while horse showing so my own dogs stay at home. I do not like being asked to attend to or hold the leash of someone else's dog that has come to the show....if I wanted to do that I would bring my own. So I guess my point is if you bring your dog be responsible for its care and safety and ensure it is not loose or barking because it is tied or penned at the show. If my horse stomps it it is your responsibility to not put the dog in a situation where that can happen. Do not drive away in a golf cart before checking yor dog is where it ought to be.....it is very upsetting for observers.

[Muggle Mom]

This is a horse show management issue, pure and simple. A dog on a short leash is not a problem, and I bring my own small dog as a spectator at least half the time. He's quiet and polite and stays by my side or is in a roomy crate in my car (windows open).

That being said, it is rare for me to attend a horse show where a dog has not been a problem. I remember the jack russell who couldn't stay away from a 4" drainage pipe, kept getting stuck and howled away until someone rescued him. It happened at least twice a day for the whole week-long show.

There is the dog that randomly walks down the barn aisle snitching food off of people's tack trunks, spilling drinks in the process.

There is the adorable scamp that kept coming back to his owner carrying some other dog's bones/toys. The owner thought it was cute, but the other dog's owner probably didn't think so.

Sometimes the locked-up dogs are the worst, because they won't stop barking/growling at people and horses walking by. If your stall is next to theirs, it can make you miserable pretty quickly.

This is a horse show management problem and it can be so easily fixed! The rules are clear and published in the prize lists, so why are they not enforced? Any loose dog should be immediately confiscated and a hefty fee should be paid by the owner. Announcements should be made over the loudspeaker for the owner to immediately claim the dog and demonstrate the ability to keep the dog contained/on leash for the rest of the show. If not, animal control should be called and the owner can deal with them.

I really don't understand why show management doesn't enforce this rule that helps ensure everyone's safety and pleasurable show experience. I would really hate to see dogs banned from horse shows because of a few irresponsible, but seemingly ever-present owners.

[Libby416]

While I think Salty went a little overboard, sometimes I have to agree. Its when the inconsiderate dog owner allows their dog to roam through all the stall areas, schooling rings and show arenas that I start to think to myself, "Get that dog out of here!". Oh and lets not forget the one dog that is locked in a stall and whining and crying ALL DAY.

Now that being said, I know (and own) very well behaved dogs that are leashed the whole time at shows, dont bother anyone, and keep to themselves. These dogs set the model for what a show dog should be!

Maybe its those dog owners that shouldnt be allowed at shows

[danceronice]

Were these dogs on a leash? To me that is the biggest difference. Loose dogs have no place at a horse show, but those on a leash are fine in my book.

Perhaps shows should require kids on a leash....just a thought

Seriously. I don't think I've ever seen a show bill that hasn't said either "No dogs on the grounds" or "Dogs must be on a leash." If someone's letting a dog run amok, go tell the stewards who it is and if they're obeying they're own rules they'll tell the offender to put the dog on a leash.

The goat barn was right next to the horse barn at my county fair, and at the local one here (not the one I showed at, but where we will take the barn kids if we manage to get a club together). People would WALK THEIR GOATS OUT ON A LEAD OMG. AND THE GOATS WOULD BAAA. Heck, the goat barn and milking stands were actually RIGHT NEXT TO THE WARM-UP RING. MY CRAZY OTTB HAD TO WALK PAST GOATS OMGWTFBBQ. (I don't recall any horse having a conniption fit over goats walking by or making noise. They dealt.) In fact at this fairgrounds, the cow barn wash rack is RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE WARM UP! People actually take their cows out and hose them off and groom them right where the horses can see and hear them! EEK! And down the back side of the show ring? There are TREES. That blow in the breeze! And camper trailers! AIIIEEEEE!

Part of taking a horse to a show is demonstrating that you can take off the bubble-wrap, remove it from its soundproofed indoor arena at home, take it away from its turnout buddies, and get a good performance out of it. Greenies may break their brains a few times. It happens. But unless the dogs are running around loose (in which case, again, you have to go complain) a dog on a leash, a dog making noise, is just another thing they have to suck up and learn to deal with.

[Appsolute]

Well salty, I think you are just going to stay salty, because dogs are not going to be banned from horseshows. Get over it!

I train all of my horses to deal with dogs, bikes, water trucks, motorcycles etc etc etc. I can't believe you are a trainer and do not have the ability to train your horses to cope with things like this! And a breeder to boot huh? When my youngsters are small, we get out and learn about the "world out there" which includes dogs, and all the commotion the "public" has to offer. Result? I have a BOMB PROOF 3 year old who I could take any where. Just rode down the road the other day and some small, uncontrolled dog came screaming out of a driveway and started yapping at my horse's feet. My horse batted an ear, that was it, because I TRAINED HER.


Hahaha you probably show in the "hunter ring" as well, and your horses are intolerant / not trained to dogs? Oh, look where "show hunters" have gone. A HUNTER should be a bomb proof, take any where, handle anything calmly horse..

Sorry dogs have caused you to get dumped and hurt, but really, the world is not going to change for you, and this IS a solvable problem. TRAIN YOUR HORSES TO LISTEN TO YOU, AND THIS WON'T BE A PROBLEM.

That said, I have a VERY well trained (like my horse is well mannered) less then 20 pound dog, that I do take with me when I go to spectate at shows. He doesn't bark, has been trained to ignore horses, and is always on a leash. I am not going to stop taking him because of your rant.

Oh, by the way, one reason you see so many dogs at shows, is because horse people tend to be animal people. Many horse owners also have dogs. To "leave them at home" means hiring a pet sitter... and out where I live, that isn't an option (too far out), and sending him off to a kennel isn't an option either (he freaks and loses hair )

Stay SALTY!