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How do you keep them safe? Do you leave them loose in controlled situations? Completely separate from the horses?
Keep him in the RV/stall unless you can have him on a leash. Most horse shows have rules that dogs must be leashed. Do NOT tie so the dog can reach the aisle. I've had a dog run across the aisle at a show, when I was riding down it, and the leash went in front of my horse. I stopped, got off, and pulled dog to other side so I could go by. But that is an accident waiting to happen.I should be more specific. I work at a boarding barn, my lab comes with me everyday. I manage her very carefully, she's in her crate when I can't directly supervise, only off-leash in a large field on the other side of the property from the horses. Very nearly all the horses are used to dogs and non-reactive, and the ones that aren't we give a very wide berth.
The thing is, we spend the majority of the summer travelling to local and non-local horse shows. For us, that means living in an RV, temporary stalls for the horses, limited time throughout the day. I'm trying to brainstorm ways so she doesn't have to spend most of the work day in her crate. Most of the shows are on sand, so I don't really want to leave her in a stall because of the possibility of digging. I had thought of tying her up in the aisle so she can interact with me/clients and see some of the activity, but we've had loose, panicking horses gallop down our aisle before, so that makes me very nervous. There's limited room for an ex-pen, and she tries to jump out anyway.
I know that doesn't exactly leave many options. I was just hoping someone might see something I've missed?
Thanks guys!
Hmm. I hadn't thought of this. The mats we use for the horses are too thick for me to lug around, but there's no reason I couldn't get a couple of thinner ones for Bonesy. It would probably be much cooler for her in a stall than stuck in her crate. Thanks!!Bring a rubber stall mat along to lay on the sand floors of the stalls and then you can leave her there. A stall would have plenty of room for a dog to be left in for the day, many dogs are crated for a full work day without an issue and a stall is at least 4-5 times as large of space.
Yup, she will definitely always be safely locked away or attached to me. There was a terrible accident a few years ago, a jack russell dragging a leash got tangled underneath a horse, the horse panicked and took off. Needless to say, the poor dog didn't make it and everyone involved was horribly traumatized. A year after that, this woman a few aisles over had a small pack of dogs loose and one got run over by a golf cart. There are so many opportunities for a needless accident. Also, there are rules about leashes, but no one follows them except me, haha. Very frustrating!Keep him in the RV/stall unless you can have him on a leash. Most horse shows have rules that dogs must be leashed. Do NOT tie so the dog can reach the aisle. I've had a dog run across the aisle at a show, when I was riding down it, and the leash went in front of my horse. I stopped, got off, and pulled dog to other side so I could go by. But that is an accident waiting to happen.
Have you moved recently? I thought your Izzie died as a result of injuries she obtained while loose, and not within your sight. Aren't you concerned about something like that happening to one of your other dogs? I was under the impression that you suspected someone could have stabbed/cut her. Did you ever figure out what happened? Not trying to bring up painful memories, but if there is someone out there hurting dogs, it would scare me to have one loose.I guess I'm lucky lol, I'm at a place where it's ok for dogs to be loose & be dogs, like many owners I couldn't bear the though of tiring them up or shutting them away in a stall all day :/... But then again my dogs are pretty well trained/behaved.
No we have moved, I DID NOT let them loose & out of my site at the other place in Tomball , we are at the other farm now breaking yearlings in Industry TX but here is a totally different set of ppl & no dog haters hereHave you moved recently? I thought your Izzie died as a result of injuries she obtained while loose, and not within your sight. Aren't you concerned about something like that happening to one of your other dogs? I was under the impression that you suspected someone could have stabbed/cut her. Did you ever figure out what happened? Not trying to bring up painful memories, but if there is someone out there hurting dogs, it would scare me to have one loose.