what's going on here?

[herdcentral]

Many years ago when I was working on an irrigated cotton farm and I was down on the boundary servicing one of the pumps. One of the big stock routes ran along the boundary and as it was very dry that year there were plenty of stock on the route.

 

As I was working I saw an extraordinary sight or so I thought of it at the time, being new. A very large group of cattle were coming past. There were a number of loose horses in the mix too. I noticed that the dogs and unsaddled stock horses were working together. There were two mounted stockman also in attendence. The horses knew exactly what to do and so did the dogs and they worked together. I will never forget that sight. The stockies waved to me and moved on.

 

However I have seen a dog killed by a horse in a paddock and would never let any of mine near one.

[ejano]

Mick's only been around horses a few times, but he has a healthy fear of them and I'm fine with that.

 

I was pretty shocked by the deer in that video. My guys have both come very close to catching deer. The ones at my old house were freakishly tame, and would literally graze just outside Mick's reach. Although, once one did run straight through the yard and Mick missed catching her by inches. He flipped himself over when he hit the end of the chain. Another time, a particulary not bright deer went walking straight up to Sinead (as in about 5' away from her). She looked at it, and then it kind of clicked in her head, and she took off after it. Nearly got the deer, but fortunately, she's good about staying in the yard and she stopped when she hit the edge of the property.

 

Not sure of your exact location but if you are near a wildlife area that allows hunting, as we are approaching deer season in the northeast, (archery season is open in PA) keep in mind that many hunters think they have every right to shoot a dog that they believe is chasing a deer.

[Mona Howard]

Many of us are from horse backgrounds and who doesn't remember the farm dog where they boarded their horses? Usually it was content to lie around the stable begging snacks from the horse owners. Sometimes it would go out into the field with the horses just to nose around. Usually this was a happy scene with dog and horses both minding their own business. If a dog was ever seen "interacting" with a horse it was

usually corrected for it's behavior. Horses are so much quicker than cattle, they kick differently and with deadly precision. They are smart and can think. My old gelding would acutally walk up to a fence and put his nose down whenever a stray would come around. Then he would back up slowly drawing the dog

under the fence and halfway into the pen. Then he would rush it and try to stomp it with his front feet.

People working stock on horseback with the help of a dog is two animals (horse/dog) both being controlled

by the rider. Still even in controlled situations there is still risk. There are many cattledogs with

missing teeth at the least. On the other hand there are horses that are just good souls and wouldn't kick

a dog ever, but why risk it? Why put your dog in a potentially dangerous situation? Mona

[njnovice]

Not sure of your exact location but if you are near a wildlife area that allows hunting, as we are approaching deer season in the northeast, (archery season is open in PA) keep in mind that many hunters think they have every right to shoot a dog that they believe is chasing a deer.

 

Mick doesn't go off-leash anywhere not fenced, because his recall basically sucks. And Sinead can be called off.

 

But I don't take them into the woods during hunting season, because of idiots who shoot at anything that moves. Oddly enough, since moving here, I have not seen a single deer on this property. When I lived in the suburbs, they were EVERYWHERE! I saw more bear in the suburbs, too.

[Star]

I don't know anything about cattle, but horses are just deadly accurate with their kicks and they are so quick footed that it's a good chance they'll connect with anything in range even while galloping. Many horses refuse to be chased by a dog and will stand there and kick, or even run the dog down. Even our bombproof show veterans will kick at a dog that's trying to chase them.