Chat
02-22-2015, 08:30 PM
I'm lucky--none of my goats eat horse tails. I'm not sure about goats not being as wily as dogs. I've had my horses step on dogs before too (sometimes on purpose!). I've found that my horses are a lot less careful of dogs than of the goats when we're on a ride--probably because the dogs are a lot more annoying and are more underfoot. Cuzco got stepped on sometimes when he was a baby, but that's because he was glued to horses and would stand right underneath them. It didn't take him long to start following behind the horses on trail rides. Finn prefers to walk beside my foot, which is probably not as smart as staying behind... perhaps after this incident he'll learn. I personally dislike riding with dogs because of stuff like what happened with Daisy. Dogs like to run off into the brush and then bolt back out, often right under the horse. Or they sneak around where the horses can't quite see them, or appear suddenly out of nowhere. My horses are generally used to dogs, but they never really relax around them as much as they do when the dogs stay home.
In particular, I HATE having Daisy along on a ride. She loves to come, but she's not obedient. She walks in the middle of the road, wanders onto other people's property, disappears for ages and then comes bursting out when you least expect it. She doesn't come when she's called, she doesn't go when she's told, and she won't heel or stay. She's pretty good when we're at home, but not when we're out, and especially not when I'm on a horse. It's like I'm suddenly not her person any more when I'm on horseback. She's a terrible trail riding companion, and intentionally sneaking up on a horse is about the worst sin a dog can commit on a ride.
By contrast, my goats are obedient and unobtrusive and don't bother the horses or wander off. Finn's mashed foot is the worst horse/goat accident we've ever had, and I rode with Cuzco along for nine years. I'm just glad Daisy didn't cause a nasty horse/rider accident, because with the way she acted we could have had much worse than a bruised goat toe.
In particular, I HATE having Daisy along on a ride. She loves to come, but she's not obedient. She walks in the middle of the road, wanders onto other people's property, disappears for ages and then comes bursting out when you least expect it. She doesn't come when she's called, she doesn't go when she's told, and she won't heel or stay. She's pretty good when we're at home, but not when we're out, and especially not when I'm on a horse. It's like I'm suddenly not her person any more when I'm on horseback. She's a terrible trail riding companion, and intentionally sneaking up on a horse is about the worst sin a dog can commit on a ride.
By contrast, my goats are obedient and unobtrusive and don't bother the horses or wander off. Finn's mashed foot is the worst horse/goat accident we've ever had, and I rode with Cuzco along for nine years. I'm just glad Daisy didn't cause a nasty horse/rider accident, because with the way she acted we could have had much worse than a bruised goat toe.