# Young pony kicking dog



## shah's mum (20 July 2013)

I am not strictly a new owner, I have had ponies in the past but only 'schoolmaster' types. However I have had quite a break from horses and have just returned by aquiring a 2yo 'neglected' shetland. He has not seen much of the world and had no handling, but has learnt alot in the last couple of weeks, tying up, hoof care, traffic all fine..
A girl at our yard has a collie who insists on running round his feet, unfortunately I wasnt there at their first encounter and I'm dissapointed that he now kicks her. I wanted to introduce him slowly to my dogs, but this happened first.
Does anyone have any experience of kicking? My instinct is to get my calm dogs to be near him, head end! and desensitise him, but I'm afraid that he has 'taught himself' to kick dogs already.
Please dont anyone ask me to wallop him as I dont treat my animals like that... Thank you..


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## Clodagh (20 July 2013)

Kicking is unacceptable as is the dog being round his feet.
From the kicking point of view, if he lifted a leg he would get a loud growl from me, if he used it he would get whatever I had in my hands up his bum - bucket, brush, whatever. There is more than one way to wallop a horse!
Keep the dog away the owner is a numpty. I would let him be dog free until you are happier together doing stuff then gradually get him used to seeing them about. The collie was probably trying to herd him and from his point of view that is very scary.


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## Maesfen (20 July 2013)

Agree totally with Clodagh.
You saying you don't wallop your animals, good for you but you might wish you had if next time it's a child he kicks out at simply because he doesn't like something new.  
Be a responsible owner and demand he behaves at all times otherwise you run the risk of him turning into a nightmare around anything he doesn't like.  Yes, it was unfortunate and the owner of the dog was totally stupid which has set back your training of him but please don't use the blanket expression that you don't reprimand your animals  when you do need to do so, firmly with voice and back up (if need be) when it deserves it as that is totally irresponsible and does no favours to your pony.


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## shah's mum (20 July 2013)

I did not say I do not reprimand my animals, I said I am not going to start walloping him..He is nervous enough...I am used to 'growling' I have 3 dogs!! And I have managed to interupt my rescue hound chasing deer, no mean feat!! So I am proactive in correcting behaviour!!  I was thinking of more of an iteruption like throwing a bucket at his feet to interupt/ startle him..
Oh yes the collie was trying to round him up, it happened in a second, and its really set me back.. I understand that it was completely new and scary for him,his first experience with a dog was not a good one..as I said I was not there at the time. New yard, new people complete blooming nightmare..


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## twiggy2 (20 July 2013)

if a dog is herding the horse i expect a dog to kick, but if the dog is just around the horse then they should at worst tolerate each other.

if you were not there how do you know the collie did not put a little nip in?

i would only punish the kick if the dog are not herding or you will create a pony with no confidence in you at all, if the dogs are behaving i would punish a wave or lift of the leg i would not wait for a kick


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## Dry Rot (20 July 2013)

I've kept dogs and ponies together for quite a while and an active dog usually has no problem evading a pony, so I wouldn't worry too much about the safety of the dog.

I also have a 3yo Shetland here, owned by a friend, who is a recent arrival. The only dog here at the moment is a GSD. The dog would love to nip a pony (any pony!) but generally knows she is not allowed to! (She is, however, trained to stop stock coming through an open gateway when I am going through with a tractor). On the other hand, a dog will naturally defend itself if attacked.

The relationship between the dog and the Shetland is quite funny! The expression "armed neutrality" comes to mind!  The Shetland will attack if she feels threatened or if she has the opportunity. The dog invariably gets out of the way! Gradually they are coming to tolerate each other. 

I'd watch the dog and leave the pony to look after itself. This Shetland is ridden by a 4yo and there is no problem to her kicking the child even though the dog is always about. Mostly the relationship with the dog is armed neutrality and it gets easier every day.

Ponies will eventually give up on chasing dogs as this video of one of my Highlands demonstrates!:

http://youtu.be/llLgWst3UlQ


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## putasocinit (20 July 2013)

totally natural for pony to kick out at dog if it is around its feet, esp if it was the first time it had encountered the dog, how would it know the dog was not going to attack it.  They will accept each other when they both get to know the other and the dog should keep away from his back legs.  The pony would not kick a child unless it was a kicker or if child was screaming behind it and pulling its tail then it could be out of fear.  Please do not go about beating the pony for kicking out at a dog, it could save its life from being mauled to death.


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## ILuvCowparsely (20 July 2013)

A dog is a predator to a horse or pony.  I would not wallop the pony its not his fault.  My horses have kicked dogs before and they never got told off, nor will I ever tell them off.  In future warn anyone around that the pony could kick a dog.  Thereafter its there look out.

  Horses can learn to accept family dogs or tolerate them.  They don't like dogs running round their feet. So why should they?, in the wild its how they can get brought down.
There is a difference from the  ponies point of view between a child and a dog.  I warn loose dog owners that if their dog gets too close they are liable to get kicked.


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## shah's mum (21 July 2013)

Thank you so much for your votes of confidence, twiggy2, dryrot, putasocinit and leviathan. I feel much better reading your posts... From what I can gather the dog was chasing pony round the field/ hardstanding..
Yesterday and today I took my dogs and calmly walked them around the pony while he was tied up, I rewarded him with my voice as he never batted an eyelid when we walked behind him, he just watched them.. Yey!!
It could all go to pot tomorrow when collie apears, but hopefully with some positive experiences from mine he will learn that not all dogs are a threat.. Feeling much better about things now..


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## Echo Bravo (21 July 2013)

Agree with Leviathan, as mine will kick if a dog runs up close behind them it's a defense mechanisum. One of my dogs got kicked in the face by my Welsh sec D when chasing him completely my fault, big vet bill and the dog never did learn and now the pony will go for any dog running loose if they come into his field.


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## ILuvCowparsely (21 July 2013)

When we first got George our dog  he got kicked by my horse, he was barking at him to say "oi get out in the field"  he still barks as he thinks its his job to shoo them in.  Biscuit puts up with a certain amount of barking as he knows George now , a strange dog he would not.  Horses are prey animals, how can they work out that a "strange" dog will not bite them?? with George they know he is just telling them to hurry along and get into field(we open doors and horses turn themselves out)

 WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7rOi5o22iA


if this dog attacked my horse and my horse reacted like this he would not get told off.  The trouble with dogs is if the horses kicks out to defend itself and it gets told off, the dog gets the upper hand and can do life threatening injuries to a horse.  I saw on on animal cops where a horse in harness  had stomac ripped open by a pitbull type.  They managed to save the horse but the horse could not see to defend itself.  When it can it does what it has to do for survival, even if it ends up seriously  injuring or killing a dog.  Who are we to go against whats bred into them???

 In the wild

 coyotes - mountain lions etc go for the legs to bring down, just because our horses are domesticated, does not mean this reaction is wiped out of them.


Fight for survival.


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## MotherOfChickens (21 July 2013)

would rather a horse kick out at a dog than run away in a blind panic. Both my Exmoors will kick out at dogs under their feet although will tolerate mine who is well trained. They don't kick out at me or at children. My old horse would go at loose dogs with teeth and front legs if they were loose in his paddock and there was one occasion when I was grateful for that.


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## Pearlsasinger (21 July 2013)

I'd be inclined to tell the dog's owner to get it under control because if the pony doesn't kick it, the pony's owner is likely to.  What on earth is she doing allowing her dog to run round a strange pony?


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