# Pony RIP after dog attack - Thoughts with all those close to her



## Fabforester (24 February 2012)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...000-champion-pony-dies-leg-stripped-bone.html so sad.


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## ILuvCowparsely (24 February 2012)

I hope they find the _&*(*%&*( dog and either shoot it or destroy it .

 This is another example of dangerous dogs  not being allowed in society .

 RIP NIKITA 
 The owner must know what their dog did and should be fined for not being in control of dog and having one that could do this to a poor pony .


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## MurphysMinder (24 February 2012)

Horrific, what a nightmare for the owners.  RIP Nikita


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## Luci07 (24 February 2012)

Leviathan said:



			I hope they find the _&*(*%&*( dog and either shoot it or destroy it .

 This is another example of dangerous dogs  not being allowed in society .

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You cannot blame the breed whatever it is... By doing that you totally excuse the human who owns it/trains it.  There are very very few dogs who are born inherently dangerous, same as with horses. Unfortunately there are far too many idiots who take animals on and don't bother to train them...and then throw up their hands and say "dangerous breed, not my fault". No, you happen to be a selfish lazy idiot who thinks its your god given right to own a pet and ignore te fact that it is a living sentient creature which needs input, care and attention.

Whatever dog brought and killed that poor pony will have undoubtedly shown that tendency before. I know how my dogs behaved when first introduced to horses and it was nothing like that behaviour.

And the comment " got away from its owner". Sorry my money is on someone who yet again thinks it is perfectly acceptable to let their dog off for a run through the fields, even though they have no control. 

So please, deed not breed...


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## Freddie19 (24 February 2012)

It is NOT the dogs fault, although of course, if found it will have to be destroyed. I only wish the owner (owners) could be put down to.  There is not a dog in the world who will not chase another animal, unless it is trained not to from puppy hood stage.  Your sweet little puppy makes you laugh when it chases your socks across the floor, and laugh even harder when it grabs and shakes the bottom of your jeans.  The difference is, I hope, that the majority of dog owners who subscribe to this forum know when to say "enough is enough". What makes me feel sick is, that if this was a dog who caused these injuries, probably there was some yob egging it on.  That is what this society is turning out.


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## ILuvCowparsely (24 February 2012)

DUPLICATE POST 
 deleted


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## Jake10 (24 February 2012)

Leviathan said:



*I am not blaming *a breed* 
 WHERE DID I SAY   ITS ONE OF THE DANGEROUS DOG BREEDS??? I said

   A DANGEROUS DOG!!!!!!!
I dont care  what ever  dog  did this needs to be destroyed pure and simples 

 There is  people who mention ts a staffy 

 Yes i do blame the dog so deal with it. And the owner  for not coming forward*

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It's the dog owners fault plain and simple - Lack of training/socialising/letting dog off lead/ not coming forward etc


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## ILuvCowparsely (24 February 2012)

Luci07 said:



			You cannot blame the breed whatever it is...



So please, deed not breed...
		
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*I am not blaming *a breed* 
 WHERE DID I SAY   ITS ONE OF THE DANGEROUS DOG BREEDS??? I said

   A DANGEROUS DOG!!!!!!!
I dont care  what ever  dog  did this needs to be destroyed pure and simples 

 There is  people who mention 
Its a staffy 

 Yes i do blame the dog so deal with it. And the owner  for not coming forward*


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## Tiffany (24 February 2012)

Poor pony - what an horrible end to her life RIP. Thoughts with owners who are clearly devastated


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## zaminda (25 February 2012)

Not surprised by the incident at all, although I am pleased about the police response, it makes a change! My ex was attacked by a rottie, whose owner had to physically drag it off the horse (who came from a yard with 3 rotties) and a friend ended up in hospital after a jack russell went for her horse, she fell off, the horse bolted, and the dog wentfor the rider.
Shoot the owners I say, in both cases, owner grabbed dog and went off, not even checking to see if the other party was injured.
I don't have a problem with dogs, its their owners I don't like


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## Luci07 (25 February 2012)

Leviathan said:



			I hope they find the _&*(*%&*( dog and either shoot it or destroy it .

 This is another example of dangerous dogs  not being allowwd in societyQUOTE]

Apologies if I misinterpreted your quote..

And yet again, they say it's a staffy. Even though no one has seen the dog!. A " real" Stafford is a maximum of 16" at the shoulder for a dog and smaller for a bitch.  Anything else is a cross. Even welfare are having to now try to draw the line on breed type.

I am wholly onside about not allowing dangerous dogs to roam BUT....we need to deal with the irresponsible owners, who should not ever been allowed to own any dog in the first place.  It is far too easy to shift responsibility. "oh it was all the dog. Nothing to do with me". Seriously I have known vicious labadrors and snappy springers. What I want is for the focus to go onto penalising the idiots who cause these problems and make them face up to their actions.  Obviously this will not happen in instance but I want to see these people face up to what they have done.

 And again for the attack to have been that vicious would lead me to believe it is not the first time this has happened. I have introduced various dogs (mainly Staffords) to horses over the years and no one dog has ever behaved with such immediate aggression.
		
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## Piglet (25 February 2012)

Classic example of why we need to check (or have someone else check) our horses regularly, imagine the horrible suffering if the pony wasn't checked regularly.   .  Horrible sight for the poor owners, wouldn't wish that on anyone


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## rascal (26 February 2012)

Poor pony. What a shock to find your horse in that state.
My mother in laws tb was attacked by a staffie a few years ago, the owner of the dog diddnt even stop to see what damage her dog had done. It was a mirical the horse survived he was a real mess.


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## EAST KENT (26 February 2012)

No dog of any breed,save hunting foxhounds of course,should be allowed to roam unattended to cause  damage and nuisance to anyone at all. Any  breed is capable of being a bloody nuisance or worse, roaming dogs and their idiot owners are a pain in the neck to everyone.


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## zaminda (26 February 2012)

I would suggest that one of the issues many people have with hunting is the fact that the hounds roam loose. My friend used to go mental when they came across her land, terrifying her horses. Thankfully mine will turn as a herd and chase dogs who try chasing them in the field!


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## ILuvCowparsely (27 February 2012)

To anyone with a field that runs with a footpath along it ( including me )  ,This is a good time to attached chicken wire along the bottom half to stop  dogs getting into your fields.

 I have sheep's and chicken wire along the bottom half


 Also If you have a footpath run along within you land I would urge you to fence of the footpath the same way so NO dogs can get to the horses.
*
 SHEEP'S WIRE IS ONLY AROUND £22 PER ROLL  
small price to pay to stop dogs getting in
  Its cheaper than a vet bill 
and cheaper than loosing your horse in this horrific way *




,


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## wildoat (28 February 2012)

EAST KENT said:



			No dog of any breed,save hunting foxhounds of course,should be allowed to roam unattended to cause  damage and nuisance to anyone at all. Any  breed is capable of being a bloody nuisance or worse, roaming dogs and their idiot owners are a pain in the neck to everyone.

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Absolutely hit the nail on the head with this point.
Saying that I am very surprised by the savagery of this attack, very curious to know what type of dog was responsible also.

There is virtually no enforcement of the dangerous dogs act that I can see, walk through any large town and you will see many pitbull type dogs which are supposedly to have been outlawed a long time ago, not suggesting this is the type of dog responsible for this horrific incident merely making the point about dangerous dogs of whatever type being at large.
To own a dog is a privilege not a right, with it comes much responsibility which so many people just don't get.

Of course another factor in all this is people breeding dogs to make a quick buck, caring not a jot
for temperament etc and not being too bothered about who they sell to. Breeding of dogs should be subject to much tighter regulation because it's a fact that many people doing this have little concern for the dogs welfare( I did say many not all).


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## Sidalba (29 February 2012)

wildoat said:



			walk through any large town and you will see many pitbull type dogs which are supposedly to have been outlawed a long time ago
		
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By Pit Bull type do you mean staffies? 
It is very difficult to tell the difference between a Staff and a Pit, the authorities use a 54 point test (sorry I could be incorrect on exact number) to decide whether a dog is a Pit, so I find it hard to believe that you can tell when you're walking down the road.
Staffies are not on the dangerous dogs list.
Also, if you believe that the danderous dogs act isn't being enforced you should watch a bbc documentary called 'Death Row Dogs', it's probably available on the net somewhere.


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## wildoat (29 February 2012)

Sidalba said:



			By Pit Bull type do you mean staffies? 
It is very difficult to tell the difference between a Staff and a Pit, the authorities use a 54 point test (sorry I could be incorrect on exact number) to decide whether a dog is a Pit, so I find it hard to believe that you can tell when you're walking down the road.
Staffies are not on the dangerous dogs list.
Also, if you believe that the danderous dogs act isn't being enforced you should watch a bbc documentary called 'Death Row Dogs', it's probably available on the net somewhere.
		
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Hi Sidalba,

trust me after having worked with dogs closely for the last twenty five years, I can absolutely tell the difference between a Staffordshire terrier and a Pitbull type, notice I say Pitbull type, as Pitbulls themselves are not an actual breed, they are, and always have been just a type.
A pitbull type dog is considerably larger than a Staffordshire terrier!

Just for the record I have known probably over a hundred or so Staffies over the years and find them generally to be wonderful dogs although they can be very boisterous, I would be absolutely amazed to hear of one attacking a horse!

I adore dogs generally, the problems arise when inexperienced or irresponsible people become dog owners.

I am a bit baffled by this whole story, reckon we should all reserve judgement until the facts are known.

Kind regards

Tony


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## PandorasJar (1 March 2012)

I agree 100% that the owners are to blame. However any dog that has caused this kind of attack should be put down as it is unsafe.

I don't agree with the dangerous dogs act - I think that a law should be enforced where owners should prove competance before being allowed an animal. A few years back I had to convince someone that a a perfectly legal Akita cross Husky was not the no 1 choice for a first pet! A dog which would be incredible under the right owner, but a killer in the wrong hands. This had nothing to do with the breed being dangerous but the competance of the owner being questionable.

It also irks me when breeds like Rotties are brought up - they are a _herding_ dog and the ones I have had the great fortune to care for have been some of the softest dogs I've ever met.

I spent years detesting small dogs until realising that it wasn't small dogs I hated but the owners who let them get away with nipping and yapping as it was "cute".

Sorry to go off on a tangent, I think the story is absolutely disgusting and can't imagine what the owner is going through. But the problem here lies with humans, not animals.

Pan


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## YasandCrystal (1 March 2012)

Slightly off topic, but I think it is easy to get 'breed obsessed'. Clearly some of the feistier type of dogs which are often of a very musculature stature are going to inflict bad damage if they attack.

I have a patterdale and he is typical of a terrier and a hunter through and through. I am told they were originally bred to bring down badgers, so they had to be strong, relentless and brave. That is in his nature and whilst I can harness it by not letting him off lead anywhere public I would go as far to say it is nigh on impossible to stop it. I believe staffies are the same - they are a very athletic hunting dog, not reknowned for their sociability with other animals. The sad thing is that these popular breeds so often get taken on by owners who have no interest in the dog's welfare and care.

A poodle could inflict a nasty nip, but nothing compared to the bite of a rottie or a mastiff.


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## PandorasJar (1 March 2012)

YasandCrystal said:



			. That is in his nature and whilst I can harness it by not letting him off lead anywhere public I would go as far to say it is nigh on impossible to stop it.
		
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I have to disagree with this, no animal is ever 100% guaranteed, but there is a huge difference between a once off and not being able to control it off the lead full stop. If an animal is not under control when off the lead then the owner is not in control of that animal and probably needs training themselves in gaining the alpha position etc.

Having trained dogs I've only ever met one that took an exceedingly long time to train off the lead and that was due to another dog having attacked him and severe anxiety issues. (After several dog trainers and obedience classes having said he was untrainable! He wasn't, just took longer).

Breeds that often get lumbered with a bad reputation (rotties, GS etc) are ironically the ones repeatedly used in work such as guide dog and SARs. 

The other thing that gets me is the number of people blindly buying a dog because they like it. I had one elderly woman pass a Cairn to me for training as it was an awful lapdog! It should have been on a farm, not confined to a small house!
I stand my ground on the fact that most dogs (regardless of breed) are trainable. But if people insist on buying working dogs as family pets and don't maintain an alpha position and good training, then there will be problems. Far too many people have dogs that they shouldn't own.

We had 11 dogs on the last farm, wouldn't have chosen a single one of them as a pet. Two of them were staffies and quite a site out chasing rabbits in the quarry, but the second you called them off they'd stop dead in their tracks, regardless of what they were after. It takes a lot of work to get them to over-ride their instincts, but it's do-able - mainly by training them as a dog not a human...

Pan


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## YasandCrystal (1 March 2012)

PandorasJar said:



			The other thing that gets me is the number of people blindly buying a dog because they like it. I had one elderly woman pass a Cairn to me for training as it was an awful lapdog! It should have been on a farm, not confined to a small house!
I stand my ground on the fact that most dogs (regardless of breed) are trainable. But if people insist on buying working dogs as family pets and don't maintain an alpha position and good training, then there will be problems. Far too many people have dogs that they shouldn't own.

Pan
		
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I do agree with what you say. Particularly with people taking on the wrong breed of dog!
We acquired the patterdale because he was 'sweet as a puppy' but then the owners lost interest and wanted rid. He was destined to be my husband's replacement van dog (he is a farrier) to his old patterdale bitch (rough coated !!! makes all the difference in the head imo).

My patterdale does come to recall, but he is not sociable with other dogs. He gets along with the 2 others we have but he is like a yob always bristling for a fight if he sees another dog. I did take him to dog training classes for several months on a weekly basis and I used distraction techniques and whilst it may not be impossible to get him to ignore other dogs it would imo take long and hard training; so I opt out by only exercising where we are safe on our own land.

I have even had problems exercising him on a lead in a park where it is stated dogs must be kept on leads and had other owners let their dogs off and they approach him and he will just latch onto them once they are in his face  I got a mouthful for that incident, despite the notice being as clear as anything.


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## PandorasJar (1 March 2012)

YasandCrystal said:



			I do agree with what you say. Particularly with people taking on the wrong breed of dog!
We acquired the patterdale because he was 'sweet as a puppy' but then the owners lost interest and wanted rid. He was destined to be my husband's replacement van dog (he is a farrier) to his old patterdale bitch (rough coated !!! makes all the difference in the head imo).

My patterdale does come to recall, but he is not sociable with other dogs. He gets along with the 2 others we have but he is like a yob always bristling for a fight if he sees another dog. I did take him to dog training classes for several months on a weekly basis and I used distraction techniques and whilst it may not be impossible to get him to ignore other dogs it would imo take long and hard training; so I opt out by only exercising where we are safe on our own land.

I have even had problems exercising him on a lead in a park where it is stated dogs must be kept on leads and had other owners let their dogs off and they approach him and he will just latch onto them once they are in his face  I got a mouthful for that incident, despite the notice being as clear as anything.
		
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In your last comment the other owner would have had a mouthful from me for not controlling their dog and provoking a situation! 
The number of times while I was working on a petting farm that dogs came careering in was unbelievable, signs up everywhere stating they must be on leads and kept at a distance. Normally the ones with their dogs stood up and straining against a pen telling us how good their dog was with animals! We did on more than one occasion lock a dog in a trailer and tell the owner that when it was let out they were asked to leave or we'd report an uncontrolled dog 

Sounds like he is alpha over the other two dogs, but if you're controlling it that's fair enough, sometimes there are too many things in life to battle on little one when you can avoid it! I don't take much heed on training classes though (take the stance that unfortunately most are for the easy dog and all too quick to give up on dogs!).

Ah, no farriers van is complete without obligatory dog or two  Makes my day when fellas dad turns up with his two!

Pan


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## YasandCrystal (1 March 2012)

The patterdale has been castrated too. He has just started 'listening' he is about 3 now. Funnily enough he won't do anything naughty when hubby is about - he knows he will get a very swift and hard boot. It is a hard thin line gaining a dog's respect and for hubby it works by just being really dominant over them all. I give them an inch and they take a mile.

I did protest at the dog walker whose (beautiful as it was) ridgeback pup was off lead. I even shouted to him to grab his dog before it approached mine. It was a do gooder jogger that gave me a mouthful saying he was an ***** dangerous dog and should be muzzled. That really angered me as it was summer and as I said a park in which dogs have to be kept on leads. I refuse to muzzle my dog for he sake of some twit who doesn't follow the park rules. 
The same patterdale showed amazing recall when one of my stupid hens flew into the back garden almost directly into the dog - he grabbed it but dropped and left on command - she survived the ouncture wounds thankfully


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## PandorasJar (1 March 2012)

YasandCrystal said:



			The patterdale has been castrated too. He has just started 'listening' he is about 3 now. Funnily enough he won't do anything naughty when hubby is about - he knows he will get a very swift and hard boot. It is a hard thin line gaining a dog's respect and for hubby it works by just being really dominant over them all. I give them an inch and they take a mile.

I did protest at the dog walker whose (beautiful as it was) ridgeback pup was off lead. I even shouted to him to grab his dog before it approached mine. It was a do gooder jogger that gave me a mouthful saying he was an ***** dangerous dog and should be muzzled. That really angered me as it was summer and as I said a park in which dogs have to be kept on leads. I refuse to muzzle my dog for he sake of some twit who doesn't follow the park rules. 
The same patterdale showed amazing recall when one of my stupid hens flew into the back garden almost directly into the dog - he grabbed it but dropped and left on command - she survived the ouncture wounds thankfully 

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lol animals are good at trying to get away with murder!

I agree that in a situation where all dogs should be on a lead and under control that muzzling in the heat of the summer is not something to be done if not necessary! Like on the farm, I always had to spell out to the owner that as good as their dog may be, our animals were not there to be scared and wound up... same goes with yours, if the dog is winding another up it is out of control! 

Aw glad the chicken was okay. My friends collie rounds up her chickens and then legs it when they take offense and turn on him!

Pan


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## applecart14 (1 March 2012)

So very sad.  Just highlights the danger of out of control dogs and horses. My own horse was 'attacked' by a staffy many years ago and bitten, the horse eventually kicked the dog after the owner failed to pull the dog of the horse during the prolonged attack and the dogs jaw smashed - guessing the dog was pts - the owner made off after a neighbour came running over with a shovel to beat the dog off my horse.  A year ago my present horse was chased on three ocassions by the same dog over riding club grounds, the riding club would not intervene and the situation was allowed to continue.  Now the same horse is being 'herded' by someones dog at the yard he is kept at.  The situation is frightening and very worrying.  Dogs are out of control everywhere.  It has made me quite paranoid about riding out in public.

It makes me upset thinking about the horrible end to thehorses' life too (sorry Owner if you ever read this).  All I can hope is that she didn't feel as much pain as we assume she would do, due to the adrenalin which would no doubt have been pumping through her at the time.  I hope the dog is tracked down, destroyed and the owner held accountable. The dog must have shown agression previously, so why did the owner not do something about it?  If you have an agressive dog in public either muzzle it or don't take it out in public.  End of.  Period.


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