A rider who experienced two dog attacks in two weeks on the same beach is imploring owners to keep their pets on leads.
Faye Malachie (pictured, below) said it was lucky she was on a “pretty bombproof” horse on New Year’s Day when two loose dogs ran between his legs and tried to bite as this incident ended without injury when the dogs ran back to their owner.
But on 13 January, when she was on the same beach with a friend also called Faye (pictured, above), she was not so lucky.
“We were having a canter when suddenly, Faye came absolutely flying past me and I thought ‘What’s she doing?’” Faye Malachie told H&H.
“A dog had come running up and was chasing us. Her horse Bobby is a youngster; he panicked and bolted.”
Faye Malachie’s horse Red, who belongs to a client at her livery yard, took off after Bobby and it was a while before the riders could pull up.
“The dog got trampled at one point as it got in front of us, but it got back up and for about five minutes, was running after us, trying to bite the horses,” Faye said. “It got kicked, but it did manage to bite Faye’s horse twice.”
Faye said the owner caught up but that he had another dog, also loose, which also started barking at the horses. Eventually, he got both under control.
“Faye’s horse had blood pouring out of his mouth where he’d bitten his tongue; it was all a bit traumatic,” Faye said.
“I asked the owner if I should get off and he said ‘No, because the dog might bite you’. I think the dog had just seen red and don’t know, it might have bitten me.”
Bobby had to have physio treatment for muscle issues caused during the incident, and about a week off work, although none of the bites became infected, Faye said.
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She added that she had not reported the incident, as all she had to go on was that the dog was a lurcher type, but said she may still do so, to flag the issue.
“I’ve had so many people messaging me to say they’ve been attacked by dogs; on bridleways as well as the beach,” she said.
“People need to make sure they’ve got their dogs on leads if they see a horse or they’re in an enclosed space and can’t see what’s coming.
“This dog was trampled and injured; you don’t want to see any animal hurt.”
Dog attackes can be reported to the British Horse Society on its website.
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