Here are a few simple tips for taking pet photos that will elevate your results. These tools can be used by all levels of photographers with any type of equipment, from phone cameras to mirrorless or professional DSLR cameras.

Reviewing Your Pet Photos

Modern cameras, both digital and phone, have many advantages over the old film equipment of the past, the most useful being the ability to instantly view your results—no more waiting several days to see if you captured your friend on her horse at the last show without cropping her head off.

You can now study your composition, timing, and focus in the camera before continuing to snap away. This tool can be the key between creating an ordinary photo or an inspiring image that excites the viewer and perhaps wins a photo contest!

By looking at the image in the camera and asking yourself, “How does it look, and how can I make it better?” you can check for proper focus as well as distractions in the background, and then recompose your image to improve its overall appeal.

Here a few key things to think about when taking pet photos, as well as shooting and reviewing the images in your camera.

Selecting a Subject

Good photos start with good subjects. Dirty spots on a horse, tangled and matted hair on a dog, or bold logos on clothing can be distracting and will take the attention away from your subjects. Take the time to prepare your models, if possible, before taking pet photos.

◆ Horse/Dog: Should be well turned out and clean.

◆ Tack/Equipment: Should be well fitting, clean and in good repair.

◆ Rider/Handler: Safe, simple and neat clothing is best; avoid logos and words on shirts. Shirts should be tucked and buttoned.

Background

Avoid busy backgrounds that take the viewer’s attention away from your subjects when taking pet photos.

Choose a simple and clean background and place your subjects a decent distance in front of your backdrop to draw more attention to them.

◆ Blurred Background: Blurred backgrounds can be achieved by adjusting your camera aperture (the opening where light enters the camera) to around f/2 to f/5.6—the smaller the number the bigger the opening, which allows more light in. This is good if you’re in a darker lighting situation or if you want to blur the background. Or you can use portrait mode on a point-and-shoot or phone camera. This decreases the depth of field and will give more detail to your subject, blurring out what is behind it. The farther away your background is from your subject, the more blurred it will be.

◆ Black Background: A black background can easily be achieved by placing your subject in front of an open barn or indoor arena doorway with the sun shining directly into the door. Place your subject just in front of the shadow where the light will hit them, and make sure any lights in the arena or barn are turned off.

◆ Framing: Take pet photos to the next level by using something to frame your subject, such as a doorway, window, or trees. This can add to your image and attract the viewers’ attention even more towards your subject.

◆ Distractions: Watch for things such as fence lines or trees poking out from the top or side of the subject. We’ve all seen plenty of images of a tree unfortunately growing out of someone’s head.

Composition

◆ Heroes, Friends and Villains: When taking pet photos, think of your subject as the Hero and everything else as ether Friends or Villains. Friends support the hero and villains distract from it.

Villains should be removed either physically, such as relocating a blue bucket or pile of manure, or by zooming in and/or recomposing your image to take it out of the frame. To recompose your image, try moving a few feet in one direction or another to shoot a different angle so you can avoid things you don’t want in the background.

◆ Rule of Thirds: If you break an image into thirds both vertically and horizontally, the human eye is naturally drawn toward the intersection of those lines. The rule states that something of interest should fall on one of those intersections, as opposed to smack-dab in the center of the photo.

Overall Appeal

◆ Mood and Interaction: Mood and/or interaction can bring an emotional feeling to an image and tell a story. By setting up your shot, reviewing it on the camera, and adjusting anything that needs to be adjusted, you will be ready for that special moment.

◆ Action: Stopping motion is more technical and difficult. Point-and-shoot cameras have a sports mode, which tells the camera that you want to stop a moving target, allowing the camera to automatically set a higher shutter speed.

On more sophisticated cameras, you have shutter priority. This means you select the shutter speed, and the camera will alter the aperture depending on your lighting conditions. Shutter speed is calculated in fractions of a second, and the minimum shutter speed needed to stop a horse or dog in motion is a 500th of a second or higher.

Many higher-end cameras also have continuous focus or continuous tracking, which allows you to track the subject in motion, keeping it in focus at all times. The faster the speed you use, the more light is required, so it’s best to shoot action on a bright sunny day.
Happy shooting!

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Amid the growing concerns around the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) is providing pet care tips to keep animals safe during a human health crisis and encourage pet owners to include pets in their emergency plans.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 infection results from human to human transmission. Likewise, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has stated that there is no evidence that domestic dogs or cats [or horses] can spread the disease or have become ill with the virus.

“The ASPCA is committed to prioritizing the health and safety of pets and their owners, and we are closely monitoring developments related to COVID-19,” said Stephanie Janeczko, DVM, MS, Dipl. ABVP, CAWA, vice president of ASPCA Shelter Medicine Services. “A pet’s first line of defense is a well-prepared owner, and we strongly encourage pet owners to take the necessary precautions and incorporate pets into their preparedness plans to keep their family—including their pets—healthy.”

The ASPCA is urging pet owners to take the following the following pet care tips [these can be just as useful with horses]:

Wash Your Hands

Although there is no current evidence that suggests the coronavirus can be transmitted to or from companion animals, it’s always a good idea to follow basic hygiene practices around animals. This includes washing your hands thoroughly throughout the day and before and after direct contact with your pets, their food or their supplies.

Play It Safe

While there have not been any reports of companion animals becoming sick from the virus, it is still recommended that people who are sick with COVID-19 limit contact with companion animals until more information is available. If you are sick or under medical attention for COVID-19, you should avoid close contact with your pets and have another member of your household care for your animals. If you must look after your pet, you should maintain good hygiene practices and wear a face mask, if possible.

Stock Up on Pet Supplies

Prepare a kit with essential supplies to have on hand in the event of an emergency. Your emergency kit should include a 30-day supply of your pets’ medications, as well as at least two weeks’ worth of food and other supplies, like litter. Make sure all pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identification information. Your pet’s ID tag should contain his name, telephone number and any urgent medical needs. Be sure to also write your pet’s name, your name and contact information on your pet’s carrier.

Designate an Emergency Caregiver

Proactively identify someone who could help with their short- or long-term care in the event you are unable to care for your pets. Consider a family member, friend, neighbor or a boarding facility.

Create a Pet Dossier

If your emergency caregiver’s assistance is needed, make it easier for them by having all of your pets’ information in one place. Consider including things like habits, food preferences, medical conditions and medications taken, veterinarian contact information, medical and vaccination records, and any behavioral tendencies.

For more information on ASPCA pet care tips and safety information related to cooronavirus, please visit www.aspca.org.

Complete COVID-19 Coverage

The post ASPCA Shares Pet Care Tips to Keep Animals Safe During Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

No matter where you are, here are our top 8 safety tips for your barn dog to keep them out of trouble:

• For our first tip on barn dog safety, your dog should know how to reliably come when called and greet strangers without being aggressive or overexcited before even coming to the barn.
• If your dog is a barker, you’ll need to train a “quiet” command.Even if you have your own barn or your boarding barn allows dogs off-leash, keep your dog on a leash for the first several visits. It’s a new environment, and even well-behaved dogs can get excited by all the new people, animals and smells.
• Use a short leash, around 6 feet. Don’t use a retractable leash, which can get entangled and cause injury.

  

• Introduce your dog to horses slowly, preferably using a horse who is already familiar with dogs. If your dog shows any signs of aggression, back off immediately but calmly, and refocus your dog’s attention on something else.
• Remember that if your horse—or any of the horses at your barn—aren’t used to dogs, they may become scared or even aggressive at the sight of yours, so always be vigilant and pay attention to what’s happening around you. Don’t let your dog greet horses unsupervised, even if he’s used to your horse.
• Dogs like to eat some pretty gross things, including hoof trimmings and manure. Some types of equine dewormer or medication are toxic to dogs, and an enthusiastic dog might hoover up a horseshoe nail while snacking on hoof trimmings. Don’t let your dog treat the barn like a buffet!
• For our eighth tip on barn dog safety, no matter how well-trained they are, some dogs will never be totally reliable around horses due to their herding or protective instincts. Don’t force it. If your dog or horse are agitated and nervous at the sight of each other, everyone will be happier if your dog stays safely home while you’re with your horse.

Read more about caring for barn dogs and barn cats >>

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2019 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post 8 Barn Dog Safety Tips appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

There’s something about horse people and their dogs. Walk into the aisle of most barns and you’re probably going to find a dog or two accompanying the day-to-day routine of horse life.

But it’s a relationship that doesn’t always work—you might have a reactive dog or a horse that’s terrified by an animal much smaller than him. Here are some things to consider before introducing your dog into your barn lifestyle.

Basic Manners

Think about handling things with your dog the same way you do with your horse. You wouldn’t take a horse that’s not even green-broke to a show and expect to bring home a blue ribbon, would you? The same goes for dogs: without basic training practices, your dog won’t know how to behave when he is introduced to the wonderful world of barn smells, noises and animals.

“Before introducing your dog to a new environment, it’s helpful to train a few basic behaviors,” says Mandy Eakins, a horse lover and dog trainer who runs Manners Matter Dog Training and Daycare in Nicholasville, Ky.

Eakins shares a few things you should work on at home in order to create a solid foundation with your dog anywhere, not just at the barn.

• A strong sit behavior.
• Eye contact with the owner on cue.
• Leash manners: this includes bathroom behaviors on leash, sitting to greet a stranger, and loose-leash walking.
• Crate manners: this makes hotel stays, trailer time and stall time safe, enjoyable, and less stressful for dog and human.
• Having a good recall: If your dog starts to chase after something or goes off somewhere, you want to be able to call his name and have an efficient response. “The dog should respond happily to his name by turning and looking at the owner,” says Eakins.

Leashing the Beast

“Good leash manners are also important because it’s safest to bring the dog into the area on leash,” Eakins continues. “A well-trained focus and attention cue is also helpful to be able to pull the dog’s attention away from horses and onto the owner.”

And while we’re on the topic of being on leash, she reminds dog owners that if there’s a sign stating “All Dogs Must be on a Leash,” you should abide by that rule.

“There are very few occasions I can advocate for a dog being off leash in a public area,” says Eakins. “Not only is having a dog off-leash a safety concern for the dog, but for those around him.

Golf carts, cars, children, litter on the ground, other dogs, people, and horses are all safety concerns for off-leash dogs. By having your dog on a leash, you eliminate the possibly of your dog getting too far away and putting himself in harm’s way. The best advice for having a dog stay by your side is to have him on a leash. There are options for leashes that attach to the body that give you hands-free options for keeping your dog tethered.”

Retractable leashes should be avoided at the barn. “Even with the leash ‘locked’ in, a dog can pull hard enough to break that lock and chase a horse,” says Erin Dean, trainer and owner of Frontier K9 Training in Central Indiana. “The cord can get wrapped around legs and cause burns or even cuts into the skin. My suggestion would be to stick to using a 6-foot leather lead at all times.”

Making Introductions

There is no real timeline for how long it will take to get your dog used to being around horses. For some, it might take one day to know what he can and can’t do. For others, it might take weeks. In some cases, there are dogs that can never be trusted around horses.

Take your time introducing your dog to your horse and the barn area. Be aware of the time of day you bring Fido to the farm. You don’t want to overstimulate him by bringing him out while the horses are running around the pasture because they were just turned out, as that might trigger your dog’s instinct to chase prey.

Keeping your dog on a leash will allow you to have control over how close he can get to the horses. If you have to do something that involves taking your attention away from Fido, place him in a crate where he can watch or in a stall.

“When introducing a dog to horses, it’s important to be proactive in management versus reactive to behavior,” says Eakins. “Setting up the introduction to minimize reaction is important. The key is to create distance between the dog and the horses to allow the dog to slowly acclimate. Using lots of rewards such as treats, praise and a happy voice to create a positive association with the new environment is an important part of introductions.”

You might consider starting the introduction in the barn with the horses tucked safely in their stalls and your dog beside you on leash. Both horses and dogs are curious creatures. Sniffing is all right; just watch your dog’s behavior—are his hackles starting to stand up? Is he starting to growl? Is his tail tucked between his hind legs, or is it wagging side to side? What about your horse? Are his ears pinned or are they pricked forward?

Don’t let your dog get to your horse’s legs or feet where he could nip at them or the horse could strike out and potentially hurt the dog. Keeping distance and being vigilant in your observation is key.

Eakins recommends keeping the initial meetings between dog and horse short and sweet. Allow the dog to sniff the horse, then call him away and reward with a treat and praise, then allow another short meeting between the two. Repeat a few more times.

However, don’t push the meetings—if your horse or dog isn’t feeling the connection right away, pushing it won’t make it better. Take your time in order to develop a positive relationship.

Know the Limits

As a horse and dog lover, you dream of the days you can ride your horse along the trail with your trusty canine sidekick trotting beside you. But the reality is sometimes the two won’t mix.

For example, I have two dogs with different reactions to horses. Dally, my Corgi, is generally very vigilant of the distance between the horse and herself, and tries to maintain that distance. She’ll sit in the middle of the area where I’m riding and watch until I tell her, “OK,” then she’ll run alongside quietly. Because she is a herding dog, her instincts kick into high gear when I turn our horses out in the morning, so she’s locked up in a stall at that time.

Then there’s LaMesa. She is a very reactive Swedish Vallhund who doesn’t know what limits are, no matter the level of training (both of my dogs compete in agility events). The sight of horses causes her to start barking and she wants to nip at their heels. She’s only allowed at the barn if the horses aren’t nearby or they’re in their stalls, and she remains locked in a stall while I ride.

Meanwhile, my sister’s Belgian Malinois listens very well (he’s a retired police K-9). He definitely knows his limits, so he can be around horses any time and isn’t very reactive.

If you keep your horse at a boarding barn, be sure to check with the barn owner to see what the policies are for dogs. And speak with your fellow boarders—just because your horse is fine with dogs, someone else’s might not be. It’s important to respect these concerns so that everyone can continue enjoying the barn, whether human, equine or canine.

About the Expert

Mandy Eakins, KPA, CTP, is a professional dog trainer and dog sport competitor based in Nicholasville, Ky. She has been training dogs for the last 18 years and opened Manners Matter Dog Training and Day Care (www.mannersmatterky.com), serving clients in the central Kentucky area.

Mandy has trained and certified dogs in search and rescue, as well as titled multiple dogs in conformation, agility, competitive obedience and field work. With a background as a veterinary technician and working with several rescue groups, she sees the importance of basic manners and training on dogs to ensure a happy relationship between dog and owner.

This article about barn dogs originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Barn Dog Basics appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials gets underway in Stamford, England, today with two days of dressage followed by what is sure to be an exciting cross-country day on Saturday.

But before the horses and riders tackle the scenic course designed by Capt. Mark Phillips, a different group of four-legged athletes gave it a test run. Meet the dogs of Burghley.

The dogs make easy work of the first fence, the Olympic legacy, which you may recognize from London 2012 where it was the final fence on the Olympic cross-country course.

The waterdogs enjoy a splash through fence 4, Burghley’s iconic Lion Bridge, and fence 5, the Anniversary Splash.

Fences 9, 10, and 11 are a new section of the course called Storm Doris, named after the massive winter storm that downed the trees that now make up the jumps here. It’s also a good place to take a break, if you’re a dog.

Some of the more athletic canines show off their gravity-defying hops at the objectively terrifying Cottesmore Leap, although hopefully the equine competitors don’t follow their example of dropping into the three-meter ditch rather than jumping across and over it.

Fence 18 and 19, a brainteaser of oxers, ditches, and airy corners for horses and riders, makes for a fun playground for the dogs. (Will there be an actual ball pit on cross-country day, though?)

There’s another chance for dogs—but hopefully not riders—to cool off with a splash in the Land Rover Trout Hatchery at fences 22 and 23.

The penultimate fence, the picnic table, is a good place to take a break (if you’re not being timed) before finishing the journey with fence 34, the Land Rover finale.

If you want to see how horses handle the course, tune in to the 2017 Burghley live stream, available worldwide at the official Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials Facebook page now through Sunday, September 3.

Leslie Potter is a writer and photographer based in Lexington, Kentucky. www.lesliepotterphoto.com

The post Featured Video: The Burghley Horse Trials…with dogs. appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

But don’t underestimate the potential danger of combining these two animals, because dogs around horses can be a serious safety concern. But with a little bit of precaution and training, you can usually make it work.

Focus on training

It might seem obvious, but your dog’s basic training and manners need to be solid before you even consider bringing him into a horsey situation.

Think about the proper ground behaviors that we work on and expect of our horses: to lead quietly without pulling, to respect our space, to stop when we ask, and (if possible), to not become overly spooked about new objects and situations. We work hard to train our horses, and most of us wouldn’t dream of allowing our horses to strain on their lead ropes and drag us over to a new horse. Yet we sometimes neglect the same training when it comes to our dogs.

Many dogs are permitted to bark non-stop, pull hard on the leash, or refuse to come when called. It can be easy to be “blinded” by your affection for your canine (“He just wants to have fun! Come here, boy! Come! Come! Come…”). But to keep things safe, it’s important to evaluate your dog’s obedience.

Before your dog ever sets paw on the stable grounds, he needs these skills:

• Walk respectfully on the leash without pulling or straining.
• Be able to greet strangers calmly and without excessive eagerness.
• He should have a reliable recall in case he gets loose.
• It’s also highly valuable if your dog knows a “be quiet” command to control his barking (this can be difficult to train—especially for certain dog breeds—but very helpful in the stable environment).

Basically, he needs to have his basic obedience and socialization skills down pat.

Take it slow

Your dog’s first trips to the barn should be on-leash only—this is a new situation with new sights and new smells, and even if he is predictable in other environments, you never know what might excite him around the barn.

Introduce him to things calmly and gradually—watching barn life from a distance at first, then closer up, then actually “meeting” a horse, etc… The first meeting between canine and equine should be a very controlled one. Ideally, you’ll use a veteran horse that is already acclimated to dogs so that you’re only introducing one new variable into the mix instead of two. Your dog might react timidly, or he might become defensive, so you’ll want to monitor his mood carefully.

Offering treats during and after a successful encounter can also help. Only much later, after your dog has become completely acclimated to barn life, should you consider letting him go off-leash, and only then with the permission of the barn owner.

The post Barn Dog Safety appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

With effort from the human handler, a dog can learn that horses are not to be chased, stalked or barked at. It’s that effort, though, that so many people struggle with.

If you own equines and canines, and are coping with compatibility issues, here are some training tips to help everyone in the barn get along.

A Dog’s First Encounter

When introducing a “green” dog to horses, experts say you need to begin, well, at the beginning. The first between-species meeting is going to set the tone for the relationship.

“Pick a horse that’s dog savvy for the first meeting,” says Pam Dennison, veteran dog trainer and founder of Positive Motivation Dog Training in Belvidere, N.J.

Dennison uses horses that won’t react to a dog that’s barking or behaving nervously. The idea is similar to pairing a green rider with a seasoned horse—at least one of them knows the drill.

If you can do this exercise while the dog is still a puppy, the introduction will probably go much smoother because a puppy has fewer negative behaviors to un-teach.

Introductions of any kind should start with the dog on a leash. Robert DeFranco, board certified companion animal behaviorist with the Association of Companion Animal Behavior Counselors, suggests putting the dog in a Gentle Leader head collar. Using the head collar, DeFranco says you can control the dog “very easily and very gently.”

The last thing you want is for your dog to get hurt or feel pain by means of inhumane restraint. He will associate that pain with meeting the horse, and this will become a negative experience.

Having the dog under your control is essential because “horses are obviously flight animals, unlike a dog that’s a social animal. You’re going to have a dog coming up to a horse faster than a horse will approach the dog,” DeFranco says.

You don’t want the dog approaching too quickly and spooking the horse, as the dog can feed off that energy and kick into predatory mode, so start from a distance first. “Lots of treats, lots of play, lots of petting to pair good associations with the horse,” says Dennison, who is also a certified dog behavior consultant with the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.

As the dog shows you signs that he’s OK with a horse 30 feet away, slowly get closer. When the dog and horse are finally face to face, let them sniff each other. Dogs base much of their judgment on smell, so they need time to know what to make of this large, looming animal.

Don’t let the dog spend too much time sniffing at first. Dogs will often get scared of something they’re not sure of and start barking or get aggressive. So, let him sniff the horse, then call the dog away, give more treats, praise and play, and go back for another short meeting. If you keep the dog busy, you won’t give him time to get scared.

Throughout the process, Dennison cautions, keep it slow. If there is the slightest sign of fear or aggression from the dog, increase your distance, keep up the positive association, and try again.

If the dog does react negatively, it’s important not to punish him. Yelling and punishment can be confusing to a dog, and he will only associate that with the overall experience. Instead, find opportunities to use positive reinforcement and try to pay close attention to your dog’s attitude so you can stop a negative reaction before it starts.

A Dog with a Past

Not everyone brings a dog home as a puppy. If you are considering getting an adult dog from a shelter, his past is probably a mystery. If horses are an important part of your life, the dog you bring home needs to be compatible with them.

“Before bringing a dog home permanently, I’d want to make sure that dog was good with horses,” Dennison points out. “It would be like if you have kids and you get a shelter dog; you’re not going to get one that’s not good with kids.”

Many shelters will let you take the dog for a trial period. That’s a good time to try the introduction exercise with him.

“Get to know the signs and the expressions of your dog and your horse. If you see a problem, stop right then and try to introduce them slowly,” DeFranco says.

If you’re unsure about fear or aggression signs that you need to watch for, ask for assistance from a trainer, veterinarian or behaviorist.

“We’re usually called in when there’s a problem,” DeFranco continues, but he has also been asked to visit a shelter or work with a family in choosing a dog.

Working with Problem Horses

Sometimes it’s not the dog that needs to be slowly introduced to the horse. If there’s a bad canine experience ingrained in a horse’s brain, he’ll need a careful reintroduction to dogs.

The process is similar to the dog’s first meeting with a horse. You want to be sure the dog you choose for the reintroduction is not going to react to the horse’s nervousness.

Start again with the dog on the leash some distance from the horse. Have someone else working with the horse, by feeding treats, grooming, or doing something else that the horse enjoys. This is called operant conditioning.

DeFranco says the horse is thinking, “When this animal [dog] is around things are good, so I’ll tolerate this animal.”

“I think I’ve learned with my work with horses [that they] learn much faster than dogs do,” Dennison says. “What I’ve also learned with horses, every single one of them, is that you cannot use food exclusively as a reward past the first 15-20 minutes of training because they become pushy around food.”

The dog should only approach as the horse remains relaxed. When they are face to face, it’s as important for the horse to sniff the dog and vice-versa. Keep the dog away from the horse’s back legs, and keep an eye on both animals’ body language to gauge whether the situation is about to turn bad.

“The dog’s temperament is critical,” DeFranco says. At this point, if the horse spooks or has a negative reaction, and then the dog reacts negatively, you have to start all over.

Controlling the Environment

Let’s say you’ve brought home a dog that turns out to not be OK with horses. Or maybe you got a dog as a puppy but did everything wrong, so now you can’t trust the dog around the barn. These things happen. You don’t have to get rid of the dog; you just have to control his environment.

“Dogs are naturally inquisitive and will often chase something that runs,” including horses, DeFranco says.

This might be a predatory behavior, or the dog just might be having fun. Either way, you can use certain types of pasture fence to keep out roaming dogs.

If your dog is only a problem during feeding time, feed the horses in the barn with the doors closed so the dog can’t enter.

If the dog nips at a horse’s heels as you’re leading, keep the dog in the house, in a kennel or on a tie-out line while you’re turning out.

Herding “is a behavior that’s instinctively bred into some dogs, but you can train a dog not to herd the horses through behavior modification,” says Lisa Peterson, long-time horse person and American Kennel Club (AKC) spokesperson. “Give the dog another job at the barn. Make sure the dog has enough activity so that he doesn’t invent behaviors on his own.”

If you board your horses make sure that when you bring your dog to the barn, you’re following barn rules.

“Just because your horse is OK with dogs, you shouldn’t assume that other people’s horses are, too,” Peterson says. “A lot of people love to go to the barn and let their dogs run loose,” she continues. “You really need to supervise the dog to make sure he doesn’t roam, get into a fight with neighboring dogs, or frighten a young horse.”

A little bit of effort on your part can go a long way toward having peace in the barnyard between your horses and dogs.

Liked this article? Here are more dog and horse resources:
Choosing a Barn Dog
The Dog and Horse Training Connection
Dogs and Horses

This article originally appeared in the July 2007 issue of Horse Illustrated. Click here to subscribe.

The post Must Love Dogs…and Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

From cowdogs to coach dogs, the canine species has a long history of interacting with horses and people. Dogs of all kinds take part in activities such as fox hunting, herding, road trials and trail rides, all of which bring them in contact with horses. Certain breeds—Corgis, Dalmatians, Fox Terriers, Jack Russell Terriers—seem to have a special affinity for horses, but just about any dog can learn to safely accompany horses, and most horses can become accustomed to the presence of dogs.

Ride-along Requirements

The qualities a dog needs are physical and mental soundness, a calm and quiet demeanor around livestock, and the ability to respond to commands from an owner on horseback. Also take into account the dog’s personality. Some dogs are more dependent than others on being with people. They never run ahead to follow a scent or chase a rabbit. This type of dog is easy to ride with, although that’s not to say you can’t train a more independent-minded dog to be your trail companion.

A horse should be calm enough not to spook at the sight of a dog appearing out of brush or tall grass and shouldn’t be a kicker, for the safety of a dog following along behind it. Consider your horse’s experience level as well as your relationship with him. Does he have a sensible attitude? Is he easily controlled? Has he encountered a variety of different situations and reacted with little or no spooking? Are the two of you in tune with each other?

Before horse and dog encounter each other, your dog should readily respond to the commands sit, down, stay and come. Voice control is a must; you shouldn’t have to repeat commands before the dog obeys, and he should be trustworthy off leash. Take him to an obedience class and work with him frequently at home until he’s letter-perfect. Then he’s ready to accompany you to the barn while you’re doing chores.

Types of Dogs

The herding breeds are smart and easy to train, and being around large animals is part of their heritage. The important thing is to make sure they don’t try to herd the horses, unless that is what you ask. For instance, some horse owners use dogs to herd horses into trailers.Sporting breeds such as retrievers and pointers are often used for hunting on horseback. They too are intelligent and easily trained and make excellent riding companions.Hounds are more independent and may range out on their own, but they have a lot of stamina. They generally have a laid-back temperament that makes them good around horses. A sight hound will enjoy the opportunity to stretch his legs and gallop along with the horse—at least for a while.

Like the herding and sporting dogs, working breeds such as Doberman Pinschers and Standard or Giant Schnauzers take well to training and have the temperament to get along with horses.

Among the non-sporting dogs are Dalmatians, the gold standard horse dog. The Dalmatian’s history as a coach and firehouse dog give him a longstanding affiliation with horses, and the Dalmatian Club of America even offers road work titles that test the dog’s ability to trot alongside horses for long distances. Other non-sporting breeds that might do well around horses are Miniature and Standard Poodles.

Terriers are high-energy dogs and aren’t the easiest to train. Nonetheless, Fox Terriers and Jack Russell Terriers are frequently found in the company of horses and can make good riding companions.

Even toy breeds have been known to fare well around horses. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are often associated with horses, and one rider reports that her Pekingese often goes trail riding with her. (If the dog get tired, it rides in her lap.)

Good Dogs

Remind your dog not to get too close and to stay out from underfoot—yours and the horse’s. The time together also allows your horse to get used to the dog. This is a good time to start teaching the command get out—used in herding—which tells the dog to move out farther and wider. This command will come in handy on rides when the dog gets too close. Another useful command is down, which your dog should be willing to perform even at a distance. You may need to use it if the dog is heading toward something dangerous or if you simply want him to wait until you catch up. Work with a dog trainer or herding expert to teach these commands.

The next step is to practice obedience exercises in a pasture or other safe area. The practice sessions will help your dog feel comfortable being so close to the horse and will accustom the horse to watching out for the dog so he doesn’t step on him. Teach the dog to sit on leash while you mount and not to cross in front of the horse when he’s moving. If you live or ride in an area where it’s not safe to let the dog off leash, use a long lead or a longe line and teach the dog to stay on your left.

Safety is Serious

Take some precautions to ensure the well-being of both of your animals. These safety measures include making sure the line is long enough so the horse doesn’t step on the dog, and anticipating situations that could spook or excite the animals and cause dog and horse to become entangled. Encounters with livestock—especially if you’re riding with a herding dog—other dogs or wildlife are all potentially spooky situations. Naturally, you can’t predict when such things will occur, but you should have a plan in mind so you can react quickly. Practice telling your dog to sit or down unexpectedly, so that he learns to respond instantly. Ranchers may have no compunction about shooting dogs that harass livestock, so your dog’s willingness to follow orders can mean the difference between life and death.

Even if you’re comfortable letting your dog accompany you off leash (preferably in an off-road area), you’ll still want to be able to keep track of him, especially if you’re riding in high grass or if your dog likes to explore on his own. Attach a small cowbell to the dog’s collar, and you’ll be able to hear him from a distance. Call him back regularly so you know he’s all right. Returning to your signal is good practice for him, and it’s just good sense to have a dog that comes when you call, no matter what.

Under most circumstances, dogs can accompany horse and rider without any problems. Injuries or even the dog’s death can occur, though, if the situation gets out of hand. Veterinarian Deb Eldredge of Burrstone Animal Hospital in New Hartford, New York, has seen dogs die or suffer fractured skulls, broken ribs or legs after a kick from a horse. “Almost always this is a dog ‘worrying’ the horse,” she says. Her advice? Don’t let your dog around horses except in controlled situations. Even a trained dog can make mistakes and may not recognize an unfriendly horse or an unsafe situation. This is especially important around busy boarding and riding facilities, for the safety of your dog as well as other horses and riders. Always know where your dog is and don’t allow him to become a danger to himself and others.

Nonetheless, the pleasures of riding with a dog far outweigh the risks. Eldredge says, “When I look back over my life so far, some of the best moments were out riding on a gorgeous day with my horse Trouble and my dog Cyrus: being out in nature with man’s two best friends.”

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