Re: RC: Re: Castle Rock Ride/dogs

[SoulsSerenade@aol.com]

I ride a lot in the community forest by my house.  Everybody uses the trails to ride their bikes, walk their dogs....whatever.  It's pretty common for us to encounter a dog on the trail.  And usually, they are loose because....c'mon...if you were a dog, what would be the fun of having to hang out at your owner's heels the whole time?  If the dogs get too friendly, and think they might want to sniff around at our horse's ankles, we don't get too worried about it.  Hey, if the horse does decide to kick out (which is pretty unlikely...they're used to dogs), the dog learns his lesson.  
If a dog comes charging down the trail towards us, yipping and howling, with the thought in his head that he can fight my horse to the death, I just tell my little mare to charge back.  As we trot towards the dog, his look of aggression usually turns to "ohhhh my gawd.....I'd better get out a heeeeeere"....
I don't have a dog (I know, I know...but my mom says the horse is enough) so I obviously never take one with me riding.  Sometimes, when I ride at the beach with my friend, he brings his big macho dog, Sparky.  When Mr. Sparky sees another dog, they perform the ritual "sniff sniff here, sniff sniff there" and then decide if they'll be friends or not.  If it looks like there isn't going to be a friendship forming within the next few moments, my friend does a little flying dismount off of his saddle and rounds up the dog.  It usually works.  Most dogs are smart enough to know they aren't much of a match for the big guy.  
Renee