Re: Australian Cattledog & horses

[TStampke <zebella@northrim.net>]

> Karen Wendt wrote: 
> She's not aggressive with us or our other dogs but she does like to
> "play" and I'm wondering if that's what she's attempting to do when
> she jumps up at the horses nose?
> Anyone else have a problem with behavior in their heeler toward
> horses?
>  
 
Heeling dogs come in 2 forms.....headers and heelers.....what you have
is a header!  No, I'm not joking <G>  While most heelers will "heel" ie
chase and nip from behind, only the most aggessive will go to the head
and grab the cows by the nose to turn/stop them (or in this
case...horse)

Headers are actually worth more money (to cattlemen) since a header can
usually be taught to also heel, but a heeler can rarely be taught to
head...the aggressiveness is either there, or it isn't.

I think you will have a heck of a time breaking her of it too <G> my
advice would be to keep her away from the horses.

Now, back to endurance.....someone tell me how long they take getting
their horses back in shape in the spring?  Or if you have a previously
conditioned horse, do you just start back with slow 50's?  Can't I
consider them walking thru 4-5 feet of snow in their pasture
"conditioning?" <G>

Tracy