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| Attacked on Horseback | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26th, 2012 08:43 pm |
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21st Post |
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Lakota Ranch Hand 
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You might check into getting the large can of pepper spray made for defense against grizzly bear attacks. It would stop Pit Bulls and people too. I think they come with a nylon pouch/holster that you can put on your belt so it's handy. http://www.outfitterssupply.com sells it and they say it's legal to carry within the boundaries of a national park.
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26th, 2012 07:45 pm |
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22nd Post |
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jato G.O.G Community Member 
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I'm going to get some mace.I ride alone all the time and have been worried about something hapening.I ride at Acadia national park and the dogs run loose all the time,and we have a leash law. I'm afraid if I had a gun it my go off by mistake and shoot me or my horse.But if that had hapend to me and I had a gun I would have killed them with no problem.
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26th, 2012 03:35 pm |
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23rd Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand 
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I just read that black bears are thriving in 90 of the 95 counties in Va and I heard at some point the the the mountains of VA have the highest concentration of bears per acre on the east coast.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26th, 2012 03:01 pm |
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24th Post |
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SPOTD RIDR G.O.G Community Member 
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Karen we actually have came across a black bear while riding in VA. I noticed Cruz kept looking up the mountain side so I started looking too about that time it started running down the hill towards us, all I seen was big black hairy legs and I hollared at Jerry BEAR! we took off running up the trail and stopped in the big group of riders that were ahead of us and told them, one of the guys said big black hairy legs ? oh that was just my ex wife, LOL. Then the next few riders came up saying a bear just came off the hillside and ran out onto the trail and just stood there looking at them, they hollared and it ran on down the mountain. A friend that rides up there all the time carries a whistle around her neck she has came across them so many times.
____________________ JoAngela "Jo" |
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26th, 2012 12:25 pm |
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25th Post |
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TessieBAgain G.O.G Community Member 
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Lakota wrote:His website is http://www.horsethink.com . Thank you!
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| Posted: Sun Feb 26th, 2012 07:11 am |
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26th Post |
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Lakota Ranch Hand
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His website is http://www.horsethink.com .
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25th, 2012 11:12 pm |
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27th Post |
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TessieBAgain G.O.G Community Member
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Scott Hansen does seminars on self defense while horseback riding.
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24th, 2012 08:55 pm |
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28th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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she said that the area now has cameras and they are now enforcing the leash laws- so I am guessing her experience there was not the first or the last. Karl- bears - at least the black bears around here are not an issue- they will actually run the other direction- but we do give them a wide berth. Our mountain range is thick with black bear- at our cabin in the mountains- we have one that sleeps on our porch- 90% of the time there are no humans present- so we just make sure if we go out after dark- we make a lot of noise to get them to leave before we go out the door.  We have encountered them just walking up the driveway towards the house- if we are quiet on the porch they dont know we are there- I have stood up and said HEY ! you dont want to come up here- they just looked at me and turned around and went down the mountain- not hurried but they left. Dogs in a pack- particularly ferral dogs are worse than coyotes or wolves.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24th, 2012 02:28 pm |
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29th Post |
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karenlexsc G.O.G Community Member 
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Wouldn't you need your horse to be desensitized to gun shots first? or maybe yours are! I am with you, what defense is there for such an attack?
____________________ Karen No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle. ~Winston Churchill |
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24th, 2012 12:41 pm |
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30th Post |
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Karal G.O.G Community Member 
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Another reason I want to get my CWP. I would have jumped off and started shooting, but that is me. Not all pits are bad dogs. Most of the time its bad owners that don't know the proper way to train dogs. Or think they own a pit so it has to be a thug dog. Just like the 'husky' is one of the top 'aggressive' dogs. I own 13 Siberian Huskies. I have 1 that I watch just he is fear biter. But only to one male friend of mine, and one male almost teen. (have no clue why) but he has never broken skin. All my others will lick you to death, if jumping up for a hug don't get ya first. BUT my Siberians do not run loose. I use to groom some very sweet pits. Toy poodles and Llasa's were more vicious than the pits. I'm glad no one was badly hurt. I do wonder why the police couldn't do more, like assault with a deadly weapon.? No different than a person coming at you with a knife or gun. Last edited on Fri Feb 24th, 2012 12:43 pm by Karal ____________________ live - laugh - love |
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24th, 2012 12:47 am |
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31st Post |
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karenlexsc G.O.G Community Member
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That story is terrifying, but an example of what might could happen. I have always felt coming across a bear while in the woods trail riding would be the worst case scenario, but now I have changed my mind...this could easily be worse! Whew, I agree, that was some great riding!
____________________ Karen No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle. ~Winston Churchill |
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23rd, 2012 11:39 pm |
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32nd Post |
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TN Trailrider G.O.G Community Member 
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I believe you asked if anyone rode with contingency plans for these situations. I do not have plans for anything like this. It's virtually impossible to prepare for the many "what if's" you might encounter. Dogs, bears, human predators are all out there I don't think you can be totally prepared for any of it. Mentally prepared, maybe. You can learn how to defend yourself and hope that the situation you encounter gives you the opportunity to practice what you have prepared for, but it's probably not likely. I admire the riding skills of that lady. I know that I would not have been able to ride out that situation. Hit the ground and roll into a ball is about all I would have been able to do.
____________________ Lynne |
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23rd, 2012 10:02 pm |
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33rd Post |
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TessieBAgain G.O.G Community Member
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What a horrifying story. Bad enough then people attack you. Now you have to worry about the dogs walking with them. People have to respect leash laws. They are there for a reason. Get military grade pepper spray and learn how to use it. And give the owners a good squirt while you are spraying their dogs.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23rd, 2012 07:25 pm |
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34th Post |
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Jake_R G.O.G Community Member 
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Old Post but a great Gilly story http://www.gaitsofgold.com/wowbb/forum32/8374.html
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23rd, 2012 07:10 pm |
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35th Post |
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Brenda Im Pasture Boss 
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What a terrifying experience, and I'm so glad no one was seriously injured. Please keep in mind that most dogs (and horses) reflect the attitudes and character of their owners. If an owner has attitude, then it is likely their dog will, as well. I have a wonderful, now aged, Pit Bull/Bull dog mix. Her name is Gilly, and she was a street rescue many years ago. We heard she'd been intended as a fighting "bait" dog, but wasn't aggressive enough, so her owner just left her on the streets when she moved out of the area. Our gain. Gilly is one of the sweetest, most empathic dogs in the world. Anyone having a bad day? Gill climbs up and lays as much as her body across them as she can fit. (I know - she slept with me during the "mean years" I recently went through.) She's great with children - the biggest problem little ones have is that she wants to lick them to pieces. BUT. One time when three of us ladies went camping/riding in a very remote location in PA several years ago, a group of men came up behind us in an SUV on a narrow dirt logging road, with a high cliff to our right, and a steep drop-off to our left. One of the men jumped out of the truck with a map, and tried to approach us, as though to ask for directions. All of us gals were creeped out, as we'd seen this SUV roaming around the camp the previous night. Suddenly, Gilly got between us and this man (there were two others in the truck). She seemed to grow to twice her size, hackles raised, and snarling like Cujo. No kidding. She became an entirely different dog - I never would have guessed she had it in her. "Is your dog OK?" the man asked. "Well. . .she's a Pit Bull. What do you think?" I responded. He high-tailed it back into his truck, and we high-tailed it toward trails that made us less vulnerable. Do you think Gilly got to sleep in my bed that night?  I've always thought, since then, that I'd feel sorry for anyone who ever tried to get past her to me, or to any of our children or grand children. Here's to great dogs! PB  PS: The photo here shows Gilly allowing Rockie, Jamies little mixed breed dog, to dominate her in a "fight." So much for being a fighting or bait dog! Attachment: Rocky&Gilly.jpg (Downloaded 160 times)
____________________ It's not always about trying to fix something that's broken. Maybe it's about starting over and creating something better. |
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23rd, 2012 02:29 pm |
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36th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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Jo I would have too- had it been one of mine- when she was younger my border collie mix did not like other dogs coming near us- so she would get aggressive towards the other dogs- and yep- I would go in and grab her- yelling all the time- she has quit now- age will do that to you. My lab would get aggressive occ. BUT she was also akc good citizen and a therapy dog- and she was really specific about who she would not like- so I usally assumed there was a reason for her growling and hackles up- I had her at our little beach - off leash because she was that well behaved- the kids were in the water swimming and she was right next to me (there is also no leash laws here) people were walking in front of us- many many times- this pair of guys came down off of the pier- and I noticed she kind of went on alert- and then when she saw they were headed my way she go up and put herself between them and the kids in the water and went all sorts of protective. shocked me because she had never done that before - she never agressed (and I didnt let her I was right there before they could get any closer and had her back on a leash) but she let them know they were to STAY away from the kids. Another time I was riding and she was with me and I was riding down our paved road through a bunch of hunters with guns (dont ask- whole other story there) one guy started walking back to his truck- she had ignored all the other guys but this one guy- she didnt like on sight- and her hackles went up and she put herself between me and him and let him know to stay back. I just turned around and called her and went back home- and she followed - but kept her eye on him. There were a few other times - but I always felt safe with her- she was a pussy cat- very gentle - loved everyone- but I knew that if she felt we were threatened- she would be a force to be reckoned with- I miss her- lost her about a year ago to kidney failure.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23rd, 2012 01:59 pm |
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37th Post |
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SPOTD RIDR G.O.G Community Member
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I am a dog lover but I firmly believe in them being on a leash while in public and at least having a rabies shot, lots of people do neither or one and not the other. I hate trail riding and having loose dogs in the group or coming up on them, now the ones that stay by there owners horses fine but dogs being dogs want to investigate new people. My first thought was I would probably get thrown from the horse, and the attitude of the dog owners is sickning, I would have been so ashamed of my dogs behavior and for the saftey of the rider I would have been right in the middle of that pack of dogs trying to get mine.
____________________ JoAngela "Jo" |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22nd, 2012 10:05 pm |
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38th Post |
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Lakota Ranch Hand
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Holy Toledo! That story has got the adrenaline flowing! Very few people will have the prescence of mind (let alone skill) to direct and operate a defensive tool such as a gun or bear spray in such a fast moving life and death fight like this. I know this much, a stick will do NOTHING to fend off a Pit Bull. You cannot weild a stick with anywhere near the power of the horses' kicking hind feet (which itself did not stop them). Personally, I don't know why these animals are allowed to be owned by the public. I know what is right and what is wrong, and justice was not served to either party involved. I'm thinking what John Wayne would've done.... If I owned that horse, he would be treated like a KING for the rest of his days!!! God bless him. I remember an article in ,I think it was Equus Jan. 2012, that told about a QH that a cowboy was riding when an angry Grizzly appeared out of nowhere. That guy didn't hardly have time to grab the horn when that horse spun and leaped & jumped down the mountain over downed trees. The bear was hot on his heels and the guy could smell her and hear her claws swiping for him just inches away. I bet he loved on his horse that day.
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22nd, 2012 07:19 pm |
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39th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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Joy wants us as a horse community to discuss this and to think in advance how you might react or deal with this.
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22nd, 2012 07:17 pm |
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40th Post |
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crs trail rider Ranch Hand
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ATTACKED on HORSEBACK 2 It was Saturday May 15th, 2010, around noon when my friend John and I went riding near Fallbrook, California, on the Santa Margarita trail. It was warm and sunny and we were looking forward to a beautiful ride through the shady trees and many cool water crossings. About 20 minutes along the trail from the main staging area off Pico, we were coming to our second water crossing. We could hear people and children and I shouted out to them that riders were coming. We couldn’t see them yet because of the heavy river brush and trees and wanted to give them a heads up so that they would be calm and not scare the horses as well as make sure their children were safely out of the way of the trail where the horses would be crossing. I led the way on Sundance, my Missouri Fox Trotter and John was about 50 feet behind me on Riley, his quarter horse. From around a blind corner I stepped into the water and began to head across when all hell broke loose. Four Pit Bull dogs and one Husky dog charged me from about forty feet away. Initially I didn’t run, my horse stood still, calmly facing them, having experienced that dogs are less likely to pursue an attack when their prey is not running. I yelled loudly ‘bad dog, NO, go home’, but there was not even the slightest acknowledgement or hesitation from the pack of dogs. Snarling and growling, saliva streaming from their mouths, all five grown dogs leapt at Sundance and I. Sundance reared slightly and pawed the air, striking one Pit Bull, as he spun around to take off running. On the turn, the adrenaline infused Pit Bulls and Husky charged Sundance’s hindquarters. Two Pit Bulls jumped up onto his hips and I felt them scrambling to grab my back when Sundance bucked high throwing both Pit Bulls over my left shoulder. I felt him kick out as his legs were coming down from bucking and heard another Pit Bull get slammed into the water. As Sundance began to run, I felt him kick out with every step, sometimes hearing the thud of his hooves connecting with the enraged dogs, but I never heard a yelp. Sundance was sinking almost to his knees in the sand and water which critically impaired his ability to escape. The dogs didn’t sink and were gaining on him within a few seconds of retreat. Each kick only served to enrage the dogs more. Over and over he spun around a dozen times or more to face them. Pinning his ears, biting and striking at the dogs, his legs flying with lightening speed, he would try again to run away but the five big dogs were too much for him. Several minutes had now passed, the attack had escalated into a frenzy and I could feel Sundance beginning to tire. In that moment, I felt the sickening realization that neither Sundance nor I would survive if the attack continued much longer. Terrified, I was screaming at the owners to grab their dogs before Sundance and/or I fell and would get torn to pieces by the enraged dogs. They ran towards their dogs but stood helplessly nearby fearing their own dogs in a full on attack. Terrified and running for our lives, Sundance ran for the trees but they were thick as a wall. Cornered now, all five dogs surrounded us, jumping at us, teeth barred, growling and salivating, their ears flattened. I kicked one Pit Bull in the nose as he lunged for my leg. Sundance was repeatedly striking and kicking as fast as he could. He struck another Pit Bull that leapt at his shoulder, knocking it down. He dodged a Pit Bull attacking his face, biting him on the back in mid-air and threw him down. He struck out like lightening at the Husky, hitting him and sent him running away. The Pit Bulls got up and came in for what I believe was the kill. Sundance became like a wild stallion defending his herd and I felt like I was part of that herd. Sundance was fighting for my life too. The four Pit Bulls closed in, coming at his belly from both sides. They were underneath my stirrups going for his underbelly when Sundance jumped high in the air, kicking and pawing the air furiously as he went. I heard more thuds. He hit the shallow water running full speed away in the direction of the dog’s owners. Miraculously, Sundance, with his legs flailing escaped what was certain to be an ugly and bloody ending when the owners lunged and grabbed a hold of their dogs after Sundance jumped over them. Like an airplane propeller, his fast and fierce hoof strikes, kicks and bites had saved us after repeated attacks and bought us the fraction of time needed for the owners to finally grab the dogs on the run. Incredibly, Sundance and I had teeth scrapes yet none of the dogs had actually gotten a bite hold on us! Had they gotten a bite grip, they would have to have been pried off with a ‘break bar’ to loosen their jaws. The scars leftover are the emotional trauma for Sundance and me. I shudder to think but for the grace of God, what our fate could have been. John and Riley were far enough behind me that when Riley heard the dogs charging me, he spun around scared and took off running out of control. John struggled to get him under control but couldn’t. Riley was too frightened and wouldn’t settle down until John jumped off him and got control of him on the ground. John heard me screaming but was helpless to do anything until he got Riley under control. Afraid of what he’d find, he rushed to get to my aid, barely able to hold onto Riley who was still jumping around in fear. Shaken and terrified, I yelled some angry words and told the owners I would be filing a police report. They responded…”we have a right to be here and the police are only going to give us a ticket for not having our dogs on a leash”. Sadly without massive injuries or death, they were later proven right. They were full arm tattooed, had piercings, spiked hair and ‘attitude’, and I was too scared to ask any questions, like, “what’s your names, addresses, phone numbers and drivers licenses”, while they held the Pit Bulls by a mere shoulder harness. John got back to the water crossing in time to hear my angry words and their response. He told them he’d have shot the dogs if he’d had a gun at the time….which brings me to my point in telling you our story. What do you think would have happened to Sundance and me had he fallen down or I had fallen off into the jaws of that pack? This could have happened to you, your child, your horse etc. Imagine the terror of four big Pit Bulls and a Husky dog attacking you over and over, your horse or a loved one, what would you do? This is the question I’m posing for ideas, “how to stop/prevent an attack by dogs bred to kill or a pack of dogs, wild animals and/or companion type dogs bred to retrieve or herd while out trail riding”? Would you use different tactics for different types of dogs or wild animals? Is your horse trained to shoot off of and are you a good enough shot to kill a small moving target? Would your horse spook at the hissing sound of bear spray? Could you control your horse well enough to effectively use a whip or stick to prevent getting bit? How would you defend yourself if you fell off? Would your friends be able to urge their horse towards your horse if your horse was being attacked? Riding for 50+ years, blissfully leaving the safety of my horse and myself in the hands of others who supposedly have their dogs under control and on a leash proved to be an ‘almost fatal’ mistake for Sundance and me. Previous encounters with dogs bred to retrieve or herd were resolved by facing them, yelling at them and not running. Not so with the Pit Bulls or with the pack mentality. (Remember the Husky ran when struck, the Pit Bulls did not). More and more, outdoor enthusiasts are experiencing dog attacks. Please open discussions on this topic and let me know your ideas. An attack of some sort on horseback is something all of us trail riders should be prepared for. I look forward to your ideas. Joy Bruce ducntuc@aol.com
____________________ Its rarely the horses fault- Its usually a failure of the rider to communicate their requests in a manner that the horse can understand. Lisa |
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