Horse does NOT like new puppy!

[toletiquesbysam]

Our horse is not thrilled with our new addition, I have held them nose to nose to get her adjusted to him but and she does what I call a "smile" where she shows her teeth and raises her lips. I put the dog down and it goes in her pasture and she tried to step on him literally and he managed to move not knowing what was going on so I've tried to keep him out. The other night he was walking with me in the drive and went into her pasture and she was across the field in her "run in" and she was watching us and as soon as he was under the fence she was in a dead run to him. I managed to grab him faster than she got there! I don't know what to do, will she eventually be ok with him or will I forever have to have him locked up away from her? He's only 12weeks right now. The horse is off to the trainer in a few weeks and she'll be gone for 2-3months so he'll be much bigger when she gets back, I'm hoping that will help as well!

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

Dogs are a threat to a horse - most horses do not naturally "just like dogs". Why would you insist that your horse like your dog? Many animals are territorial - my horses will chase and run the neighbor's dogs out of the pasture - not that I want them there in the first place.

Your dog is in serious jeopardy of injury if your horse is showing aggression - I certainly would not encourage them to be accepting of each other or would take much longer to acclimate them to each other.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

I could see her resistance if she has not been around dogs before but they had a dog at the farm we purchased her from, so that's what made me assume she'd adapt to having Jack around.

 

[texas_chick]

We don't let our dogs into the dog/goat pasture.
The horses and goats don't like it and it's not necessary in our case.

 

[cheapcheap_jeepjeep]

Do you have coyotes around your home? When my mom first bought her new horse she HATED the dogs, but where she was from had coyotes and she had to learn to depend her foals from them. She is fine with dogs now it just takes some time. I would make her like the dog like Hens_And_Chicks said but go slow you would not want the horse to hurt the puppy.

Good Luck

 

[Appytaz]

it took our horse a few weeks to get use to the dogs when we first moved him home. He had a previous bad experience with dogs (dogs running to the fence barking, ect.) He is fine with both of our dogs now. But, I do believe that if a dog ran at him barking, he would stomp it in a heart beat! Just give them time and keep the puppy on a leash if you are walking him in her pasture. I had to walk our big dog and donkey together MANY times to make them both behave!

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

My stud thinks that ANYTHING that moves inside his pasture is fair game for stomping. Neighborhood dogs have learned to steer clear of our pastures, which suits me just fine. Even more now that I have a 3-month-old foal out there! When we had boarders, I kept the "no dogs allowed" signs posted on every gate and bringing one on the property was a sure way to be asked to leave.

Yes, I do have dogs--GSDs and Dobies--and even they are not allowed near the barn and the horse pastures. IMO Dogs and horses do NOT mix. Nor should they.

 

[Bec]

We had the same thing happen here, they still to this day, antagonize each other over the fence!


Day 1 Our dobe Puppy at 9 weeks old and my 18 y/o TB, Pal

Same dobe puppy at 1 year and same TB, Pal

AGAIN at the fence, This is an every day occurrence.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
This sound to me like the flehmen response, which horses typically do in response to a new animal-type smell. It does not mean anything in and of itself, other than "whooooaaaaa, what's THAT smell?" Stallions do it around mares in heat, too

will she eventually be ok with him or will I forever have to have him locked up away from her? He's only 12weeks right now. The horse is off to the trainer in a few weeks and she'll be gone for 2-3months so he'll be much bigger when she gets back, I'm hoping that will help as well!

You will have to train both of them. The dog, to stay away from the horse; and the horse, not to go after the dog. Some horses do still have the relatively-primitive instinct to stomp dogs (or small critters in general) to death -- this is why donkeys make good guardians vs coyotes -- and you can modify their behavior somewhat but I would not be overly trusting about it.

Does your horse have pasturemates? My observation is that solo horses, especially if they are TOTALLY solo (no goats or cows or anything) but even if they simply don't have another *equine* friend, are a lot more apt to try to Play Dangerous Games with small animals such as dogs.

Good luck,

Pat​

 

[toletiquesbysam]

No coyotes, and Pat our horse is alone! We do have a farm cat from across the road that makes her way across the pasture every night for a snack and the horse does not bother with her at all! The pup has found a "snack" in the pasture eating the poop so I may have to fence it in like Bec did so he can't get in.
We do have another horse that is arriving in the next month or so, she is 19yrs old.