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BTW, fall agricultural fair season is going to start in my area fairly soon. Dogs are not banned at fall fairs that I've seen as long as they're on leash and well behaved. It's a good way to expose your dog to other domestic animals.

That's a great idea...never thought of that, lol.

Good luck Karmen... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

VanCamp
The best way to get over your hatred of horses is to lock yourself in a stall with a "really friendly" stallion. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

OldE,
Make sure it's a draft horse. The bigger the better..... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
On second thought, maybe it'll just give him a swift kick in the...... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> (pick your body part!) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

For many years my husband and I have sponsored two rescue horses, one a retired police horse, the other, a clydesdale who had been purchased at auction by a stable and was about to be sent back to auction because the children who took riding lessons were fearful of its size. The two horses are both living with a family now and are wonderful and gentle creatures. After the horses arrived the family adopted a 1y/o white female GSD rescue who to their knowledge was not socialized to horses and had no formal obedience training. They brought the dog on leash to the perimeter of the small paddock area and she jumped on the fencing. The clydesdale came over and they sniffed and the dog started licking the horse through the fence. The horse just stood there and accepted this. The other two horses (they also have a pony) then came over and everyone sniffed each other. I guess my point is that there are wonderful rescues out there and given the proper socialization (these horses were socialized to dogs before) and introduction , most, not all, horses and dogs can live in harmony. Good luck in your search.

Karmen, here is a link the the Dalmatian Club of America's Road Trial Rules. I realize you're not there yet, but the rules indicate what is and is not acceptable behaviour around horses and other distractions while off leash. Road Trials are now sanctioned events and dogs can earn titles similar to obedience, agility, or draft dog.
pages.prodigy.net/biederb/roadtrl.htm

Here is the link to the Dalmatian Club of America. You might want to see if any dal owners or breeders can direct you to some useful information regarding your question.
http://www.thedca.org

Interesting topic I was just thinking about this. At the stable where my dad boards his horse, they have a border collie. The owner said that the border got kicked twice by horses so now she is very very respectful, actually submissive to horses. They also have two miniature donkeys, the dog and the donkeys have the craziest relationship. She constantly tries to herd them. The female donkey is submissive but the male and the border fight, then play, then fight some more.

I ride at a stable here in Florida, where they have several long haired chihuahua's (sp). Those little, tiny, fuzzy rats give some really large 16+ hands horses hell. Those rats can move the heck out of those big horses. It's funny to watch the stable owner yell at a horse and see those noisy, little rats run to the horse yapping. But I have to say, the horses respect the heck out of those little things.

What a great thread! I just adopted 2 draft foals (a Percheron and a Belgian) from a non-profit rescue - http://www.sleipnirsanctuary.com - that handles placing Premarin® foals ("by-products" in the quest to provide estrogen for women - personally when I get to be the age I need to take some type of supplement, it's not going to be pregnant horse urine in caplet form! ) for the farmers who breed the horses, rather than see them sent to slaughter. Drafts are supposed to be calmer in nature - the English Mastiff of horses, but all advice will be helpful. I'm glad these two will be young when I get them, they'll be 6 months in Oct. when they are delivered here after weaning. Another question, what would you guys consider to be the best "guard dog" breed for horses? I dont think I'd want something highly energetic to annoy the horses, but enough to scare off possible theives!

Heather

Stallion means "intact male" right? -F- that. . .

Maybe with a gun, or Pownings horse-attack-rott.

Thanks everyone for all the great links. I sat at work this morning surfing the net <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> It was a slow morning <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I wonder why I bother with some of the dead beats on this board. Some of the replys to my post show that the writters know very little about horses and even less about common courtesy.
The mere fact you havent seen dogs sitting on a horses rump on their way to do stock work in try hard wanna be cowboy country redneckville USA means nothing. The US has no tradition of working dogs. Have a look in western horseman at the ads for stock dogs, they dont say bred from strong amercian lines, theyre all bred from australian imports. How many of you have ever worked large mobs of cattle or sheep long distances? Its hard to do short handed without dogs, and the dogs wont work well if theyre already covered 30 miles by the time you find the cattle or sheep. Its a good thing to do.

Foal imprinting is a accepted practice in horse breeding. I didnt suggest getting a adult horse to sniff your dogs buts. Thats something you clearly enjoy, butt sniffing.

You get what you pay for and pay for what you get, didnt your dad teach you that? Spend a reeasonable sum and youlll get a good horse with breed papaers so you can show him , something that a rescue org most probabaly wont be able to provide as they usually seperated from the animal.

Dont think a dog can hold a horse for you? Then youve got a shit dog and a crap horse and your a poor trainer dont blame the idea for your own failings. It a handy thing to be able to do so yuo can get off and have a crap or whatever and the horse will be there for you, Im talking about being in open country when there nothing to tie the horse to or he wont ground tie and your on your own.

Ive never been rude on this board to anyone who hasnt been rude to me first, (well, maybe van camp but he gets off on some abuse so he dosent count). I understand why some of you spend so much time online and like dogs so much cause you sure as hell cant relate well to people.