OVER the past 11 years, seven dogs have been introduced to the horses kept at our home. One of these was an older dog (a Cavalier King Charles); the rest were all puppies and had no prior contact with horses. The puppies were of varying breeds including: two terriers, one Lurcher, two hounds which we were walking for our local hunt, and a Labrador. Of the seven dogs introduced to the horses, one unfortunately had to be rehomed as she developed a tendency to nip and chase the horses when unsupervised.

The best advice I was given, in regard to familiarising dogs and horses, was to bear in mind that success or failure begins with the individuals involved. In some cases, certain horses or dogs are just not going to get along with the other species. Owners need to be conscious of this because safety has to remain paramount at all times.