Long post, sorry! Virtual coconut slices for anyone who finishes (the real ones are in the oven as I write).
Ziggy and Mattie live out in a 4 acre sloping field. At the bottom of the slope is the field shelter, about 3 metres from the fence. Beyond the fence is a rough/boggy woodland, where nobody goes at all normally except me and my OH in the summer to walk the dogs.
Every day when I appear in the field the boys come straight down to me. I generally feed Ziggy in the shelter and Mattie outside so that Ziggy doesn't bully. Today I came and they stood at the top of the field and snorted. I picked up the feed buckets: Mattie started to come down, but Ziggy, who is top horse, stamped, snorted really loud (I haven't heard such a loud snort before) and cantered around, then went on staring at something in the wood, whereupon Mattie stopped.
I could hear a dog barking in the wood, but it didn't seem to be anything to worry about. Ziggy thought otherwise though. I made their feeds but still they didn't come. In the end I went to get them, and Ziggy thought twice about letting me catch him but soon came to me so I put his headcollar on to lead him down. Mattie followed as he always does.
Ziggy did NOT want to walk down that field. We went a step at a time. And even though his feed was in the shelter he couldn't stay there - a snatched bite and he was heading for the door at full canter, though he respects his halter and stopped when I held him.
In the end I let them both eat outside. Mattie stared into the wood the whole time. I looked and saw a little loose dog, a semi-feral half Jack Russell who lives on a local farm but spends all his time trundling around our area doing whatever semi feral dogs do. He saw me and ran away.
The moment they were finished eating Ziggy cantered away up the field. I was still really puzzled, wondering whether it was the shelter that was frightening him, so I went and caught him again (no problem) and led him down to the far corner, away from the shelter. Again he didn't want to come, stared and snorted the whole way down, but came because I asked, and stayed with me for a little while after I took his headcollar off before he cantered away up the field again.
When I left Mattie was grazing and Ziggy was standing at the highest point of the field, staring at the woods and snorting, utterly on the alert.
Could he really be so scared by just a loose little dog? Could the dog have come in and chased them? In which case why was Mattie not scared?
And was I wrong to lead him towards what scared him? I don't think I made anything worse, but I feel worried because he was so very anxious.:unsure:
Phew, marathon post! Virtual glass of fizz or dessert wine (au choix) to add to coconut slice for anyone who finishes.
Ziggy and Mattie live out in a 4 acre sloping field. At the bottom of the slope is the field shelter, about 3 metres from the fence. Beyond the fence is a rough/boggy woodland, where nobody goes at all normally except me and my OH in the summer to walk the dogs.
Every day when I appear in the field the boys come straight down to me. I generally feed Ziggy in the shelter and Mattie outside so that Ziggy doesn't bully. Today I came and they stood at the top of the field and snorted. I picked up the feed buckets: Mattie started to come down, but Ziggy, who is top horse, stamped, snorted really loud (I haven't heard such a loud snort before) and cantered around, then went on staring at something in the wood, whereupon Mattie stopped.
I could hear a dog barking in the wood, but it didn't seem to be anything to worry about. Ziggy thought otherwise though. I made their feeds but still they didn't come. In the end I went to get them, and Ziggy thought twice about letting me catch him but soon came to me so I put his headcollar on to lead him down. Mattie followed as he always does.
Ziggy did NOT want to walk down that field. We went a step at a time. And even though his feed was in the shelter he couldn't stay there - a snatched bite and he was heading for the door at full canter, though he respects his halter and stopped when I held him.
In the end I let them both eat outside. Mattie stared into the wood the whole time. I looked and saw a little loose dog, a semi-feral half Jack Russell who lives on a local farm but spends all his time trundling around our area doing whatever semi feral dogs do. He saw me and ran away.
The moment they were finished eating Ziggy cantered away up the field. I was still really puzzled, wondering whether it was the shelter that was frightening him, so I went and caught him again (no problem) and led him down to the far corner, away from the shelter. Again he didn't want to come, stared and snorted the whole way down, but came because I asked, and stayed with me for a little while after I took his headcollar off before he cantered away up the field again.
When I left Mattie was grazing and Ziggy was standing at the highest point of the field, staring at the woods and snorting, utterly on the alert.
Could he really be so scared by just a loose little dog? Could the dog have come in and chased them? In which case why was Mattie not scared?
And was I wrong to lead him towards what scared him? I don't think I made anything worse, but I feel worried because he was so very anxious.:unsure:
Phew, marathon post! Virtual glass of fizz or dessert wine (au choix) to add to coconut slice for anyone who finishes.
