Animal/Legal Issue?

sandsni

Personally, if I was your LL and knew your dog was liable to cause an RTA by spooking horses on the road I would be looking at whether I wanted to renew your tenancy when the time comes.

Do whatever it takes to stop the behaviour now (even if that means keeping the dog away from that part of the garden) and retrain the dog in your own time. You've known about it for the past 18 months and so far the dog hasn't stopped. Don't wait for someone to actually get hurt or killed while you worry about your tenancy. No amount of insurance or legal backup will be enough to salve your conscience.

princeofpounds

Horsey discussion from other viewpoint.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=598158

Only read pg1 but post six makes a good point

Guest101

Why would you as the LL care about an RTA? As a human being i understand, but you specifically said LL?

Also just to reiterate, if he is on private land, doesnt matter what he causes legally wise. Perhaps the horse trainer should train his horses to be more sensible on the road?

sandsni

Guest101 wrote: »

Why would you as the LL care about an RTA? As a human being i understand, but you specifically said LL?

Also just to reiterate, if he is on private land, doesnt matter what he causes legally wise. Perhaps the horse trainer should train his horses to be more sensible on the road?

The OP asked somewhere along the line whether they were likely to get into trouble with the LL. Their LL might not give a !!!!!! if someone dies on the road as long as they're not liable, but I was just saying that if I was the LL I would be doing everything in my power to make sure it didn't happen, even if that included getting rid of a tenant.

Wouldn't it be a whole lot easier keeping the dog away from the horses on the road while it's being trained?

Guest101

OK fair enough, I just think as a human being we all would do what we could to prevent someone dying. I just think in the capacity of a LL, it isn't any of the LLs business what happens on the road. Like it isn't mine or yours what happens between j2 and j3 of the M1

Th1984

Unfortunately I cannot separate the two entirely, our entire garden runs parrallell to the roadway. I have installed a fence and 5 bar gate to define a 'driveway' from the rest of the garden which ensures less of a mutual exposure but separation is not an option

Werdnal

Guest101 wrote: »

Perhaps the horse trainer should train his horses to be more sensible on the road?

Horses are flight animals, and whilst you can somewhat placate their instinct to run, you never completely prevent it. The dog is the nearest they will get in a domestic environment to a predator, and the overwhelming drive to flee will often over-ride even the most obedient and well trained horse. I have heard it said that a wild horse will put a mile between it and any perceived threat, before it even looks over its shoulder.

The most competent rider on the most bombproof horse will still have the occasional spook, and it only takes a few steps in the wrong direction to put it under a car or in a ditch, with catastrophic results.

Guest101

I was not just referring to dogs actually. My point is the horse is on a public road, which may have foxes or even deers jump out, as well as cars goin past at quick speed. A barking dog is hardly the only danger, and if the horse is likely to buck, it should not be there.

ruggedtoast

They must be pretty annoyed about it if enough people have complained to precipitate sending some sort of delegation. Its just horses, but its also walkers. So basically any one or thing who walks past.

I am somewhat conflicted on this one as personally I find 50% of dog owners and their badly controlled dogs to be a blimming pain in the backside.

Strange dogs racing up to people and slobbering all over them and frightening children on otherwise pleasant country walks, dogs barking and running frantically and upsetting people on the beach, those idiots prancing around with dangerous dogs so they can look hard, doggy doo everywhere when the owners think they can get away with not picking it up, dogs barking for hours on end in their homes.

The other 50% ime are delightful, but it doesnt sound like many people in the OPs scenario consider his to be part of that group.

I doubt the landlord can evict early based on this, but assuming he is on the same sinking lily pad that almost every other tenant has with 6 month ASTs I wouldn't be surprised to get an S21 if the landlord has any personal connection with the village.

Werdnal

Guest101 wrote: »

I was not just referring to dogs actually. My point is the horse is on a public road, which may have foxes or even deers jump out, as well as cars goin past at quick speed. A barking dog is hardly the only danger, and if the horse is likely to buck, it should not be there.

Don't think anyone said they buck - a spook can be just a startled jump away from the "attacking" object. Or could be a bolt in any direction, or just a kick out towards whatever startled it. Horses rarely buck in response to a threat, they just want to get away from it. I know people with horses who live side by side with their own dogs, that will still jump at a strange dog behaving in an aggressive way.

You cannot train every domestic horse to the same standard as police horses who undergo rigorous and extreme training for all eventualities.

Yes, a fox, deer or anything appearing out of the hedge can cause a horse to spook, but you cannot do anything to stop wildlife getting in the way sometimes. A domestic dog however, is trainable out of some of this behaviour, and owner is somewhat responsible for its actions here, but then I believe OP knows that and genuinely want to try to address it. However, after 18 months, the behaviour is becoming ingrained and the longer it is left, the harder it will be to resolve!