Balancing act........ Post yours!!!!

[LilKnytt]

On my way to the post office Monday around noon I found this little girl on a cross street. I thought she'd been hit by a car. She was wet, cold & scared. None of my neighbors knew of her & she's been there all morning. I brought her with me to the post office & then back home. Looked for signs - none. I've put up signs, but so far no one has claimed her. A lot of people dump dogs up by us. A shame if you ask me.

Anyhow, the little girl suffers from terrible separation anxiety, so when I went into the horse arena she followed me in. Now she does this all the time.....

Oh, shot with the70-200mm f/2.8 VR at ISO 200

Anyone got some balancing act shots? She can stay up there for about 5 minutes.....

Lil

 

[Bill Randall]

Nice picture. It is a shame that too many people have the right to have a pet without exercising their responsibility to the pet.

 

[LilKnytt]

I'm with you Bill. If no one claims her, she has a home with us. Sweet little thing doesn't deserve being dumped this way. I get very upset when I see all the deserted & killed dogs & cats. Our area is just full of them.....

Thanks,

Lil

 

[bob elkind]

We live in the toolies (i.e. very rural area). People who don't want their pets anymore will dirve them out here and let them loose to fend for themselves, rather than take them to an animal shelter for adoption or euthanasia.

In the last few years we've seen (on our property):

1. pit bull + terrier mix, a young male and his mother (we adopted the young male)

2. three pit bulls

Our youngest daughter, whose heart is more fully developed than her sense of safety, saw the pit bulls on her way home and brought them home in her car. God was protecting her, for sure. Once she got home, the pit bulls sniffed the scent of our dogs, and they turned mean. Thankfully, our daughter made it inside the house before they turned on her. We called county animal control, and they picked up the pit bulls. They said that only one of the dogs was remotely a candidate for adoption, the other two were unsafe for any household.

• Bob

 

[LilKnytt]

Hi Bob,

we've not chatted for a while. Hope all is well with you & yours. Pit Bulls are the one breed of dog I won't go near. I won't have anything to do with them. I have "friends" online who insist on trying to save every Pit Bull they ever encounter. I won't life a finger for them. They should be outlawed.

I've personally been under attack of two Pit Bulls while riding Destined. Yes, at 16.2 hands I was high up, but the one Pit Bull kept jumping up high & my feet were in perfect range of the dog. It took the owner about 10 minutes to get it back on a leash. He was throwing a huge CHAIN on the dog to get it to stop the attack. This is when 10 years of Dressage training really is beneficial. Destined kept his head - object # 1 of attack - well out of reach & kept moving around to control the dogs chance of attack. I just had to hold on.

Next time I see a Pit Bull off leash where I ride I call the Police & Animal Control immediately. That was far too scary - once was enough. I always ride with a cell phone these days. The first time I was just too chocked to call.

An angel on your beautiful daughter's shoulder for sure. I'm glad.

Lil

 

[valeriecook]

She is sure to be a devoted pet if you do end up keeping her. I had a blue heeler (mix? - will never know) wander in on us about 5 years ago now - I didn't want her as I grew up with a mean one - She wormed her way into my heart when she intercepted a neighbor's pit bull who charged my kids and I as we walked down the road. I've loved her ever since (-:





--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vals_photo1class
Just learning as I go.....

 

[valeriecook]

Sorry - mine wasn't a balancing act though - she does no tricks., LOL
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vals_photo1class
Just learning as I go.....

 

[bob elkind]

Lil,

It doesn't take a pit bull tearing your leg off to endanger you while riding, I'm sure you're very aware of that. A spooked horse is just a hair's breadth from serious risk of injury or worse for both you and the horse.

Seriously, when our girls are riding alone in the wilderness, we encourage our girls to take pistols along. Abandoned/wild dogs is one problem, and there are others.

If I had been with my daughter on a ride, and an off-leash pit bull approached in a menacing posture, there would be not the slightest bit of hesitation on my part.

By the way, our kids and neighbours both occasionally engage in target practice (we have an outdoor firing range setup), and our horses are no longer spooked by the sounds.

• Bob

 

[NRothschild]

About 30 years ago, when I lived in a very rural area, we found a pure bred Black Lab. We traced her tags to an inner city area in a large nearby city. We knew the deal and just kept her without bothering to contact the owners. She was a prototypical Lab, the best pet you could imagine, except for the next Black Lab you run across (I've had 3 now). It's hard to imagine life circumstances that would force me to even give up a dog like that, but I can't imagine just driving it out to the country and dumping it to fend for itself. As mentioned here, it is a common practice. There's no accounting for taste, I guess.

--
Regards,
Neil

 

[LilKnytt]

Hi Valerie,

my neighbor has a blue heeler. No manners, mean, cries & barks all day. Tried to bite me. I showed her other ways. But the poor dog gets next to no attention & no manners being taught by fairly young children. Parents do not pay attention to the dog at all.

"Jackie O" which is what we're calling her, my daughter named her, is already being taught manners based upon our household. She's smart & seems to learn. She's our second rescue & she will remain with us unless owner claims her.

Here's Soya who was with her siblings (total of 6) dumped in the Angeles National Forest. I got 5 of the 6 off the mountain. Two went to animal control unfortunately & two now live with D.E.L.T.A Animal Rescue. One was just lost one day and then there's Soya who lives with us. Here's Soya.



Lil

 

[LilKnytt]

That's just fine. I've not ever had a dog doing this before either. She balances on everything. She's got springs in her legs for sure. ;-)

Lil

 

[bob elkind]

Snoops is half pit bull, we adopted him when he and his mom were abandoned near our rural home. Pit bulls are vicious, right ? Not Snoops, he's a wuss. He's a very mellow dog.

Snoops doesn't balance very often. When he even thinks about it, he tires out, and here's a picture of Snoops after a hard day of chasing bunnies though the woods and thinking about balancing:

• Bob

 

[LilKnytt]

Neil, I just sent you this picture in an e-mail. LOL Sorry.....

I was brought up with manners & standards. Mutts were not acceptable, but such is life. We now have two & a Westie. All treated equally in all manners. I find a pet, I take care of it. I buy a pet, I take care of it. I find out how to take care of them if I don't know.

Disposable society is at fault I think. People just don't value life. So sad.

Glad you took care of the Black Lab. Ross grew up with Labs & we've had one. Not my breed, but Duke was great for Andrea as a baby.

Lil

 

[LilKnytt]

Great picture Bob. My neighbor actually has one, Pit Bull that is, he's afraid of my barn cats. ;-)

Lil

 

[Shutterbugin]

Yes pit bulls can be vicious - but so can an awnry chihuauha (sp?) ;-). The pit bull's demeanor is directly related to it's owner and how it was raised. A friend owned a pit bull, and it was the nicest dog I have ever known. He cuddled like a kitten. Anyway, I guess this is pretty obvious - if you raise a pit to be a killer - then he will be - but if you raise them with love and attention, then they are just another dog, and can be very good pets.

Snoops is half pit bull, we adopted him when he and his mom were
abandoned near our rural home. Pit bulls are vicious, right ? Not
Snoops, he's a wuss. He's a very mellow dog.

Snoops doesn't balance very often. When he even thinks about it,
he tires out, and here's a picture of Snoops after a hard day of
chasing bunnies though the woods and thinking about balancing:

• Bob

--
'87.6% of all statistics are made up on the spot'

ShutterBugin
http://www.exposureproductions.smugmug.com

 

[bob elkind]

Snoops isn't afraid of barn cats. He has done battle with raccoons more than once. But when it comes to people, he's a grinning tail-wagging type dog.

 

[valeriecook]

Soya is beautiful Lil. Sorry to hear of your neighbor's annoying dog. I think heelers can be very ornery when they aren't given a 'job' to do . Lucky just 'heels' the kids around the yard and pretends they are cattle. I read that you have horses - I barrel raced for most of my childhood - my mom still has 4 quarter horses - she has had her buckskin for 1 year longer than she has had me around (-: Vandy is 33 now. I don't have horses myself right now, but maybe again once my kids are raised. I don't know though, since I've gotten the photography bug! It's a pretty consuming hobby! Anyway my mom and I just took at trip to Tennessee to watch The Road to the Horse training competion - it was great! Clinton Anderson, Stacey Westfall and Chris Cox were competing. Fun stuff.
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vals_photo1class
Just learning as I go.....

 

[valeriecook]

Snoops is gorgeous!! I am also leary of pitbulls just b/c I have 'met' a few nasty ones. On the other hand I had the most wonderful, friendly Rottweiler for many years. I know lots of people are scared of them too. I actually loved the fact that people were scared of her - hehe - I was a teenager and would have her ride with me in my little 2 seater Fiero - we were a sight!! She's up in doggie heaven now - but I will always have a soft spot for them.
Cute pictures!
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vals_photo1class
Just learning as I go.....

 

[LilKnytt]

Lil,

It doesn't take a pit bull tearing your leg off to endanger you
while riding, I'm sure you're very aware of that. A spooked horse
is just a hair's breadth from serious risk of injury or worse for
both you and the horse.

Bob, it never seizes to amaze me with some parents - most of them unfortunately - who buy a horse or just pay for lessons for their kids. They have no idea how dangerous a horse can be. It doesn't take much that's for sure.

Seriously, when our girls are riding alone in the wilderness, we
encourage our girls to take pistols along. Abandoned/wild dogs is
one problem, and there are others.

I'm not as rural as you are so I don't feel I need to be that drastic. But for you I would imagine it's the best way to go. I've been attacked with Destined twice now, the Pit Bulls & a Golden Retriever mix sent on us by it's owner. That one I just got fed up with & flew out of the saddle & hit it with the Dressage whip. Dog stopped immediately. I had asked the owner to get his dog several times & he didn't. When I used the whip he ran to the dog. Like a Dressage whip could ever inflict the amount of damage a 1600 - 1800 lbs trained horse can. Really....

If I had been with my daughter on a ride, and an off-leash pit bull
approached in a menacing posture, there would be not the slightest
bit of hesitation on my part.

I can see why. But I will not ride with a gun. Dangerous for sure. Phone a good weapon to start with in my neighborhood.

By the way, our kids and neighbours both occasionally engage in
target practice (we have an outdoor firing range setup), and our
horses are no longer spooked by the sounds.

• Bob

That's good because such noise will for sure startle the average horse & dog.

Lil

 

[LilKnytt]

Soya is beautiful Lil.

We think so. Her temperament is just lovely, though she can show signs of "issues" even three years later. Poor puppies. Destined, my horse, was the one who told me the pups were there. He's a good horse.

Sorry to hear of your neighbor's annoying
dog. I think heelers can be very ornery when they aren't given a
'job' to do . Lucky just 'heels' the kids around the yard and
pretends they are cattle.

My neighbor's dog needs training & attention. Abandoning the dog in the backyard is not the way to go.

I read that you have horses - I barrel
raced for most of my childhood - my mom still has 4 quarter horses

• she has had her buckskin for 1 year longer than she has had me

around (-: Vandy is 33 now. I don't have horses myself right now,
but maybe again once my kids are raised.

I've been riding since I was 5. Started competing in Stadium Jumping at 13. Stopped riding for about 15 years at 20. Back full force since 10 years & now specialize in Dressage. But I also have a just about 2 year old American Shetland Pony stud colt which I'm showing in hand so far. He will be driven in time. I'll post pictures soon. He's something else for sure.

I don't know though,
since I've gotten the photography bug! It's a pretty consuming
hobby! Anyway my mom and I just took at trip to Tennessee to watch
The Road to the Horse training competion - it was great! Clinton
Anderson, Stacey Westfall and Chris Cox were competing. Fun stuff.

I do both obviously. Hard to choose at times. But I plan to incorporate the two into one with time. My daughter is 20 so I have no need to concern myself with her growing up. She's done that all too fast.

Glad you enjoyed the competition. I'm sure it was great. Horses are just magnificent beings. Tremendous athletes. ;-)

Glad to have met you here.

Lil