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Horses with wheels
Anne Dickens June 2004

When I wrote this, I didn't have a horse. This meant I was riding other people's horses on roads, which made riding with my Dalmatian, Munin, out of the question.

Munin has accompanied me to various stables since she was a puppy. She seemed to have an instant and instinctive love of horses and had no hesitation charging into their fields or stables, grazing around their feet for goodies, or being nibbled on the withers by a particularly tactile thoroughbred – a sensation she really seemed to appreciate.

A lesson learned She is more circumspect about getting that close these days, since she was kicked by a formidable hunter, which I rode regularly until April this year. She and he were good friends – or so she thought – but one day she was very excited on our usual route out to the paddocks after a ride, and irritated him with all her excited leaping about. He took a well aimed shot. Luckily, whilst she was very scared, she wasn’t badly hurt and although a lovely friendship came to an end, she had learned a valuable lesson about horses. She still likes them, but now she keeps a respectful distance.

Finding a way So, when I learned about the first UK Carriage Dog Trials, I racked my brains to work out how I could enter. After all, Munin and I had done some basic obedience, so we just had to find a horse to practice on! It couldn’t be that hard – could it?! It was just not to be, but I still enjoyed watching those Trials from my steward’s outpost. Chatting to our charming judge, I became determined to find a way to enter in 2004. But even if I could find a mount for the day, how was I going to practice?

Springing into action That’s where my Springer came in. Munin has accompanied my partner and I on regular days out on our cycles since she was young. We were careful not to overdo it when she was a puppy, but she can now travel long distances with the bikes. Often the challenge in the countryside, is what to do with the dog if you have to cross roads, or if you encounter sheep in one of the fields you are travelling in, or even if, like us, you have to travel on the local streets before you reach the countryside in the first place!

The Springer is a marvellous contraption specially designed to enable a cyclist to travel with the dog safely alongside. It is attached to the bike’s frame and is built to absorb a strong tug, yet at the same time keeping the dog at a safe distance. The part of the Springer which is equivalent to a lead, is attached to the metal Springer frame by a plastic safety link, which will break off in an emergency.

Training with a Springer We use our Springer all the time for cycle rides with Munin. I have also used it as a training aid with the Carriage Dog Trials in mind. Although horses don’t have wheels, and I realise that running alongside a horse is going to be a very different ‘kettle of fish’, the concept of staying with me as I cycle along, is one which I have been able to use the Springer to reinforce.

Another major benefit of the Springer is safety. It can be quite unsafe to ride a bike with a dog on a lead held in your hand, or tied to the handlebars. A particularly tasty looking Spring lamb can cause the dog to lurch in such a way as to make you release the lead or pull over the bike, risking dog and rider becoming tangled in the wheels. If it is a cat which runs across your path whilst you are on the road, the consequences could be even worse. Whilst it still requires a bit of practice to steady your bike against an unexpected pull from your dog, a Springer is quite easy to master and is infinitely safer than the alternatives.

I use the command “with me” (others no doubt use different commands) to tell Munin that she must be within a couple of feet of me at any time. When she is attached to the Springer, she cannot move away and this is an ideal time to associate the “with me” command with the notion of trotting alongside the bike. I reinforce this command with edible treats (of course!).

The ‘Hock’ exercise in the Trials means that the dog must stay behind the horse’s head. For an exuberant Dalmatian which likes to lead as mine does, this can be difficult. The Springer is useful as a means of ensuring the dog stays behind the bike’s front wheel. The front wheel of the bike itself can be used, by turning it in front of a pulling dog, combined with a “get back” command, to ensure the dog doesn’t sneak ahead of you.

Spring loaded If you’ve ever thought about cycling with your Dalmatian, I would certainly recommend you fit a Springer. Even if you are likely to use it only occasionally, it is well worth the investment.

Of course no Dalmatian is completely under control, as they are the free spirits of the dog world. That’s why we love them! And it remains to be seen whether Munin and I will be able successfully to transfer our training to an equine mount without a Springer. But a Springer has definitely opened up our enjoyment of the countryside and I wouldn’t be without it as long as I have a Dalmatian.

Springers can be bought from Springer UK