Stampede

One frustrated dog begging to be taken on a walk, 3 owners willing to oblige. That was the recipe that led to our latest adventure.

Although the nights are now starting to draw in we set off at around 8.30pm in a decent amount of light. We chatted about which route we would take as we walked through the village. I always try to extend every walk, just love being outside. Anyway the voice of reason won out this evening, we'd take a short route around the bottom end of the village, down a lane, into woods and back up to the road through a couple of farmer's fields. I could cope with that. We stopped and chatted to a neighbour, holidays, the weather, dogs meeting and doing their thing before we headed on. Joseph got us all skipping down the road. Hope nobody else was looking at that point! Onto the country lane and dog off lead. All going well. Sally did a Sally thing and ran the wrong way into a farmer's field then got anxious until she rejoined us. She ran ahead in the woods and we noticed she was jumping up to a shadowy figure heading our way. I ran to stop her only to notice this bloke had a couple of big shot guns under each arm. A little freaky! It had fallen dusky by this time and I was glad I wasn't alone. It's amazing how the atmosphere can suddenly change. It' ok, we thought, we only have the 2 fields to get through now before we rejoin the road.

I put Sally onto her lead to go through the fields; sometimes there are sheep up there. That's when I noticed them. First I thought I saw bullocks then I realised there were bullocks, cows, sheep and about 8 horses in the second field. Oh boy! The plan was to walk calmly around the horses and head on up to the top gate. Not a bad plan you might think. It would have been a great plan, a splendorous plan if a big horse behind us hadn't decided to charge at us all the way up the field and set the others off too!! I immediately let go of the lead, as I'd heard you should do in such an event. I took hold of Joseph and frog marched him away from the horses whilst Tony picked up the lead, protecting his girl (Sally) and had a huge horse rearing up about 2 metres away from him the entire time. It would back off then charge back kind of side ways. It was a terrifying thing to behold. Other horses started to get in on the act until we got well up the field. I've never been so glad to get out of a field. Talk about hearts racing, mine could have easily broken the 4 minute mile - without legs!

Since we got back in Sally has followed Tony everywhere and obeyed his every command, has laid in her basket and is now sending out the zs by her master's feet. I think she knows he was protecting her. Just hope she doesn't hold it against me for dropping the lead.