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HARMONIOUS BONDS
THE EXTRAORDINARY FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN DOGS AND HORSES AT LITTLE STONE RANCH
A heartfelt hello from Lower Saxony and a very big thank you for allowing us to introduce ourselves here today.
We, Horst and Alexandra Pernau, are living the shared dream with dogs and horses on our small, private Little Stone Ranch.
Our 7-member family includes two cheerful Rhodesian Ridgebacks and three equally playful horses. The two Ridgebacks, “Limited Edition Luke,” 6 years old, and “Next Generation Ajani,” 4 years old, are father and son.
Quarter Horse “Ace,” Paint Horse “Chip,” and “Gima,” an older Arab mix mare, together with the dogs, form the “Kings of Little Stone,” a close-knit community.
The love and passion for horses and dogs began over 25 years ago with the horses. Five years later, our first Rhodesian Ridgeback, “Yukon,” joined our family. With him, we experienced how wonderful it is to combine two passions. Witnessing the intelligence and meaningful interaction between horses and dogs as an owner has been one of the greatest gifts these animals have given us.
HORSES AND DOGS - IS THAT POSSIBLE?
Yes! First and foremost, we raised our dogs with the horses from the age of approximately 8 weeks. This allowed everyone to get to know each other peacefully and become familiar with various commands over time. Consistent and loving training is essential because when interacting with horses, dogs must always be recallable and obedient. For example, “Luke” loves to play and race wildly among the horses. If horses don’t accept this behavior or if dogs are not well-behaved, it can quickly become a dangerous problem for both the dog and the horse. On the other hand, “Ajani” is calmer around the horses and prefers to cuddle with them rather than play.
HOW DO WE GET DOGS AND HORSES TO WORK TOGETHER?
One difficulty to overcome is that horses are prey animals, while dogs are hunters. How do we man- age that? Both sides must trust the Alphas (humans) of the community. It starts with age-appropriate exercise, introducing new things in a trustworthy manner, and continues with training that neither overwhelms nor underwhelms. General education and acquiring social skills within the pack/herd apply to both horses and dogs. The positive aspect is that both species learn in almost the same way. This, in turn, makes it relatively easy to train dogs and horses with good basic education and they gradually become a great team over time. All exercises are broken down into small parts, practiced step by step, and later put together. At the end of the training of a young dog/horse, a well-developed team stands, which can rely on each other and find support in challenging situations.
Our two boys, “Luke” and “Ajani,” join us every morning to take the horses to the large pasture. They would surely do it alone if allowed. Although they are not herding dogs, our Ridgebacks guard the horses as if they were a treasure. During rides, for example, the two males closely follow the horses, which also determine the pace. They never stray more than 5-10 meters away from the horses.
It is amazing how deep a connection has developed over the years between our five animals! They look out for each other, support one another, and play together - whether on the pasture or out in the terrain.
Papa Ridgeback “Luke” likes to run close to the horse in the riding arena. On the other hand, Son “Ajani” prefers to lie down at the edge and observe everything. Majestically, he scans his surroundings while remaining calm.
It’s hard to put into words how fulfilling it is for our shared life to experience the animals interacting this way. It makes us happy every day, over and over again. However, we’ve also noticed that the horses react differently to unfamiliar dogs. They don’t like it when other dogs run after them, and they show it.
During rides, it is surprising to see how well the horses pay attention to our dogs and know their every move. All five of them consider each other carefully.
The social and relaxed way they interact is even evident in the fact that the horses share their food with the dogs. They all enjoy carrots and apples.
Our boys are also very devoted family dogs. They love our grandchild Ian and protect him every step of the way. They are especially watchful when he sits on the horse and rides.
For us, living with Rhodesian Ridgebacks and horses for 20 years has been a dream.
When the horses call us in the morning and the dogs rush to them full of joy, our hearts leap with pleasure.
The Kings of Little Stone Ranch.
WRITTEN BY KAYCE COVER, SYLWIA MATULEWSKA
