Posted by The San Francisco Dog Walker
Well if not, you probably will someday soon. Fort Funston is a popular destination for equestrians of all skill levels.
Don’t know how your dog will react to a horse? I suggest that you keep your eyes open and if a horse approaches, put your dog on leash, until you know their behavior. Most dogs will have a natural curiosity around horses and may run up to sniff or bark, which may startle the horse and cause the rider to fall, or at the very least, the rider may become angry with you and make it an unpleasant encounter.
Until you know how your dog will react to a horse,it is important to make that first encounter a cautious one. If you find that you dog seems to be overly interested in the new beast on the beach, then I recommend that you do some conditioning. I have had very good luck with dogs that are reactive to horses on the trail, if I take them on a private walk to a stable, on leash of course, and coax them near the horses with cookies and lots of baby talk (yes this is a technical dog training term). After a few times, the dogs will feel more secure and will relax around horses. And if you should see horses on the beach, you should call your dog over to you, for a treat. If you have conditioned the dog well enough, they should not react to the horses passing, but rather come over to you and sit facing you, when you call out “cookie” and then request that they “sit” quietly while the horses pass.