13/09/2026
🐶🐴 Start them young!!! 🐴🐶
Life in the Equine Team certainly isn’t always spent in the office or out on veterinary visits! ❤️🐴🐶
Last week, our very own Sarah took Springer Spaniel puppy, Oakley, out riding for some exciting new experiences.
Oakley was accompanied by Sarah’s older rescued Spaniel cross, Henry, who initially took on the important job of showing the youngster the ropes and leading the way! 🐶🐾 Meanwhile, Sarah was riding Rocco, the pony she co-owns with Stacey, Head Nurse at our Small Animal Practice in Wolverhampton. 🐴❤️
As the ride went on, Oakley’s confidence grew and grew… and before long, he was feeling brave enough to lead the way himself! 🥰
It may have been a rather rainy and wet ride ☔️🌧️, but it was full of wonderful new sights, sounds, smells and experiences for young Oakley.
⚠️ A very important note from us, though! ⚠️
This was about carefully introducing a puppy to new environments and experiences, not taking young puppies out for long-distance exercise or encouraging everyone to take their puppy riding.
Sarah, Oakley, Henry and Rocco were out for just 10 minutes, which is appropriate for Oakley’s young age and in line with the length of his usual walks.
Importantly, where Sarah keeps Rocco, there are miles and miles of safe off-road riding with not a lane or road in sight. 🌳🐴 This meant Oakley could experience being out with the horses in a controlled environment, completely away from traffic and the risks associated with roads. His experience was carefully managed and supervised throughout. 🐾
🐶 Puppies should not be subjected to excessive exercise, as their growing bones, joints and soft tissues are still developing. Too much exercise, particularly high-impact or prolonged exercise, can potentially cause damage. The appropriate amount varies depending on the individual puppy and breed, with many young dogs not suitable for sustained exercise alongside a horse until they are considerably older — often around 6–8 months or beyond, depending on the breed and individual dog.
There are also important safety considerations when taking any dog around horses. Dogs can be injured if they run underneath or too close to a horse, while an unexpected movement from a dog could also put both horse and rider at risk.
So please don’t see this as an invitation to pop a lead on your young puppy and head out for a hack! 😂 New experiences can be introduced gradually, safely and appropriately, without over-exercising a growing puppy.
For Oakley, this was simply a carefully managed 10-minute opportunity to experience some new sights, sounds and smells — and, judging by the videos, he thoroughly enjoyed himself! ❤️🐶🐴
