Quote From: kphilips10They allow dogs in the patios of restaurants in my town as well. I still don't like it. And no, I don't have some deep seated resentment from my childhood where a pet was treated better than I was! Some things are just wrong because they are inappropriate. And no I don't buy expensive saddles for my horses. All of mine were used, good quality but used. Certainly they cost money to feed but money is not the point here. My daughter is grown and gone as well. I am not looking for a subsitute for my child. The point is that pets of any shape or size don't belong in public places, particularly restaurants. I can ride my horse to the grocery store or post office and tie him outside. I don't put him a bag or stroller and take him inside the grocery store or post office. And "back in the day", horses were a means of transportation, not a pet. Just as dogs were used for protection or to keep the fleas off the humans.
you say some things are "wrong & inappropriate" but those things are in your opinion. I happen to disagree. My dogs are all well behaved and have limits but they do indeed live here in my home and so people who do not like dogs simply don't get an invite. If some one has an allergy coming to my home *they know I have dogs* & so by coming here they have put themseves in a place where their allergy is going to bother them. For the most part I'd rather be around the dogs than even the people with the allergy!
I think it's just silly for us to be accepting of the "working dog" in a restrurant & not someone's pet. their working golden is going to have the same amount of hair &/or dander as my golden & so for the person bothered by allergy it's the same thing. For the person sith the pup in a stroller or strapped on carrier I'd think they'd be more contained in the way of hair & dander than the working dog lying on the floor under the chair of the person they're guiding. They'd certainly not be jumping on anyone etc. etc. This would be much less disturbing than the horse being tied outside a post office & taking a dump while waiting for it's owner! Again I don't really think this is aproblem either as I am the animal lover, but I think we need to be careful when we start telling other where they can & cannot take their beloved animal. And how said that you've a horse that you're not so totally in love with that you don't want to drap it in the best you can. Think of the service this horse give you & what he/she gives to you for you to not want the best. People think of an animal as "just a pet" but they're really part of the family for many & I just find it sad for the people that don't have that same emotional connection to the animals they have with them.
