Your right there. It can be heartbreaking. I've owned 5 dogs in my lifetime. A Nova Scotia Duck Toller (who didn't even know what outdoors was when we got her. They kept her in a small cage in the basement 99% of the time) Two mix breeds from the same father but different mothers (my friends dogs decided they both wanted the same babies daddy LOL) and A german shepard police dog (whom was locked in a room with her old owner who had passed away for three days) she was mentally unstable when I got her, she hated men and sadly I gave her away due to an attack on my boyfriend. :O you may think it was horrible to give away a dog with violent tendencies but I gave her to a couple who were both cops and owned a horse/alpaca farm and now with lots of work she is the best dog they could ever ask for. And now there's Rebel. My pride and joy Rare breed called A carolina dog (or American Dingo). I'll tell you it takes a lot of research and care when you get a breed that technically is a species not a breed. Hes a little odd compaired to regular dogs and he's got his own ways but its neat. You see Carolina dogs do unique things like communal pup rearing, regurgitation, digging small nose sized holes in spring and fall. I've been there for the birthing of two litters. But my forte is really horses. I train horses and give riding lessons in my spare time when I can

I don't think it's horrible at all.
We had to do the same thing with one of our poodles.
My mum bought a great dane a year ago and the poodle kept attacking him, he never did any damage but as the dane grew older he started realising that the poodle was being serious and started showing that he might fight back...
The only reason we did it was for the poodles safety, one day the dane would be a big grown up dog and if he decided to fight him seriously, the poodle would be dead.
He is in a very loving home now with an older lady who doesn't have any other dogs...
We still see him on occasion being walked as he lives in the same suburb as us which is nice :)

Horse riding is on my list of things to do!
The closest I've ever gotten was on my uncles big pallomino stallion when I was little, I adored that horse!
I refuse to go to any of the riding schools here because they are so hard on their horses... :(

Wow. That for sure was much safer for the poodle then. I find the littler dogs always think they are so much bigger. I've had some people call me a horrid person for giving someone an "evil" dog as they put it. Well at least you still get to see him. We make a point of driving by the farm to see if my old dog and his new owners are outside. They love us stopping by.
Ive been riding horses since I have been able to walk and I have seen how some places treat their horses. I use a training method called the Cook Method. Only because my old boss Christine Cook was the first one in Nova Scotia to come up with a unique, hands on, no stress training method. There is no stress placed on the horse, no hitting, yelling and plenty of paitence. With the technique she has started you can train a horse to take a rider willingly within 6 months or less and they don't shy from loud noises and you could even take a plastic bag and tie it to their foot, saddle, bridle or halter and it wouldn't even bother them at all. Have you thought about going to someone you know or lives near you that knows horses and owns one. They might let you learn to ride with their horse (s) and you would know how they are treated also

That's not a bad idea...
One of my old work mates has a horse but it's a bit of a terror apparently. I'll ask her if she knows anyone with a more "quieter" horse lol
That training method sounds great... all the riding school horses here are just so dull... you see them and they just seem so unhappy. There is one up the road from my mum and when we drive past they are always laying down in the (very small) paddocks or just standing there.

Hehe I've had a horse like that. He was a trickster though he could open his stall doors and everything. I've seen that before too. Not enough room for the poor things. I wish people would take account into the size of their animal versus the need for a specific amount of space