Jacqueline St. Thomas, 47, was out riding her 12-year-old Irish sport gelding, Stone, before 2 p.m. at Linnell Landing when she spotted two people with three dogs, she said.
One of the three dogs took interest and "made a beeline" toward them, she said.
A person was running after the dog, yelling for it to stop, but it continued its pursuit, St. Thomas said.
Recognizing she should not act like prey, St. Thomas rode toward the dog, which initially caused it to back down, she said.
The dog, which she said was a pit bull, began circling Stone. "I didn't realize how dangerous it was until it lunged toward us," she said.
The dog tried to bite Stone's shoulder and throat, she said. When they turned to flee, the dog jumped toward Stone's hind end and then gave chase, St. Thomas said.
"I have a GPS to track my rides, and he was chasing us for 3 miles," she said. "It was intent on biting my horse."
She called Brewster police and filed a report with the animal control officer.
Most of the details of St. Thomas' account were confirmed by Brewster police Capt. Heath Eldredge via an email sent to the Times Friday.
"It did not appear the horse's skin was broken at all," Eldredge said.
OK, great trying to minimize it. So what if it "didn't break the skin"? Have you ever been terrorized and chased by a dog for three miles? Knowing that if it caught you, it would kill you?
Police were unable to find the pit bull; the other two dogs, identified as retrievers; or their owners, Eldredge said.
Worried the situation could have been worse, St. Thomas said the dog is a danger and should not be off its leash in public.
"I usually ride with my daughter and her pony," she said, "and it could have definitely reached them."
(Cape Cod Online - April 06, 2013)
