Dogs love to horse ride too

What a great sight!   Locals near Flaxley in Gloucestershire must stop and stare when they see two Jack Russell terriers riding a pony round the local farm.

73 year old Patricia Swinley runs a farm in Flaxley where seven year old Jack Russell Freddie has been riding a pony called Daisy for years.  Now, Patricia’s friend Sally’s one year old Jack Russell Percy seemed to be jealous of the attention Freddie has been enjoying and jumped up on Daisy’s back too.

Patricia said:

“Freddie was riding Daisy one day when my friend Sally’s Jack Russell Percy jumped up there too.  It seems Percy was really keen to imitate his older friend. They tend to squabble when they’re riding together, so now we let them take it in turns.  Freddie is getting quite old now and can’t leap up there anymore, so we lift him on. Then Percy has his go. He’s very eager and jumps around all over the place in excitement. But luckily Daisy is used to it and doesn’t mind.”

The two Jack Russell terriers are also happy to ride round in a small cart at Daisy, who is only 37 inches tall herself, pulls them along.

Patricia added: “Freddie became famous for riding Daisy and local schoolchildren still pop by the farm in the hope of seeing him. But now it seems Percy has become his very keen understudy.”

Percy’s owner, 39 year old Sally Jones also commented:

“They both love going in the cart. We call it ‘Driving Miss Daisy!’ We get a lot of cars looking at us, a pony with a trap and two dogs inside.  We wouldn’t do it if they didn’t like it, but they all do, terriers and pony.”

Jack Russells are known for being bright and colourful characters and it seems these two are no exception!

Leanne Thompson