A MUM-of-two has described how an idyllic ride by the river turned to horror when her horse was savagely attacked by a dog.

Janet Vivian was riding her horse Monty by the River Stour at Muscliff when the bull mastiff/ridgeback attacked them, biting Monty’s back leg.

The hound hung on for several seconds before it was shaken off, leaving 12-year-old Monty’s right hock pouring with blood.

Afterwards the dog’s owner, a young slim woman, hastily left the scene, said Janet, 50, of Carey’s Road, Throop, Bournemouth.

The attack at around noon on Tuesday, September 29, took place just three miles from the scene of a similar attack that left Labrador/lurcher cross Bayliss with a seven-inch rip in his throat.

Janet said: “We walked out of the river and then saw this big dog coming towards us.

“The horse bolted down a very small path and as I looked down the dog was hanging off the horse’s back leg.

“There was this poor lady walking along with two Westies and I had to scream at her to get out of the way.

“I managed to get into the hedge and spun the horse around and managed to dislodge the dog.”

Following an angry exchange the woman refused to give her details and left with her dog, added Janet.

“I reported it to the dog warden but they really weren’t interested.

“I said they are going to have a death on their hands. If it is prepared to take on half a tonne of horse, anything smaller than that is not going to stand a chance,” she said.

Janet is sure that the animal was a bull mastiff/ ridgeback cross but emphasised that it was not a similar dog called Ollie which lives in that area and is “lovely”.

Mild-mannered Monty is “popular with kids” and used to dogs, she said.

Dean Shepherd, environmental protection officer at Bournemouth Borough Council, confirmed that the incident had been recorded by the dog warden team.

He added: “Unfortunately, without any details of the owner of the dog that made the attack we are unable to take any action.

“However, our dog wardens will continue to regularly patrol and monitor the area.”