The occasional dog is hardly an unusual sight in many pub but patrons at a country venue got more than they bargained for when several customers brought their horses to dinner.
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Equine guests are not a regular occurrence at Gippsland's Tinamba Hotel in Victoria, but since riders made a special request to the owners to see if it was possible, it might become an increasingly common sight.
Tinamba Hotel co-owner Simon Johnson said since posting about their hoofed visitors on Facebook the venue has been inundated with requests from people wanting to do the same.
The pub is located at the end of the popular Gippsland plains rail trail which makes it a perfect place for people to visit with their horses.
"[To the women who asked to bring horses], I said look, as far as I'm concerned if we allow dogs we allow horses, as long as you pick up after your horses," Mr Johnson said.
"But they didn't quite live up to their promise that they said they were going to ... next time, I'll leave a bucket and a shovel out there for them."
After receiving requests from groups of 10 or more, Mr Johnson said they were considering plans to make the establishment more horse friendly, by including features such as a trough and hitching rails in the short term.
"We'd like to add accommodation to our business in the near future, and when we do that, we were hoping we might even put stables in and these people could ride there and stay and then ride home the next day," he said.
The Tinamba Hotel might be one of the few locations in Australia where someone can enjoy five star cuisine with a four legged friend.
According to Mr Johnson, the venue goes beyond the expectations of a traditional pub, and has been recognised nationally for its fine dining experience.
The hotel has won chefs hats from the Australian Good Food Guide in 2022 and 2023 as well as winning the Australian Hotel Association award for best regional restaurant in 2021 and 2022.
Animal presence increasing in Australian venues
While horses may still be a rarity in Australian venues, many animals, particularly dogs, are increasingly welcomed.
Manager of inner-Melbourne pub the Great Northern Sean Fawsitt said they had been allowing animals in all outdoor areas since 2008 and many other establishments are beginning to do the same.
He said the presence of pets has introduced a better atmosphere to the venue with people a lot more relaxed with animals around.
Owner Alastair Carragher's dog Bozo, affectionately known as the prince of Carlton North, has even become the company's logo.
"People are a lot more relaxed, it's a nice way of breaking the ice when you have dogs around, people are keen to introduce themselves and have a chat about the dog, it's a really nice thing," Mr Fawsitt said.
But the watering hole hasn't just welcomed dogs over the years. Mr Fawsitt said they have had everything from cats, ferrets and parrots to even an alpaca visit on one occasion.
Under the current Food Standards Australia New Zealand guidelines, pets (except for assistance animals) are allowed in outdoor dining areas, but not in any enclosed spaces.
But, Mr Fawsitt said he knew some venues had started to let dogs enter the front bar which is not technically allowed.
"A lot of places seem to be relaxing their policy on that, and definitely in beer gardens it seems to be an awful lot more common," he said.
"I think during COVID a lot of people got reacquainted with a love of animals, because a lot of people got dogs and everything else, so there's an awful lot more around."
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Mr Fawsitt said the Great Northern would "absolutely" support a change in laws that would allow animals to enter indoor areas of the pub.
He said most people were respectful with their pets and there wouldn't be any health safety concerns particularly due to the high levels of sanitisation post-COVID-19.
"I would like to see down the track, hopefully a relaxation of the rules in general," he said.
"With regards to a lot of places in Europe and even in the States, there's an awful lot of places where you can bring your dog into a restaurant and no one's batting an eyelid."
