Horse Help

[StoneHeartFarm]

Yeah, I'm gettin the idea that an animal that size shouldn't be hooked up to a swing set. The swings falling over probably just made the whole situation worse, if it didn't spook the horse in the first place. I think this might be a situation of trying to get the chores done in a hurry and just not thinking. Don't know exactly WHY she did tie up to the swings. I might ask, but I don't think this is quite the right time.

SHF

 

[tsh3]

"Ya just never know when they will spook and what for."

I don't have horses but was taking riding lessons a while back and always rode the teachers big Arab. This horse
would get spooked by what he couldn't see. In the indoor arena I could not make him go near the barn door if it was open and he would get real nervous if we even got close.. She said he was afraid of what might be around the corner of the door. One day I was riding and the barn door was closed, no problem til we were right next to it when the wind made it rattle and boom a bit. He took off right down the middle of the barn with me just trying to hang on.
Being the experienced rider that I am (not) I'm pulling on the reins and squeezing his sides with my legs, so now he starts to buck. After what seemed like forever I can hear the instructor yelling 'let go with your legs' and as soon as I did, he stopped and everything was fine, just like it never happened. Maybe 5 seconds to go from calm to sheer terror and back.

Steve

 

[radman]

StoneHeartFarm:
As cowboydoc and others expressed, horses are easily spooked. I am retired from veterinarian medicine but used to work on some horses. Broke my arm after my first horse ride at age 7. Horses have basically a "fright and flight" mentallity. If scared they take flight. After running for a while, they will later slow down and later think about what scared them. As cowboydoc said, unless you are familar with horses and horse mentality, it is best to just stay out of the way in these cases. I suspect something spooked the horse, and when it pulled back the swingset came loose and frightened it all the more. Expressing your sympathy and regrets was an excellent idea. If they plan to bury the horse on their property, the idea of using a backhoe is also good. I have euthanized (put asleep) horses in the past for various reasons and finding a way to bury them can be a problem. Some people have to hire a backhoe to dig the hole.

PS Cowboydoc: I see you live in Iowa. I live in Lincoln, NE and currently a MD (radiologist) Where do you live?

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

Believe me, after this the only ponies I'm interested in are under the hood and stop with a stomp on the brake and a click of the key! I'm starting to think the swingset itself may have precipitated this mess. (Horse pulling at it trying to get a stalk of grass. Swingset starts to tip. Horse see movement, jerks. Swingset falls. Horse runs.) Still seems sad, but at least I've calmed down.

Thanks
SHF

 

[cowboydoc]

Radman,
I'm in the Quad Cities. My best friend is a radiologist!