accidents in muddy fields

Mine have excelled themselves this morning. I kept them in until the track had had a little chance to dry - it's a foot deep in mud already in places - and then let them out. Biggest lad decided to roll next to the electric fence, as he went all the way over he got his legs tangled. He's snapped a wooden post and taken the fence down. He and two others decided that the adjoining field needed them to go and play in it and have been practicing their vertical takeoffs and airs above the ground. As one of them is my homebred youngster I'm not too pleased about him learning this trick. To keep the peace they are all now in that field, which I was saving in case anyone needed a fresh bite of grass before the spring. It is beginning to look as though it has been ploughed, reminding me of my little AA mare who is the only horse I've known to enjoy galloping full speed, slamming on the anchors and then skidding and leaning in to create great big arcs of ripped up grass. She could get skids some thirty feet long and with an S bend. She'd just do it for fun out in the middle of the field.

As ever, when they are being thoroughly naughty all I can do is admire their beauty and keep laughing as they are so funny to watch (whilst praying that no-one does any damage to themselves.)
 
*hic* said:
Mine have excelled themselves this morning. I kept them in until the track had had a little chance to dry - it's a foot deep in mud already in places - and then let them out. Biggest lad decided to roll next to the electric fence, as he went all the way over he got his legs tangled. He's snapped a wooden post and taken the fence down. He and two others decided that the adjoining field needed them to go and play in it and have been practicing their vertical takeoffs and airs above the ground. As one of them is my homebred youngster I'm not too pleased about him learning this trick. To keep the peace they are all now in that field, which I was saving in case anyone needed a fresh bite of grass before the spring. It is beginning to look as though it has been ploughed, reminding me of my little AA mare who is the only horse I've known to enjoy galloping full speed, slamming on the anchors and then skidding and leaning in to create great big arcs of ripped up grass. She could get skids some thirty feet long and with an S bend. She'd just do it for fun out in the middle of the field.

As ever, when they are being thoroughly naughty all I can do is admire their beauty and keep laughing as they are so funny to watch (whilst praying that no-one does any damage to themselves.)
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Obviously something in the air. My lot are in the (forbidden) driveway field, having burst through two lines of tape to get there. Once they'd stopped cavorting, I rounded them up, put them back in their field, and painstakingly blocked every gap in the hedge with rails - then two minutes later, they had blown a new hole in the hedge and were back on the grass. I have given up - they can stay there!
 
Ours are all very boring it seems, minimal charging around, although they get fresh hay morning and evening so I think that keeps them busy! :)
 
Auslander said:
Obviously something in the air. My lot are in the (forbidden) driveway field, having burst through two lines of tape to get there. Once they'd stopped cavorting, I rounded them up, put them back in their field, and painstakingly blocked every gap in the hedge with rails - then two minutes later, they had blown a new hole in the hedge and were back on the grass. I have given up - they can stay there!
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Yup, I took the pragmatic view, once they'd decided that was where they were going to be, that was where they'd get themselves to. Best just to open the fence further and let everyone in and admire their antics.
 
Auslander said:
I think that's a really sad thing to read. I understand the risks, but still choose to allow my horses to play in the field. I love watching them enjoying themselves - even though I do cringe a bit when they are really silly. Everyone needs to let off steam occasionally, and a charge round the field is how horses do it. I don't see £ signs, I see happy horses...
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I love seeing mine playing even when they are stupid. A few weeks ago I was watching my 20 year old who has recovered from his broken leg charging round his field at full speed and losing his balance totally and skidding along the floor on his side. He was fine (rug wasn't!)

A month ago he was stabled and stiff and fed up. Now he's out 24/7 having a great time and so much happier.

I understand why yards may not want to turn out especially when there has been a serious accident in the past. If the same thing happened again you'd feel awful.
 
*hic* said:
Yup, I took the pragmatic view, once they'd decided that was where they were going to be, that was where they'd get themselves to. Best just to open the fence further and let everyone in and admire their antics.
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Too right! Mine are loving the grass - and now they know it's there, they will just keep breaking and entering! They can stay there tonight and eat it all, then go in another field until I sort out the hedge!

Innocence personified...

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And not content with escaping - madam decided to make a great big mess rolling!

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margiegran said:
was just wondering if its better to keep your horse in when the fields are very muddy, Iv read on facebook of horses slipping and breaking legs. This is only the second winter Iv had with my horse, she's my first horse so Im not that experienced but I am sensible. Some of the other liveries are keeping their horses in. :rolleyes: p.s Im a 59yr old woman, and love any help and advice.
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Personal choice. My yard stay in xmas day and new years day, otherwise they are out in day time. Ours are about to move to the rested field which has had 3 months off - has loads grass. So the vacated field has 3 months to re charge.

I have known horses break a leg in the summer months -and seen many horses past and present charge round go a$$ over t1t and get up and continue to hooley in the mud.

I think its wrong to coop them up to :

save the grazing
so they don't get muddy
owners save on brushing them
save on de pooing.


Muddy horses etc come with owning horses, and if the horse has to suffer its playtime fun because of it. Maybe people ought to rethink on whats more important.

Horses free time to do as he pleases
get his stresses down
having fun
being with his friends
running carefree




or the owner / yo not having to brush them off.


They are horses at the end of the day , and should be allowed to be horses for some of the hours in the day.
 
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Muddy fields are extremely dangerous for horses. I have had two horses break a leg in the field when it was muddy, and my mare sustained a career ending shoulder injury when the snow was just thawing. I have known many more horses get fatally injured. Having said that, I have three of them out now 24/7 and it is very muddy and slippery. I would prefer to bring them in but as the fields are not going to get much better any time soon, they would have to come in and just get a couple of hours a day out in the sand if I were to wait until conditions in the field were not muddy. That is not a good option as the ones that are out are a one year old, a two year old and an 11 year old that has bad arthritis and seizes up if he's kept in. Yes, it worries me. I debated whether to bring them in tonight due to the storm heading our way, but have opted for thicker rugs and the hope that they stay calm and make use of the field shelter.
 
amandaco2 said:
More likely to slip after galloping about due to lack of turnout imho. If they are out daily they are less likely in general to run about
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This totally.

But if you are on shared t/o, may be an idea to always bring in together, so those left don't start hoolying.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
As for seeing pound-notes charging around .......I'm appalled! When I cringe, I'm worried about the horses, not my bank balance!
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Appalled - really..?? Gosh well I hope you manage to scrap your jaw off the deck..!

Please don't judge other by what you think.. You might have horses as pets

I don't..! I invest a lot of time and money into mine and it's NOT a pet.

And I don't want it broken. If I can within reason avoid that happening I will. And if that means keeping them in a stable during harsh Scottish storms then I will. I do hope you recover from the shock now......

As for individual turnout I don't personally like it either and it's not how I'd chose to keep my own horse, I'm lucky at the moment my mare is in a herd of 9 who actually are a settled bunch so we have very little issues, so far this winter they have been kept in 4 days total with zero turnout due to stormy weather.

Having lost one gelding running about in knee deep mud, falling and breaking him foreleg above the knee, compound fracture with bone sticking out, having four men holding him up as he was in deep shock, had he gone down the bone would of come right out and waiting for the vet to arrive was quite traumatic

Then oh let me not forget the time I was stood watch 3 boys running in a muddy field I was stood 4 meter from the gate, they came towards the gate one large coloured gelding did not stop , skidded, tried to the jump the five bar gate missed hit it, spun over it landed on his back and broke it , a few foot in front if me.

Makes me a tad nervous these day ya know........ Now that was appalling..!
 
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I said I was appalled not shocked. My jaw did not drop so I will neither 'scrap' not scrape it off the floor.

I have kept multiple horses for 40 yrs and during that time I've lost several to accident and illness. Our first gelding broke his back in a field accident, so I am quite aware of the potential for accidents to happen, in both the stable and the field.

I am still appalled that a horse-owner (for whatever purpose) would be more interested in the financial cost of a field accident than in the horse's welfare, which might not have been what you meant but was certainly how I read your post.
 
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I have no choice but to leave them turned out. I have a field and that is it! Thankfully it's not THAT muddy apart from at the gate (which I've sectioned off) and a single strip of about 5 meters. They're not really ones for running about unless frightened, which is good!
 
we have fields by a river, and after Monday some of the field is now flooded. however, all the horses are pretty good at staying calm in the field and getting on with grazing. they are in a mixed herd of 10, quite a few are very calm and older. occasionally one of them chases the 4yo. luckily as they all come in an barn, with my 2 in together, they also remain quite chilled, even if in for over 24 hours.
some play is normal, but if they are always bombing there is normally a problem: they are bored or hungry!
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
I said I was appalled not shocked. My jaw did not drop so I will neither 'scrap' not scrape it off the floor.

I have kept multiple horses for 40 yrs and during that time I've lost several to accident and illness. Our first gelding broke his back in a field accident, so I am quite aware of the potential for accidents to happen, in both the stable and the field.

I am still appalled that a horse-owner (for whatever purpose) would be more interested in the financial cost of a field accident than in the horse's welfare, which might not have been what you meant but was certainly how I read your post.
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Personally for me leaving horses in potentially dangerous conditions is not looking after the horses welfare but each to their own.
 
I tend to turn out in most weathers, and was lucky my last one was pretty calm even in a herd, very few mad moments (and most of them were in the snow)was far more interested in eating.
 
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