Am I the only one that seems to constantly worry about my horse hurting himself?!

Girlracer

Girlracer

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And i'm sure I'm getting worse!

I'm constantly worried about finding him injured in the field, or him doing a tendon, splints, colic etc etc.

I have heard and been involved in so many horror stories and i'm turning into a right old worry wart.

I'm sure if I didn't work i'd been down there very half hour checking he's in one piece. Doesn't help that said horse has a habit of running around and regularly standing on himself.

I guess I take every precaution without effecting his quality of life, but sometimes it's not enough is it. Don't know what i'd do if I found him with a broken leg in the field (I have found three now, thankfully not my own) it's a horrifying thought.

Is this what it's like to be a parent, if so I can understand my mums reluctance toward some things!
 
My friend is very much a worrier too and her horse goes out of his way to give her something to worry about.

I'm quite laid back, I take as much care as I can to ensure their environment is safe and then I let them get on with it. They get chucked out in all weathers to run around with their friends.
The gelding comes in sometimes with a mark where he's been nipped and bits of tail missing because the boys have got carried away by playing too roughly, but my philosophy is a short life well lived is better than a long life half lived.
 
Oh constantly :rolleyes: I am so sad I can wind myself up to tears worrying about finding him in some critical condition!

I have a thing about him getting stuck in deep mud, struggling and breaking a leg, out hunting I REFUSE to go into deep boggy patches anymore (we took a tumble not long back in one, he was fine!).

Yup i'm terrible, was worse when I had my old tb, he always come in with a knock, lump, pull, scratch, scuff, kick anything, you name it! Touch wood buds isn't as bad!!
 
I worry every time I turn ours out, to me its natural , it shows concern for your animals. I feel happier every eveing when they are all in a safely tucked up -- it still doesnt stop the old mare form getting colic, so I sleep listening for her to be banging about -paranoid yep!!!

I do it becuse I care.
 
No - I'm really bad too.

Thing is though when I look at all my safety precautions they just don't work. I spent 10K making my fencing perfect, result, mare with a degloved hock. I spent at least that purchasing field shelters so my babies have don't have to wear rugs and then having holes put in the back and sides so that then wind doesn't turn them over - well clearly following the tragic loss of my last horse that doesn't work either.

Both accidents were probably million to one shots and everyone else I know who have crap fencing, crap rugs, rugs broodies when they are feeding foals :eek::eek:gets aways scot free.

I am going to have a resolution to stop being such a worrier - it solves nothing!
 
I am a terrible worrier :(

Made worse by the sudden loss of my much loved mare in may last year, the fact i was there and couldnt save her made it so much worse:(

I literally wrapped her up in cotton wool and did everything i could to ensure her safety yet in the end all that hard work was worth nothing:(

I constantly want to go check on the ones i have now and worry all the time especially as my new youngster is a clumsy oaf :rolleyes:

I dont hace children but imagine i would be even worse with them if i did lol:o
 
I have given up, I have 20 out in the fields, on sheet ice right now, if I worried unduly about them I would be a nervous wreck.

You can only do so much :) and I have come to the conclusion that if you coddle them too much they forget how to actually be a horse and look after themselves. My foals fall over on the ice, they do a Bambi, get up and for the rest of their lives they tread carefully.

Some horses are far more accident prone than others of course and then it pays to take precautions.

It is tragic when horses are lost to field accidents, and anybody who has done so has my sympathy, but so often it is pointless blaming yourself as there is absolutely nothing you could have done, despite your best efforts.
 
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horserider said:
I'm quite laid back, I take as much care as I can to ensure their environment is safe and then I let them get on with it. They get chucked out in all weathers to run around with their friends.
The gelding comes in sometimes with a mark where he's been nipped and bits of tail missing because the boys have got carried away by playing too roughly, but my philosophy is a short life well lived is better than a long life half lived.
Click to expand...

This I like. :)
 
No I don't constantly worry. I have good, very safe fencing, huge shelters and barns, well constructed stables and good gates so accidents are rare. But they do still happen even here! And if/when they do, I treat them efficiently and quickly. I have too many horses to worry constantly about what *might* happen. I try to make sure it doesn't hence all the money and work put into making my place as safe as possible for them. They are horses though and some will always find ways of injuring themselves. I watch my horses a lot though and I know all their characters and habits so I can tell just by looking out the window if one of them is slightly *off* or acting out of character and if they are I go out and check them straight away.
 
I'm not fussed. They are checked regulary, fairly calm and out all the time. If they do damage then I'll worry about it at the time.

I don't worry as if ever found in a bad way I know family would shoot and then contact me so they wouldnt be suffering. If found okay but in trouble they'd call vet first me later. If I worried about them I wouldnt enjoy them, id be a nervous wreck! Enough on my plate without adding that unecessarily
 
No I don't worry - it won't protect your horse but it will make you stressed and unhappy. Make sure their envirnoment is as safe as it can be and let them get on with it.

My other half is such as worrier that if he's not worrying about anything he's worried about having nothing to worry about. Why is everything going well, when will it end? :rolleyes: It doesn't change a thing except shortening his life expectancy!

Having said that (touch wood) I have never come across anything worse than a nasty gash on the quarters and a horse who'd gone through a hedge into next door's farm (horse hating farmer). He wasn't injured but he was very stressed and I had to find a way to get him back without the farmer seeing him which involved taking a wired up rusty old gate off its hinges on my own and, more challenging, getting it back on again! I could only half do it so I had to lay it flat, take my coat off and lay it over the top for him to walk on so he couldn't get his feet caught! I might be more concerned if I'd come across something awful.
 
No I don't worry. I always think he'll be alright if I see him charging about in the field. I do love him but he's a horse. He will run about, play fight with his mates and do stupid things he shouldn't :)
 
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