Bite Dodging!

Illusion100

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Ooof, close call this aft!

Seen the damage this horse has done to others, yet managed to stupidly get distracted and walked close past stable door while I was in on way to tack room.

That moment when the last chance your peripheral vision can work, you see a horse lunging over the door at you with flat back ears, open mouth and practically snarling! What do you do? I went for the Bust a 'Matrix' move and glad I was lunged at before I'd lost all sight of the horse and was got from the back.

If those teeth had made contact (was going for neck/shoulder) by the savageness, I would have been ragged or thrown, not nipped. Tonight would have been spent in A&E.

Lesson learned again, don't get distracted around horses!

What have your recent close calls been?!
 

Leo Walker

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OMG! That sounds like it could have been very nasty! I would be very, very annoyed if there was a horse on my yard that might do that where I had to walk passed!
 

fattylumpkin

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Wow, really glad you dodged that one Illusion o.o is the horse vicious for a reason???

I've only seen one horse ever grab and ragdoll shake someone rather than just nip, just once - and the person getting shook blooming well deserved it, but was still shocking to watch. After that I've been cautious. My nearest ever miss was when I was still in my teens and a bit of an idiot. A woman on the yard asked me very nicely if I'd fetch her mare and foal/almost yearling in from the field and I said 'of course yes!' and thought how exciting it was to have that kind of responsibility. Fab the owner says, and gives me the headcollar, and waves me off as I head to the private field where they were kept. Everything was going fine right up to the moment the almost-yearling dashes past me, leaps about six foot in the air, and tried to double barrel kick me in the head. Cue me flinging down the headcollar and throwing myself under the mare, while the beast prances about and has a great time terrifying the life out of me and occasionally making a put. When it galloped off down the field I ran and climbed through the fence quick and wrecked my jacket. The best bit is when I got back to the yard the owner told me off for leaving the headcollar behind!
 
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rachk89

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Worst one was when I was in a field with a mare who for some reason suddenly turned on me. She ran straight at me and I managed to just escape as I rolled underneath the fence away from her. Damn mares and their wacky hormones she was usually fine although could be a bit odd at times never like that though and never again.

Definitely avoid that horse though. That would have been a horrible thing to go through if it made contact. Wonder why it's like that.
 

Illusion100

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Wow, really glad you dodged that one Illusion o.o is the horse vicious for a reason???

I've only seen one horse ever grab and ragdoll shake someone rather than just nip, just once - and the person getting shook blooming well deserved it, but was still shocking to watch. After that I've been cautious. My nearest ever miss was when I was still in my teens and a bit of an idiot. A woman on the yard asked me very nicely if I'd fetch her mare and foal/almost yearling in from the field and I said 'of course yes!' and thought how exciting it was to have that kind of responsibility. Fab the owner says, and gives me the headcollar, and waves me off as I head to the private field where they were kept. Everything was going fine right up to the moment the almost-yearling dashes past me, leaps about six foot in the air, and tried to double barrel kick me in the head. Cue me flinging down the headcollar and throwing myself under the mare, while the beast prances about and has a great time terrifying the life out of me and occasionally making a put. When it galloped off down the field I ran and climbed through the fence quick and wrecked my jacket. The best bit is when I got back to the yard the owner told me off for leaving the headcollar behind!

Just the way it is with this horse. Always been like it as far as I know.

That's awful, I too have been tricked into turning horses out/bringing in as a favour. Nearly lost my head on quite a few occasions. One of the most memorable was a TB Stallion to turn out, Stallion owners GF had a sore back she said, could I turn him out this morning she said, he's fine she said. Nearly having my head kicked in from both fronts and backs and attacked by teeth, I refused the offer to retrain him for Eventing.
 

Illusion100

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Worst one was when I was in a field with a mare who for some reason suddenly turned on me. She ran straight at me and I managed to just escape as I rolled underneath the fence away from her. Damn mares and their wacky hormones she was usually fine although could be a bit odd at times never like that though and never again.

Definitely avoid that horse though. That would have been a horrible thing to go through if it made contact. Wonder why it's like that.

Ninja Roll! Well done.

I just was in a world of my own and forgot. Luckily reflexes saved me, it would have been nasty.
 

rachk89

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Just the way it is with this horse. Always been like it as far as I know.

That's awful, I too have been tricked into turning horses out/bringing in as a favour. Nearly lost my head on quite a few occasions. One of the most memorable was a TB Stallion to turn out, Stallion owners GF had a sore back she said, could I turn him out this morning she said, he's fine she said. Nearly having my head kicked in from both fronts and backs and attacked by teeth, I refused the offer to retrain him for Eventing.

Ah there is a horse here a bit like that but he is more playing and seeing what he can get away with than being aggressive. Only the people working there and his owner can take him to the fields now as he is too unpredictable and they don't want anyone getting hurt.

Been told though all you need to do is watch his head because as soon as he turns his head towards you he is going up and you have a split second to stop him before he does. He is a cheeky lad but being so big makes him a tad dangerous.
 

Illusion100

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Ah there is a horse here a bit like that but he is more playing and seeing what he can get away with than being aggressive. Only the people working there and his owner can take him to the fields now as he is too unpredictable and they don't want anyone getting hurt.

Been told though all you need to do is watch his head because as soon as he turns his head towards you he is going up and you have a split second to stop him before he does. He is a cheeky lad but being so big makes him a tad dangerous.

This one is just out and out aggressive at times. Not a cheeky twonk! However rearing is never an issue to take lightly. :(
 

planete

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You had a lucky escape. I well remember being called chicken for walking out of a young warmblood stallion box instead of grooming him when I realised he was "in a mood". We were only allowed to tie up with breakable twine and I decided not to risk it. I said I would go back in and groom him when he had calmed down. One of the younger grooms scoffed and went into the box. Two minutes later she ran out of the box screaming and holding onto her shoulder. She was probably quicker on her feet than me but not quicker than a hell-bent stallion unfortunately.
 

laura_nash

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I've only seen one horse ever grab and ragdoll shake someone rather than just nip, just once

Had this happen to me once as a teenager :( I was putting a rug on late at night for someone, didn't know the horse that well. I was a bit irritated and in a hurry and didn't take my time enough, just marched in and went to chuck the rug on and horse grabbed my shoulder and shook me, then flung me in the corner. Horse then had a breakdown in the corner of the box. We later discovered another groom at the stables had been beating horses when doing evening stables :( I still have a small scar on my shoulder.

Personally I don't think you should need to have your wits about you when moving around normally outside a stables though, the horse should have a grill or be stabled in a quiet corner not on the way to / from the tack room. I don't like the "blame culture" but unless this is a private yard I think the owner is opening themselves up to trouble if the horse is known to behave this way and nothing has been done.
 

rachk89

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This one is just out and out aggressive at times. Not a cheeky twonk! However rearing is never an issue to take lightly. :(

Nah they don't that's why only certain people can lead him in and only two people can ride him. I don't think he has reared in a while as he knows he can't with these people.
 

Illusion100

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It's a private yard and the YO's horse.

Where this horse is located, there is no need for any livery to walk past its stable on a daily basis. Last night I was still prepping my stable when the YO was bringing in and so my horse was moved to a pen next to it's stable while I finished, so he wasn't left out by himself.

He was being a bit giddy so I went to check him and then forgot whose stable I was then walking past on way to tackroom, I got a sharp reminder!We all know what this horse can be like and I forgot. It went for it's owner shortly after and got a good wallop for it's efforts.

It has to be muzzled for Vet/physio etc, it can be very aggressive and also territorial.
 

Goldenstar

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I once had a very unhappy horse who bit .
He was with me on a pro yard he ate lead ropes he was tied up a lot because of his behaviour ,the YOer told me to tie him using a chain ( this was not unusual horses where often tied up with chains in those days .
He was upset because he could not eat his rope and when I untied him he lunged at me and lifted he up by my boob .
The pain was incredible the whole of my torso was black and blue .
My father had him sent to sales I worried about him until I knew that he must be dead but I was sixteen and had no say in the matter .
Poor boy, I think he had KS but it's over thirty years ago and things where different then .
 

Illusion100

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Ouch! :(

Sometimes when mine gets anxious he'll mouth the leadrope, I know a lot of people wouldn't tolerate it but it really doesn't bother me. It takes his mind off things and settles him down if he can play with it. It certainly stops him from becoming frustrated and behaviour escalating. I think quite a few people settle Stallions when they're tied up by giving them something to mouth/play with. Anyway, for me, mouthing a rope is fine, my clothing however is a major no-no!

I don't blame your Dad for his decision, that was a nasty bite.

I remember once when I was working with a Physio years ago we went to treat a Stallion. It had 3 chains (one forward, 2 for crosstie) holding it to the walls. It never moved a muscle, never took it's eyes off us and it had an unnerving eerie silence about it, if it had the opportunity to tear us apart it would have. I have never been more pleased to get out of a horses stable as I was that one!

I don't think I could persevere with an unreasonably aggressive horse, it's just not worth it for me.
 

Illusion100

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Had this happen to me once as a teenager :( I was putting a rug on late at night for someone, didn't know the horse that well. I was a bit irritated and in a hurry and didn't take my time enough, just marched in and went to chuck the rug on and horse grabbed my shoulder and shook me, then flung me in the corner. Horse then had a breakdown in the corner of the box. We later discovered another groom at the stables had been beating horses when doing evening stables :( I still have a small scar on my shoulder.

Personally I don't think you should need to have your wits about you when moving around normally outside a stables though, the horse should have a grill or be stabled in a quiet corner not on the way to / from the tack room. I don't like the "blame culture" but unless this is a private yard I think the owner is opening themselves up to trouble if the horse is known to behave this way and nothing has been done.

Oh dear, what a nasty thing to happen to you. Poor horse too.
 

Princess16

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Ooof, close call this aft!

Seen the damage this horse has done to others, yet managed to stupidly get distracted and walked close past stable door while I was in on way to tack room.

That moment when the last chance your peripheral vision can work, you see a horse lunging over the door at you with flat back ears, open mouth and practically snarling! What do you do? I went for the Bust a 'Matrix' move and glad I was lunged at before I'd lost all sight of the horse and was got from the back.

If those teeth had made contact (was going for neck/shoulder) by the savageness, I would have been ragged or thrown, not nipped. Tonight would have been spent in A&E.

Lesson learned again, don't get distracted around horses!

Bloomin heck I wouldn't fancy being on a livery with horses like that!

Sounds like you had a lucky escape!

What's his issues? Is owner aware and working with him?
 

Illusion100

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Princess16, the horse is incorrigible. Been like it from a baby I've been told. Often double barrels stable walls and bites the air.

Think what annoyed me the most was it was a sneaky attack as it came pretty much from behind. I prefer it when horses are most honest about their intentions, a bit of warning would be nice!

I've actually pulled my shoulder from twisting myself out of the way so suddenly, can't lift my arm. Thank goodness I was blessed with sharp reflexes.
 
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