Emergency situations - how do you lead?

Achinghips

Achinghips

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Yesterday leccy fence crashed down due to roof of field shelter landing on it - freak wind. Divvy TB with separation anxiety tried to get through into next fence with a known kicker, following fieldmate.
No halter to hand, how do you quickly gain control and turn half a tonne of horse, ignoring you? Wouldn't like to be in this situation again.
 
sounds scary , and has happened to me with mine actually jumping fence luckly gelding next door really didnt take no notice .
if you have no headcollar to hand , i always make sure there is a leadrope or something along those lines that i can wrap around the noise and back over the poll and back throw the nose bit this gives you a bit of control ,ive even used my jumper or jacket beforearound the neck and your hand on the bridge of nose .
and some kind of polos etc in pockets incase you need it to get horse
hope you horse is ok
 
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jumper/scarf/anything you can wrap around neck and/or nose.

if you've absolutely nothing, then one hand on middle of crest and one over nose, elbow in to shoulder to push horse away from you (thus bringing head towards you and hopefully encouraging horse to walk on with you)

in desperate situations i would either skin twitch (pinch and twist the loose skin on the neck ) or ear twitch to gain attention/control. ear twitching is not at all pleasant but i have had to do it twice (once to get control of some other idiots loose stallion and once to stop a pony running out on to a busy road), but if its a choice between that and dead horse/dead rider-DO IT!
 
I've used a jumper round the neck to push them forward and for extra security held together by my right hand, and my left hand firmly on the nose to steer and prevent them from shooting off. It's not ideal, but the situation of escaping horses usually isn't planned!

You can make an very good halter with a lead rope, but I guess there wasn't a rope to hand.
 
Prince33Sp4rkle said:
jumper/scarf/anything you can wrap around neck and/or nose.

if you've absolutely nothing, then one hand on middle of crest and one over nose, elbow in to shoulder to push horse away from you (thus bringing head towards you and hopefully encouraging horse to walk on with you)

in desperate situations i would either skin twitch (pinch and twist the loose skin on the neck ) or ear twitch to gain attention/control. ear twitching is not at all pleasant but i have had to do it twice (once to get control of some other idiots loose stallion and once to stop a pony running out on to a busy road), but if its a choice between that and dead horse/dead rider-DO IT!
Click to expand...

Ditto this. Have done it and it does work.
 
No help to you at all - but make sure you leave headcollars and lead ropes by every field you have horses in. I insist that as owners turn their horses out they leave their headcollars and ropes on a hook i have put in by the gates, then if there is an emergency and i have to get a horse/horses quick I know where the headcollars are . My horses will respond to manes, forelocks being held - or front of rugs. But not I suspect if there is general panic, and stupidity going on.
 
A lot of people don't like to leave headcollars by the gate because if a theif came along, how easy would that be?!

As above, i usually grab the nose with one hand and put my elbow in the neck. I usually find something to wrap around the head quickly though, be it a leadrope or a scarf or jumper. I find holding onto rug fronts to be a massive failure in most cases.
 
Yes, I've taken off my jumper of scarf to catch a horse before. In fact, one of my mares can be a bit of a baggage about being caught, and can spot a headcollar or leadrope from a mile away, so I quite frequently catch her with my pashmina round her neck! :p :D
 
One way to always be prepared is to wear two belts (with plenty of holes in) with your joddys, and always have a leading rein in your pockets somewhere, plus a packet of polo's.

You can then take off your two belts (hope your jods don't fall down!) and then very easily use this to make a makeshift headcollar by buckling the two together; one round the nose the other round the poll, and hey presto!

I suggested this to someone in the emergency services once; they sometimes have to deal with loose horses and he said what a brill idea.
 
Some great suggetions there. Thanks. I resorted to the chest twitch, in this situ I had but it really did have little effect, as she was just so wound up, in season and being a right div - bloody chestnut TB mares !!!!!:rolleyes:
 
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