Feeling like a seriously awful owner.

C

Cash

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 November 2008
Messages
1,977
Visit site
Really feeling like I should not be allowed a horse right now.
Firstly we both had a fall when jumping last night which I feel like I should/could have prevented. We were coming into a 1m oxer, and for some reason I just didn't put my leg on. He stopped, skidded into the jump, i fell onto it, and at the sound of the poles and wings crashing he spooked, ran backwards and fell. Both got back up straight away and thank god he seemed totally sound and not upset, but had some cuts up back legs from where he scrambled to get up and somehow was not protected by boots. :(
I washed cuts, put on Dermagel etc, and tucked him up for the night.
Came down to yard this morning to find a note from a fellow livery saying that she unlocked the gates and drove down the drive this morning to nearly collide with my horse, who had somehow escaped from his stable during the night and was running around very stressed. She managed to catch him and put him back in his stable. I checked him over again and he has managed to accumulate two more injuries- an overreach injury on front heel and a scrape on back leg. :( But, thank god again, despite legs now looking a bit of a mess what with several little grazes, no signs of stiffness or unsoundness, and he seemed comfortable and calm- I was terrified about colic etc through the stress.
My instructor is coming tonight, I am going to get her to check him over totally in case I have missed anything. And obviously if he seems at all lame or in pain will get the vet out.

Guess this is jut a confession really, feel free to bo!!ock me for being such an appalling owner. Feel awful.
 
I don't think anyone else needs to tell you off - you are doing a far better job of it yourself than any of us could!

Everyone makes mistakes. Provided you learn from them and resolve to (try to) never make the same mistake again then that's all you can do.

Might be worth trying to work out how he escaped from his stable though. Mind you, I suspect you don't need me to tell you that either ;). I have a mare who can undo bolts. Hope he stays fine.
 
You can't forsee everything... My fella can undo electric fence gates (which have been tied up with bailer twine when the fence is on! Horses R clever sods! And ad for the fall anyone can have an accident.
 
Please don't beat yourself up, accidents are just that - accidents. Your boy sounds like he'll be fine, he just spooked himself bless him xx
 
Don't beat yourself up too much, everyone makes mistakes and has accidents. A bad owner would have blamed the horse for stopping, punished him, ignored the cuts and not have written this post. There are key words in your post that tell me you're a good owner so just learn from what happened i.e fix the door somehow and don't dwell on it
 
dont worry, as most above said.. everyone has bad times.. the other day i felt like such an idiot in my lesson,.. my horse was way too enthuseatic about jumping and we ran into a pile of jumps in the corner.. my instructor didnt say anything as we both knew it was stupid .. he had a couple of cuts, but they are all accidents and horses do get freaked out easily.. when soemthing bad happens, they usually spiral..
just spend lots of time, patting and praising him so he knows he hasnt done anything wrong..
 
The fact that you care enough to beat yourself up speaks volumes :-)

I must have forgotten to lock my stable door with my mare and foal in it a few months ago and they went on a little adventure still feel guilty now ! :-(

As for the riding I bet you put your leg on next time !

Things only seem bad as it is one thing after another last night - chin up
 
Thanks for the kind words :o

I must have forgotten to do the bottom bolt (though I'm sure I didn't?!)- he is not the 'escape artist' sort, but is a bit of a 'nibbler' so probs was playing with it and opened it.
Dread to think what could have happened if he had escaped onto road/been hit by car.
 
I am usually one of the first at the yard, and fairly regularly find horses out of their stables because their bottom bolts hadn't been done up (when I say fairly regularly, in the last year probably happened about 4-5 times out of 33 horses).

One morning when I wasn't the first, one of mine had escaped, and the poor lady who had got there before me had spent 15 minutes trying to catch him. Not only had he poo-ed all over the yard, but eaten every single breakfast from outside the stables - bar 2. The 2 he hadn't eaten had been guarded by a very fierce chestnut mare who probably wouldn't let him anywhere near her.

I was absolutely mortified!

I had ridden with a friend the previous evening, she had put Clover in his stable, but hadn't bolted the door thinking we were going to feed; but as I had already fed them, we didn't then go back in the stables.
 
As stated - it was an accident and it's not like you beasted him for it :) It sounds like he wouldn't have been able to get out on to the road anyway, due to yard gate?
You had your mind full last night with the accident, so it's not surprising if you did forget the bottom bolt.

Your both safe and not injured badly - that's what counts.
 
Horses as much as we love and know them are unpredictable and unfortunately ***** happens!!
I am sure nearly everyone who has owned a horse has done similar things:)
Last night after falling you were probibily in shock and shaken up.
I've forgotten to do the bottom bolt before, horse escaped and ate everyone elses breakfasts!!
 
All of mine can undo bolts so they all have clips on the doors - I will happily admit that more than once a clip hasn't been put on at night and they will then go a wandering.

Don't beat yourself up, accidents do happen.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top