Got his bridle caught on his door last night!!

Stacie_and_Jed

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Id just finished working my boy last night, put him in his stable, turned my back for a second to take my gloves off and he managed to get his bit caught in the bolt hole of his door! He pulled back and i managed to grab him in time to stop him pulling back further!!

I was trying to quickly get his cheek piece undone in the hope that it would release his bit from his mouth. Before i managed to get it undone the cheek piece on the other side snapped - thank god!

He has skinned his bottom lip, not seriously, but managed to eat his dinner and hay.

I arrived down at the yard this morning and there is a swelling on the side where he cut him self (understandable) and also on the other side of his lips. Ive had a look in his mouth but couldnt see any cuts or anything. Is there a possibility that he has damaged his mouth further back where i cant see? Ive got some bute so will give him that later to hopefully reduce any swelling and stop any soreness he may have.

Ive posted this as a warning really to hopefully stop people turning their backs on their horses whilst still tacked up! It was the fright of my life seeing my boy stuck on his door and so helpless, im glad its only mild damage as im sure it could have been a lot worse!!

Take care all
 
Mine's done that before, once he was itching his face, caught the cheekpiece and snapped it; the other time I forgot to twist the reins through the throatlash while I stuck my hat & gloves on, he caught a rein over the door and snapped that. Luckily he wasn't injured either time.
 
God they do know how to get themselves into pickles.

Not quite the same, but my mare was tied up outside her stable (just in headcollar) and started to itch her head on wall. There was a hook for hanging headcollars up fastened to the wall. She managed to itch her head down the wall and lower her nose down the hook so that it was right up her nose. She then pulled back and panicked because the hook was up her nose and instead of lifting her head up to free herself just pulled back. I thought she would rip her nose right off. I was at the other end of the block and watched this happen as I ran to her and managed to pull her head forward and up. She had a nose bleed but no serious damage. If I had been round the corner and not seen I think she might have ripped through her nose. Needless to say the hook was removed!!
 
Many years ago I had a horse with a fulmer snaffle on and as I got off he rubbed his head against the gate, got the bit stuck and pulled the gate off the hinges, breaking the bridle as well - it was very frightening.

I try and put a rug over the door whilst they're tacked up now but there's still the risk, especially when my current horse likes to shove the rug onto the floor!
 
Well done for being so quick! its such a awfull feeling!!
I have seen it so many times not as much bridles at all but i have seen horses pull back whilst tied up bringing the wall down on them :(
Glad your horse did'nt do to much damage hope he feels better soon
 
I've had that happen to me twice, despite being really vigilant about it now! You look away one sec and they manage to hook themselves and panic!

In the new place I put in these stable doors from Monarch with a different latch system which is all internal and there is nothing to hook onto, but of course you would need to be in the market for new stable doors!

http://monarch-equestrian.co.uk/externaldoors.html
 
Many years ago I had a horse with a fulmer snaffle on and as I got off he rubbed his head against the gate, got the bit stuck and pulled the gate off the hinges, breaking the bridle as well - it was very frightening.

I try and put a rug over the door whilst they're tacked up now but there's still the risk, especially when my current horse likes to shove the rug onto the floor!

Thats exactly what Jed had in his mouth and managed to get it in a hole which was around 1mm wider than the bit its self! It bent the bit almost 180 degrees so he must have pulled back with some force!

I have rugs on my door and as he itched he must have moved them over! Just a freak accident i suppose but so scary. Needless to say i lost slepp last night worrying if his mouth would be too sore to eat! Im glad he has a rather high pain threshold
 
Not just bridles. I know a very talented young eventer got put in his stable wearing a very high quality leather headcoller (make beginning with S). So good that when he caught it on the door it didn't break. he went over & damaged his spine. Was 5 years old, now is only a companion.
 
I had a similar experience (bridle caught on hinge of a gate ). Fortunately it was an old leather bridle which snapped easily.

It has put me off using webbing bridles and I dont leave head collars on if at all possible
 
It is scary when this happens isn't it? My other half used to turn out for me in the mornings, and I instructed him to go to the pony, put her headcoller on and put rope over her neck. Shut and bolt door (pony was too small to get head over door!)

Go to horse and put headcollar on, remove from stable, pick pony up on way past her stable.

He decided in his wisdom to do it the other way round. Horse hung head over door, looped leadrope catch over bolt, went berserk. OH didn't do it again.

I had a small, young native do this once in his headcoller. Pulled stable door off hinges.

I should think your boy will be fine, their lips will be quite sensitive to a bit of pulling and bashing so hopefull swelling will go down soon enough.
 
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