Horrendous thing happened this morning.

[SantaVera]

Went to the yard as usual this morning, picked out cobs feet and took his rug off to check him over and give him a bit of a groom. he lives out 24/7 . he'd eaten his breakfast and was stood by the gate. I put a headcollar on and just chucked the leadrope over the gate. didnt want to tie him as no safe beakaway string was there . Id reached the point where i was doing up the rug straps after replacing it when in a split second cob was pulling back with tremendous force panicing. the headcollar had got stuck over the top of the gate, the upright bit at the gate ends is about an inch higher than the top of the gate. there was nothnig I could do. After what seemsed like an age the headcollar came away, the buckle had ripped through the webbing. cob stood looking stunned and was wranging his jaw about. I thought he'd broken it. after a while he settled down and began to eat some hay so all seems alright. It was a terrible shock hes lived in this field for years and has been groomed in this spot many times. Ill never leave a horse near a gate or fence post wearing a headcollar again. It was very very frightening and the outcome could have been so much worse than a broken headcollar.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I'm so glad that he seems to have come through the experience unscathed. I would probably ask a physio to check him in about a week to ensure that his head and neck muscles have recovered from the twisting and pulling. Tbh, he sounds so good that you probably don't need a headcollar anyway.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Thank goodness he is ok! You both must have got such a fright ?

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

How awful, another one of those horrible freak accidents that one never imagines would happen. I agree with PS definitely worth a physio visit in a few days, that would be a huge force through the neck and poll to break through nylon webbing so well worth just making sure he is ok from the experience.

 

[Barlow]

Gosh that must have left you both feeling a bit shaken! I’d definitely get him checked by a physio as he’s bound to be sore after that.

 

[SantaVera]

Thanks for the replies the idea of getting a physio to see him is a good one. TBH im still quite shaken up it was so sudden and dramatic, im just thankful that I still have a horse . Feeling quite shakey.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

You would be Backtoblack, so would I be! Take care of yourself too.

 

[Birker2020]

I'm so glad that he seems to have come through the experience unscathed. I would probably ask a physio to check him in about a week to ensure that his head and neck muscles have recovered from the twisting and pulling. Tbh, he sounds so good that you probably don't need a headcollar anyway.

I agree. I'd also give him some bute as an anti inflammatory for a couple of days for his neck.
Accidents happen, you are talking to someone who once owned a horse who managed to single handlely managed to ram a broom up his backside. I kid you not!
Or another horse that reared up at a horse in a field of 40 acres managing to come down entangling his foot on the only bit of fencing with a corner of a barbed wire post and rail.

I've learnt over the years that horses are serial self harmers.

 

[canteron]

Similar think happen to my horse - halter got caught on a gate post catch.

I did get a physio out 2 or 3 times, but shortly after we had got the ok the horse panicked and bolted with me - I seriously think it was pain (bruising?) left over from the trauma.

The point is, bruising takes ages to come out and also there may be a whiplash type injury, so be aware it may take time to get 100% better.

 

[Barton Bounty]

This thing that happened with BB and I was not similar but still freaked the heck out us both.
I had changed his girth to a neoprene one and tightened to what I thought was tight. Went to board at the mounting block , put my foot in and the saddle cane down to under his belly. Bronking and rearing and trying to calm him down. It was a nightmare, for weeks I could hardly get on, he was just expecting it to happen again, he definitely had a slight fear there .
Hopefully your lad will be fine, might just be a little spooked

 

[Orangehorse]

I'm so glad that he seems to have come through the experience unscathed. I would probably ask a physio to check him in about a week to ensure that his head and neck muscles have recovered from the twisting and pulling. Tbh, he sounds so good that you probably don't need a headcollar anyway.

Good idea to get him checked by a physio. I know a horse that "pulled back" as a youngster and had problems for years afterwards, and it was only when they looked back to what ever could have caused his problems, the owner remembered the incident.

 

[Orangehorse]

Yep, if there is a way to get into trouble a horse can find it. Mine galloped off attached to the gate once - luckily for him, the headcollar was leather and broke.

 

[SantaVera]

Similar think happen to my horse - halter got caught on a gate post catch.

I did get a physio out 2 or 3 times, but shortly after we had got the ok the horse panicked and bolted with me - I seriously think it was pain (bruising?) left over from the trauma.

The point is, bruising takes ages to come out and also there may be a whiplash type injury, so be aware it may take time to get 100% better.

Sorry this happened to you but thanks for the warning. definately something to consider

 

[SantaVera]

This thing that happened with BB and I was not similar but still freaked the heck out us both.
I had changed his girth to a neoprene one and tightened to what I thought was tight. Went to board at the mounting block , put my foot in and the saddle cane down to under his belly. Bronking and rearing and trying to calm him down. It was a nightmare, for weeks I could hardly get on, he was just expecting it to happen again, he definitely had a slight fear there .
Hopefully your lad will be fine, might just be a little spooked

Thats a horrible thing to happen ,glad you are both ok now

 

[Abby-Lou]

I've witnessed a horse gallop around a field with the gate on top of its back head collar lead rope tied to it, also at a show trailer waggon side attached to lead rope galloping between horse boxes. Very scary and accidents happen in a blink of an eye. I never tie up on a potential loose gate and always with quick release device

 

[Birker2020]

Yes years ago a mare was tied to rope instead of bailing twine by a farrier and got her head stuck underneath, panicked and bolted pulling a post which was attached to the rope.
She ran through a number of post and rail fences and finally galloped through a rotten five bar wooden gate snapping it clean in two. SHe was found over the fields still attached to the rope and post shaking like a leaf in terror having worn herself out. She had a big apron of skin and flesh hanging from her chest to her knees.

Everyone thought it would be a pts job immediately but the vet stapled the wound and three months later the scar was barely visible.

 

[meleeka]

How frightening! My pony got her headcollar stuck on the door bolt once. She was waiting for the farrier and looking over the door at the time. Luckily she didn’t panic too much so I was able to free her quickly. I’ve never left her unattended with a headcollar on since.

 

[Fransurrey]

I've witnessed a horse gallop around a field with the gate on top of its back head collar lead rope tied to it, also at a show trailer waggon side attached to lead rope galloping between horse boxes. Very scary and accidents happen in a blink of an eye. I never tie up on a potential loose gate and always with quick release device

I've witnessed that, too. Thankfully the metal piece that 'clamped' the rope at the headcollar end gave way, so the gate detached quickly. The horse was 16.3 hh so it would have been carnage otherwise.

Hope horse is ok, OP. I was lucky this weekend in that my cob decided to itch his head against his haynet whilst I was replacing hoof clay. I only realised he was caught up when I stood up to move on to the next hoof. His headcollar clasp was hooked in two parts of the net and the awesome boy was just stood there with a 'yeah, this is fine' face. My mare would have been off into the next county. There's a lot of luck involved in just keeping horses alive, I think!!

 

[TheHairyOne]

My horse managed to get the noseband of his headcollar caught on a bolt no more than an inch long on the back of a tie rail. He didnt panic as such but was leaning back against it and was suffocating himself. Got 4 people behind him to shove him forwards and it just popped off the bolt. Scary though. Such a small thing and he wasnt even unattended. Happened in a split second.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My horse got his headcollar caught on the tap once and the whole tap came off the wall with water spurting everywhere!

 

[Btomkins]

The most awful accident I ever witnessed was caused by a nylon headcollar.

The horse caught the ring under its jaw on the bolt latch on the outside of the stable door whilst it was inside. It panicked and threw its head side to side so violently it smashed its skull to bits on the brickwork either side of the door Poor thing died shortly after.

Will always stick with me and is why I now only ever use leather or breakaway headcollars.

 

[July dreamer]

Many years ago I brought 2 horses in from the field, let my boy into his stable by unclipping the rope, shut the door while I put the other horse away. My boy swung around and put his head over the door, caught the ring of the headcollar on the door bolt and panicked. Fortunately it was a leather headcollar and it broke and the horse was fine. I had been taught to always use leather rather than nylon for this very reason and was so glad that I had. I also now never leave a horse with a headcollar on loose in a stable, I've learnt my lesson. It's difficult, horses do seem to spend their time thinking up new ways to injure themselves and I get more paranoid!