Horrible moment- horse bolted with rug half on!

Meowy Catkin

Meowy Catkin

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I have no idea what spooked her, I didn't hear or see anything. It happened yesterday evening I was putting on the horses rugs as they are only having them on at night at the moment.

Anyway, I had just fastened the front of her rug when it happened, off she went and I just couldn't hold onto her. :( Of course the rug slipped and she trod on it and slipped over (luckily on grass and not on the yard), all at speed. I managed to catch her again and she was fine, just worried. The rug was trashed and that is why I belive she is OK, the rug ripped rather than her.

She's happy and doesn't have any swellings or heat today so I'm very relieved.
 
I think there was something in the air last night! My boy spooked on the lunge and I lost hold :( he ran to his field and then carried on! We thought he was heading for the road, I have never s**t myself so much in my life.
Thankfully he came cantering back up the road and stopped when he saw me and came in unhurt!
Glad your girly is unhurt too :D
 
Must be something in the air for rugs and accidents! My 4 yr old kicked at her belly, got her leg stuck in the belly strap and bolted on 3 legs. Rug is massacred, but she is thankfully not hurt.
Glad yours are alll ok Chellebean and Faracat!
 
What was going on!?!!!! It is a horrible, helpless feeling when you can't hold them and you can only watch and pray.

I'm so glad that everyone's horses are OK.
 
Glad she was OK.

Don't be surprised if you get a scad of "Why didn't you have a halter on?" posts though.

I'm not saying anything one way or another, I never halter anything of mine to rug up in the fields.
 
Mine certainly wasn't haltered, and I'm glad she wasn't! There was no way I would have been able to hold on to her and it would have been yet another disaster waiting to happen had she trodden on the lead rope at full pelt!
 
Oh dear, glad she's okay.

For future reference though, do the belly straps first, then the front, then the back. And taking off rugs do this in reverse order :)
 
my pony has done that just not tripped over it
once i found him in the field with his rug folded over his withers with belly and front straps all on but the leg straps were off but still done up it as really weird
 
My boy did this a couple of weeks ago - and freaked himself right out! I was a bit annoyed with myself really, as I have spent ages getting him happy to have his rug on and off anywhere, and we had go to the point where I could easily rug him in the middle of the field with no headcollar on. Now we have gone back a couple of steps, but he is, luckily quickly getting his confidence back in having his rug on.

Re headcollar - I also will not usually put a headcollar on to rug up in the field - although I did with my boy after he had scared himself.

Also surely if you do the belly straps up first, if they take off, then they are likely to really scare themselves when the rug slips back and wraps itself around their back legs?? I know that if the belly straps were done up but the front of the rug not done up, and any of mine took off, the flapping of the front of the rug would spook them even more - even the laid back ones.
 
I often take off/put on rugs in the field. However I always fasten surcingles first/unfasten them last. Then at least if the horse does move off disaster is averted. Glad to hear that all the horses mentioned above are ok.
 
Faracat said:
I have no idea what spooked her, I didn't hear or see anything. It happened yesterday evening I was putting on the horses rugs as they are only having them on at night at the moment.

Anyway, I had just fastened the front of her rug when it happened, off she went and I just couldn't hold onto her. :( Of course the rug slipped and she trod on it and slipped over (luckily on grass and not on the yard), all at speed. I managed to catch her again and she was fine, just worried. The rug was trashed and that is why I belive she is OK, the rug ripped rather than her.

She's happy and doesn't have any swellings or heat today so I'm very relieved.
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Perhaps tie her up next time?
 
Flo_Bell said:
Also surely if you do the belly straps up first, if they take off, then they are likely to really scare themselves when the rug slips back and wraps itself around their back legs?? I know that if the belly straps were done up but the front of the rug not done up, and any of mine took off, the flapping of the front of the rug would spook them even more - even the laid back ones.
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Nope, the rug slides back and off the back legs, but if the front is done up first it slips around the chest and trips the horse up which is a lot more dangerous, if you ever take any BHS or pony club exams this is the way they teach you to do it.
 
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