RuthnMeg
Well-Known Member
Right, walking the dogs earlier at the farm where I keep my 3 mares. There is also a sales livery yard there too, but I have very little to do with it (aside from 'doing the horses' when we had all that snow). As I was approaching the path that runs along the back of a row of stables, a crash, grunt, kick, stressy neigh came from within. So, as you do, went into the yard to find a big bay gelding completely stuck on his back, legs wdged against the stable wall. The stables are wood built, not particually strong and 12 x 12, so not massive either for a horse who ended up 16.2hh ish when the right way up!
This is a horse, whom I have no idea of his age, name or any issues, so what DO you do? I don't have a tack room key, so accessing lunge lines wasn't to hand, although I could of run to my horse storage area to grab mine, but thats the other side of the farm yard. The yard owner doesn't live on site, nor does the YM. My mum who does live on site was collecting her car from the garage, so I and the 3 dogs were on our own.
So, talking calmly to the horse, I grabbed his head collar and lead rope, and tried to enter his box. He thrashed more at this point, and I confess to being very nervous! The noise was VERY loud of wood spitting and whacking. I thought I should just 'rugby' tackle his head to keep him down while I put on his head collar, (with the thought of doing so, and then dragging him - super human strength eh?) but then thought better of it as he looked and was acting very stessed. My doing so might of made it worse? In the end, by some sheer miracle he kicked himself away from the wall and rotated his body around to give him space to get up. This was only helped as although standing out of hooves way, I had the stable door open, so he used the extra room to his advantage. Least he had a full straw bed, saved him from quite a few scratches I think. The stable wall has taken a beating.
So, what would you do? Did I do the right thing, or should I have done something different?
I have asked my mum to have a word with YM tomorrow am, soon as they arrive, I can speak to them later in the day. Mum has also said she will check on horse late tonight. ( she lives on site, but like me, has nothing to do with the yard horses).
This is a horse, whom I have no idea of his age, name or any issues, so what DO you do? I don't have a tack room key, so accessing lunge lines wasn't to hand, although I could of run to my horse storage area to grab mine, but thats the other side of the farm yard. The yard owner doesn't live on site, nor does the YM. My mum who does live on site was collecting her car from the garage, so I and the 3 dogs were on our own.
So, talking calmly to the horse, I grabbed his head collar and lead rope, and tried to enter his box. He thrashed more at this point, and I confess to being very nervous! The noise was VERY loud of wood spitting and whacking. I thought I should just 'rugby' tackle his head to keep him down while I put on his head collar, (with the thought of doing so, and then dragging him - super human strength eh?) but then thought better of it as he looked and was acting very stessed. My doing so might of made it worse? In the end, by some sheer miracle he kicked himself away from the wall and rotated his body around to give him space to get up. This was only helped as although standing out of hooves way, I had the stable door open, so he used the extra room to his advantage. Least he had a full straw bed, saved him from quite a few scratches I think. The stable wall has taken a beating.
So, what would you do? Did I do the right thing, or should I have done something different?
I have asked my mum to have a word with YM tomorrow am, soon as they arrive, I can speak to them later in the day. Mum has also said she will check on horse late tonight. ( she lives on site, but like me, has nothing to do with the yard horses).
) so I wouldn't have done anything with his bedding, but would deffo have checked him for serious cuts.