NeverSayNever
Well-Known Member
how common is it for a horse to fall over in the field?
My Sec D mare was very unsure cantering on grass when i got her 2 years ago, her previous owner said she had got a fright and come down previously (not with her) and so panicked and scrambled a bit in canter. As such she advised me only to jump on a surface or with studs. I felt she was very green and lacking balance too and was just 6 and came from an apparently particularly slow maturing line of Welsh D's too.
Fast forward 2 years and she is 100% better and we have no problems cantering out on hacks and she is nice and balanced. However because of how she was, Ive never jumped on grass without studs. I do have her shod with road nails all the time. I had a jumping lesson last week and it was a new RI who tried to persuade me to go out into the field to jump instead of the school and I refused but I felt silly and awkward doing so.
Today I moved my 2 ponies into a grass paddock that has been rested (but its still poor grass). It was dry and hadnt been raining so wasn't slippy. The ground is very good and even - this is a paddock I do dog agility in. My mare took a wee happy bounce to herself and broke into a canter. Not a hooning about being silly type of canter either, and she literally just fell over!! Her feet went from under her and she went flat on her side. She looked very shocked and thankfully is ok, if a little embarrassed looking.
Now if I didnt know the previous history Id have probably written it off and laughed but now its niggling at me and Im worried... I mean, how common is it for a horse to just fall over on their side like that ?
My Sec D mare was very unsure cantering on grass when i got her 2 years ago, her previous owner said she had got a fright and come down previously (not with her) and so panicked and scrambled a bit in canter. As such she advised me only to jump on a surface or with studs. I felt she was very green and lacking balance too and was just 6 and came from an apparently particularly slow maturing line of Welsh D's too.
Fast forward 2 years and she is 100% better and we have no problems cantering out on hacks and she is nice and balanced. However because of how she was, Ive never jumped on grass without studs. I do have her shod with road nails all the time. I had a jumping lesson last week and it was a new RI who tried to persuade me to go out into the field to jump instead of the school and I refused but I felt silly and awkward doing so.
Today I moved my 2 ponies into a grass paddock that has been rested (but its still poor grass). It was dry and hadnt been raining so wasn't slippy. The ground is very good and even - this is a paddock I do dog agility in. My mare took a wee happy bounce to herself and broke into a canter. Not a hooning about being silly type of canter either, and she literally just fell over!! Her feet went from under her and she went flat on her side. She looked very shocked and thankfully is ok, if a little embarrassed looking.
Now if I didnt know the previous history Id have probably written it off and laughed but now its niggling at me and Im worried... I mean, how common is it for a horse to just fall over on their side like that ?
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