Horse kicked in field

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angrybird1

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Hypothetical question. If your horse gets injured in field by another, would you expect owner of other horse to pay?
My horse is turned out with a bit of a bully and I'm a bit concerned.
 
No I wouldn't. Horses just being horses. If you think your horse isn't safe then you might need to re-think where he is turned out.
 
No the owner cannot be expected to pay your vet bills but the YO should try and ensure that any horses that are known bullies can be kept apart or that the fields are big enough with adequate grass that they are not causing trouble due to hunger or being too restricted.
 
angrybird1 said:
Hypothetical question. If your horse gets injured in field by another, would you expect owner of other horse to pay?
My horse is turned out with a bit of a bully and I'm a bit concerned.
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No and mine was kicked but I did make sure he was never in the same field again. I would be concerned ask YO if you can separate them
 
Splashy pony said:
I did once enquire about this and you should be able to claim on the insurance of the horse that dealt it.
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Who did you enquire of, as the information they gave you was incorrect, for one thing proving the sequence of events is almost impossible, there is nothing to say that the 'victim' didn't start the fight.
 
No, my mare was kicked recently, infected leg followed wouldn't dream of getting others to pay, that's life! She's in with two others all seem friends random event how could I complain or charge anyone else??
 
No, its definitely unfair to expect the other owner to pay - they have no control over what their horse does in the field, in the same way that you have no control over yours - once you turn them out horses will be horses.
I'd ask the YO if the horse can be moved into another field.
 
No. A few months ago my mare kicked another in the field, the other horse ended up with quite a nasty gash, however - the other horse started it & had mine backed into a corner, mine just got a lucky shot! The owner did ask me to pay but I point blank refused - I pay to have my horse is insured to cover her getting injured, not to cover horses being horses.
 
My YO put my horse (new to yard) straight out with 6 others and he got cornered and kicked out - my boy was 21 and had never kicked anything in his life. I was mortified, I offered the owners some money but as theirs was insured for vets fees they said no - unfortunately the horse was put down 2 weeks later due to other complications leading to infection and my horse was evicted from the yard (asked to leave the same day as the kick)
It's a horrible situation for both parties but as has been said - horses are horses and how often will you actually see the kick, so how do you decide liability?
If you're worried get your horse out that field, I certainly do now!
 
Similar reply to the above. My mare broke her leg in the field from a kick in the field, never once crossed my mind to even contemplate which horse had done it let alone asked any owner for money to pay her vets bills. Saying that I am now far more careful when it comes to her being turned out in a herd (she's now a babysitter for a Shetland and two yearlings) but its unfortunately a risk you have to take if you don't have access to individual turnout.
 
Nannon said:
My YO put my horse (new to yard) straight out with 6 others and he got cornered and kicked out - my boy was 21 and had never kicked anything in his life. I was mortified, I offered the owners some money but as theirs was insured for vets fees they said no - unfortunately the horse was put down 2 weeks later due to other complications leading to infection and my horse was evicted from the yard (asked to leave the same day as the kick)
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Highly irresponsible of your yard owner in my opinion. Chuck a new horse out with 6 others and it's like playing Russian Roulette. And as for evicting you when the accident was her fault! Sounds like you are well out of there.

And OP - agree with the others. Owner of the horse with injury claims via their insurance.
 
Goldenstar said:
No you assume the risk when you put a horse in the field with another horse .
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Absolutely! Couldn't have said it better myself. If you think that grazing your horse alone or in pairs is a guarantee against it getting injured, think again. I know of many horses over the years that although grazing alone, have somehow managed to injure themselves, sometimes fatally. At the end of the day, as long as horses have plenty of space and new ones introduced gradually, this is the best way to avoid injury, however, there will always be one who doesn't move away quickly enough, or gets caught out in the wrong place. Like previous poster said, if you turn your horse out in a herd you accept the risk they may get injured. As far as I am concerned there are no grey areas with this. Just as every time you place your foot in the stirrup, you accept there is a chance you may fall off and get injured, if you don't accept that, stay away.
 
Sortof a bit off beat but the thing that made a massive difference to my mixed herd was taking the corners off the fields. Ie I P&R'd round corners. Meant no getting cornered or catching themselves on sticking out points.
 
Elsbells said:
Putting fully shod horses out together IMO is madness! Not only do we send them out to battle, we give them the weapons to kill!
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I had a horse move on to my yard once that had come from a yard where it was out with an unshod horse, it got kicked and broke it's leg and spent months on box rest, so this doesn't always follow. Yes I agree it gives the kicker added weaponry, but unfortunately a hard kick in the right place from a horse shod or unshod, can still have serious consequences !
 
dibbin said:
No. My horse was PTS after being kicked by another and I wouldn't have dreamed of claiming on someone else's insurance.
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Unfortunately have to agree with this, my mare was injured by another horse, witnessed by other horses owner and other liveries, wouldn't have dreamt of claiming.
 
alwaysbroke said:
Unfortunately have to agree with this, my mare was injured by another horse, witnessed by other horses owner and other liveries, wouldn't have dreamt of claiming.
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Oddly mine was very similar when it happened ... lots of witnesses, and the other horse basically pinned Dylan into a corner with no provocation and leathered him. They'd been out together loads of times with no issues. Just one of those things that happens. It broke my heart but the fact is that's what your insurance is for.
 
Accidents happen and I certainly wouldn't be looking for the owner of the horse at fault to cough up if mine was injured.

However, it seems that you're aware that your horse is a risk and, ethically, I would be taking precautions. Is separate turn out an option? Taking off hind shoes? Is there a horse he gets alsong with well enough to be a paddock mate in a separate field.

Could you imagine if something does happen and you already suspected it might? Or, worse, the owner of the injured or killed horse came across this thread?
 
ester said:
So you'd have them all on individual turnout instead??!!
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Agree, its one thing putting horses out with each other when they are used to each other but putting a new horse straight out with a established herd is foolish and very irresponsible of the YO. Its is always advisable to separate new horse in adjacent field till they get to know each other with a fence between.
 
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