Horse kicked me in the field

Pearlsasinger said:
It's not the people I worry about, if you haven't got the with to keep yourself safe, so be it but I do worry about the horses.
Click to expand...

I feel like I'm missing something! What on earth do your horses DO if you go into the field with a wheelbarrow? Mine ignore me! The most I'll get when poo picking in summer is one of them pottering over to say hi, before wandering off to eat grass.
 
Ours need poo picking as they are on a track system :p, and even if not it’s our main worm control, keeps the close neighbours happy and we have 4.5 acres for 2 horses on clay which grows grass like a hooley so plenty. no way could I physically manage lugging a trug round to do it even if doing so twice a day.

I don’t know any horses that do more than amble up and walk away again, if they pay any attention at all. Going into a field with a wheelbarrow is definitely not on my ‘don’t do, too risky’ list.
 
I’ve poo picked with the quad and trailer...
Must get a risk assessment done.

I think it’s good to teach horses not to mess around with others whilst you’re stood there either in the stable or the field. If my young lad starts picking a fight with his stable mate and I’m trying to do his rug up, for example, he gets banished to the back until I’m out of the way. He can tell the other horse to keep away from his stash all he likes but certainly not when I’m standing there.
 
chesnutcraze said:
We’ve recently moved my horse to a new yard, where he shares a field with one other mare after previously being on individual turnout. He’s the boss of their little pair.
He’s been there about a week and yesterday when I brought him in to ride he was very bolshy because the mare was calling him, but I told him off and afterwards he was fine.
Today I went in the field to put hay down, and they both came and crowded me. I tried to shoo them away but the mare was being quite cheeky, then as I moved to the side to get out of her way he turned round and full on booted me. Luckily I was right at the gate so managed to drag myself out, waited till I felt a bit less sick and went back in, gave him a whack when he came to snatch some hay and then he walked off and waited nicely while I put it down.
He’s always been really well behaved - waits for his food, and in the year I’ve had him he’s never even thought about lifting a leg to anyone, biting, rearing, anything like that. Now I’m not unconfident, but I’m worried if he did it intentionally because he’s now the ‘boss’ or if I was just in the middle of them at the wrong time..
Click to expand...

Been in that situation several times and had bruises to prove it.
Next time either take someone with you or take a whip or move the hay closer so you can lob it from the gate or put in hook on fence hayracks.

I suggest while things are unsettled you take someone with you.
 
TheresaW said:
Mac used to like the wheelbarrow to rub his bum on! Couldn’t just walk over and get that one poo and leave barrow unattended as you could guarantee he would tip the lot over in the few seconds my back was turned!

I poo pick every day, even in the dark. 4 acres for now 2 horses, plenty of grass.
Click to expand...
me too or by tractor lights albeit one works only. My mare also likes to rub on the wheel barrow, and the gelding is a git and will pushes it then walk away with silent grin on his face.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
If you must poo pick - and I wouldn't want horses living out 24/7 all year round on a field small enough to poo pick - take a big trug rather than a wheelbarrow - much safer!

I do sometimes wonder where people learned how to keep horses, obviously not with the old-school horsemen and women that I learned with:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Seriously!!! We can't all leave in a part of the country where we have access to acres of fields. I have a 16.2 and 12.2 plus two fields that I rotate. The fields aren't huge but in this part of the country I am very lucky to find a yard that allows unrestricted turn out all year round. I have seen horses damage themselves on field gates and worse still get wrapped up in electric tape never heard a horse hurt it's self on a barrow that I am pushing. Are you going to remove the gate and any fencing as well?
 
OP can you flinch a couple of piles over the fence before going in the field?

I was doing that, though mainly because I'm a lazy mare and the barrow was easier to push on the track.

If I'm in a field and horses are starting to crowd I find spinning a lead rope like a propellor works well. Failing that I've occasionally stripped a jacket off and spun it.
 
I'm extremely lucky, Belle is the dominant mare in her herd. She always comes and says hello and no one dare come near, if they do (I am serious here) she growls at them, literally like a dog with her ears pinned back and occasionally has a wee bite (Like she did to my other mare Bonnie last night).

Not ideal for the other liveries in the field but makes my life easy, Belle is my bouncer.

Did you know? - Mares shouldn't have canine teeth and those that do typically do so due to increased testosterone and can present with extremely dominant and bargy behaviour, surprise surprise Belle has canines. I love that big turd so much, when i first got her she tested me something rotten, but now she knows her place she is like a puppy when i'm handling her.
 
The Trooper said:
I'm extremely lucky, Belle is the dominant mare in her herd. She always comes and says hello and no one dare come near, if they do (I am serious here) she growls at them, literally like a dog ...
Click to expand...
Wow, that's amazing! That's the first time I have ever heard of a horse making non-horse vocalisations. If you ever get the chance to video her doing it and care to upload or share, I'd love to know about it.
 
fburton said:
Wow, that's amazing! That's the first time I have ever heard of a horse making non-horse vocalisations. If you ever get the chance to video her doing it and care to upload or share, I'd love to know about it.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, my phone is now going to be filled with videos of me standing with Belle waiting for another horse to approach now haha
 
I had similar at my previous mixed herd yard, we HAD to put hay out as had no grazing mid winter and the mare would happily try and double barrel you in the face if you let her. I started taking a whip out with me and shooing her away or putting hay out before she was turned out. They didn't fight a lot it was just the mare use to go for whoever was putting hay out.
ever been a mare lover but its always been mares that have gone for me in the field.
 
My horse don’t come out their stables unless asked .
I have my hay in the field in an electric fenced square we dont put hay in until I have locked the horses out .
It’s just much safer for everyone .
It also means you can put the hay out and then shut the horses off it for weight control .
I have two squares one has the round bales in and we then roll one into the square and tip it up and take off the net , it’s the first year we have done this and it’s working really well ,helped ,in all fairness it’s been exceptionally dry here.
 
Another one that uses a wheelbarrow in the field with the horses, a big 200ltr twin wheeled beast as well. The size of the dumps my two do, you must be having a laugh if you think I'm dragging that along in a trug back and forth to the muck heap :eek:
 
If anybody’s interested, we split them up today and surprisingly there was no calling or fence walking or anything. My mum took the hay in, since she’s a lot stricter with him than I am, and she had him cantering round in circles if he tried to get the hay before she had finished putting it down 😂 I went in with his feed after and he walked back as I walked towards him, then turned his head away like I’ve taught him to. So all in all (hopefully) he’s back to his normal self!
 
ycbm said:
For the people telling the OP off for chastising the horse later on for kicking her, she didn't. She chastised him at the time for snatching at hay while it was still in her arms, something she had previously taught him not to do.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify - I did misread due to my very irritating habit of skim reading - but I did apologise to OP as soon as it was pointed out to me in a later post ;)
 
cauda equina said:
No, I haven't
Perhaps my horses are less 'active' than yours
Click to expand...

And yet you were suggesting to OP that she should 'hide behind' the wheelbarrow, so presumably you were expecting the horses she is feeding to be 'active'

Black Beastie said:
I used to lead mine one on either side with a wheel barrow full of hay and two feeds sitting on top to the field after riding and neither of them even dared snatch any.
QUOTE]

There is a vast difference between an experienced horse-owner in full control of horses on lead ropes pushing a wheelbarrow between two well-mannered horses and the situation the OP was describing with 2 loose horses who were not familiar with each other and at least one of which didn't understand the boundaries.


For those questioning my comment about taking wheelbarrows into a field with horses, have you never heard of a horse getting its rug caught on a wheelbarrow handle?

Perhaps I was just taught 'stable management' by old-school horsewomen who were safety conscious because they were teaching other people's children and were relying on their horses to be sound because they had to earn their living.
Click to expand...
 
No never heard of a rug getting caught on a wheelbarrow, which bit? and I don't think I am un-safety conscious or was taught by unsafety conscious people. I'm aware of plenty of horses being injured by ill fitting rugs (including a surcingle end slicing a tendon) so I am particularly keen ours always fit well but my horses don't get close enough to the wheelbarrow to get caught up on it unattended and if I'm leading them with it/asking them to move out the way while wheeling it I am in control of the situation.

Glad it went much better OP :D
 
I was taught stable management by about 6 different people from my dad all the way through to pony club and from peoples who’s yards I eventually ran for them.

Never seen a rug get caught on a wheel barrow, never actually seen a horse being hurt but a wheel barrow but then again 30years in horses isn’t really that long to have seen everything and the world likes to surprise you.

I’ve seen horses doing horse things such as having a buck and land wrong and break a leg, I’ve had my hand broken taking a bandage off a young horse who got a fright, I’ve seen quite a lot but I don’t CLaim to have seen everything and unless you are going to risk assess everything in your life you cannot prevent accidents, you just have to weigh up probability and being honest until I see something regularly happening or hear of it I’m not likely to factor it in as an immediate risk.

I suppose it’s just part of that ‘over thinking ownership’ or ‘over-ownership’ that another thread was touching on
 
Clodagh said:
I cannot begin to tell you, she wouldn't load so I bashed her up the arse with a broom and she got me. I still finished loading her, took her up the road and rode her before coming home again, albeit in tears and standing in the stirrups!
(I apologise to all people who disagree with bashing horses with brooms, trust me, she had the last laugh!).
Click to expand...

Mine have had a broom up there arse a few times, mine only have to see a whip or broom and they load themselves, poor you sounds terrible bet riding was out for a few months:eek:
 
We have alway put hay in many piles in a field with many loose horses. Winter grazing is a 40 acre field and hay is still a welcome treat.

We have also always fed them (up to as many as 10) a bucket/trough first to distract.

Rarely is a kick aimed at humans but it’s been known one or two get caught in the crossfire.

So sorry you were kicked. You won’t do that again!
 
Pearlsasinger said:
For those questioning my comment about taking wheelbarrows into a field with horses, have you never heard of a horse getting its rug caught on a wheelbarrow handle?

Perhaps I was just taught 'stable management' by old-school horsewomen who were safety conscious because they were teaching other people's children and were relying on their horses to be sound because they had to earn their living.
Read more at https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...n-the-field.771429/page-3#V2PjCbRsY5o4dyFa.99
Click to expand...

No, I have never heard of (or seen) a horse get its rug caught on a wheelbarrow handle. In 30+ years of taking wheelbarrows in the field with all kinds of horses, and seeing others do the same. I can't really see why it is any more likely (or dangerous) than getting the rug caught on a branch of a tree, another horses hoof etc. Less dangerous probably since at least you will be there to help them get de-tangled.

Also, if this is your only concern you should perhaps have qualified it for rugged horses only - as mine spend the winter roughed off unrugged these days (so presumably I am safe enough at the moment!) and I don't believe OP mentioned if hers are rugged.

I was taught stable management by very strict, old-school safety-conscious horsemen and women. This includes at various times people teaching, competing, earning a living from their horses, and / or looking after other peoples (on occasion rather expensive) horses. I can't watch people throw rugs on without folding them properly first, putting wheelbarrows across stable doors with a horse inside or leaving headcollars around horses necks without hearing a shouting voice in my head. It has never, ever occurred to me to worry about taking a wheelbarrow in a field.
 
OP I caught a kick to the ribs about 12 months ago so you have my sympathy!

I used to take the biggest wheelbarrow I could find when haying my mare when I first had her. Her delightful ground manners meant she would try to double barrel a human so I'd stick the barrow up her bum if she even threatened to kick. Couldn't even poo pick safely if she was in the field in those days - she was shocking.
 
laura_nash said:
I can't watch people throw rugs on without folding them properly first, putting wheelbarrows across stable doors with a horse inside or leaving headcollars around horses necks without hearing a shouting voice in my head.
Click to expand...
Or undoing the chest straps of a rug before the leg straps...

It has never, ever occurred to me to worry about taking a wheelbarrow in a field.
Click to expand...
Nor me.

However, I did witness a potentially horrendous situation after the farmer, whose fields I was using for grazing, had left a chain harrow in the gateway between two adjacent fields assuming that no horse would attempt to get through. An incorrect assumption as it turned out, when my horse trotted through the gaps in the harrow as if they were closely spaced cavaletti. A heart stopping moment. Amazingly he was completely unscathed - although my nerves and, shortly after, blood pressure weren't! (The farmer was only mildly apologetic and infuriatingly philosophical about it.)
 
I remember seeing a riderless pony hurtling towards a cattle grid after the rider had fallen off at a Pony Club Rally and the pony just cleared the whole thing! As you say, a heart stopping moment.
 
Nasicus said:
Another one that uses a wheelbarrow in the field with the horses, a big 200ltr twin wheeled beast as well. The size of the dumps my two do, you must be having a laugh if you think I'm dragging that along in a trug back and forth to the muck heap :eek:
Click to expand...


I have one of these, they are fab for leading one off at the same time as you only need one hand to wheel it.🙀
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top