How many of you deal with horses alone

Must admit, i rarely take my phone with me on the yard (always out hacking). Theres been a handful of situations where i've thought 'if that had been worse, i'd be stuck right now'. Usually mine are good but you never know what can happen. I've recently been diagnosed with severe anaemia so scary to think i could have collapsed at any point and no one would have known until a few hours later.
 
My Dad's got high-blood-pressur - I look after the horses on my own most of the time, but sometimes on a good day Dad will come and bring in, do nets and feeds etc.

We have the horses at home, so I have no-one to call but theirs a lovely neighbor who loves horses and agrees to help out on a typical monday ;) x
 
I once had a very interesting (frightening) experience when on my own. I kept my horse in a very secluded spot with no passers by whatsoever. Her hay was kept in a metal container with a door on it with no handle on the inside (doh!). I was in there and the wind blew the door shut and there was absolutely NO way out whatsoever. It was dark, there were spiders, and I was completely alone. Furthermore I was single so no partner at home waiting for me, and my family lived 5 hours away. Basically I wouldn't have been missed until I didn't turn up for work the next day - it could have been days until anyone came looking for me at the field. LUCKILY I had my phone in my pocket but being in a metal box, there was absolutely no signal. Waaaaaa !!!! Panic !! After numerous failed attempts, I managed to set up a text message to friend asking her to come and rescue me, then I would bend the door just enough to poke my arm out through the top to hit the send button. Managed to get two messages to friends who came to the rescue. Its funny but crikey did it scare me !!
 
I'm on my own often, but do try and keep my phone on me at all times. My horses all know to treat me with respect, and if they did so much as lift a leg at me, they wouldn't do it again :)
 
When I was young (No mobile phones then) it never occurred to me that I may have an accident (I at one point lived 7 miles from the nearest neighbour) and used to ride in the middle of nowhere.
Now I am more cautious and even wear a crash hat when turning out/bringing in especially when it is windy.
If one of my horses ever kicked me in the stable without a very good reason then it would be put down.
 
I do nearly all my horse stuff on my own including riding - for 20 years I've always carried a mobile. The ambulance service found me after a big splat in the middle of nowhere by tracking my phone signal (the hi viz helped too).
 
always alone although OH helps me if I am travelling them. If there's a storm or windy I don't take any chances-always hat and gloves and phone. OH always knows how long I'll be roughly and where I am/going just to be safe as many parts round us dont have a mobile signal.
 
I often do the horse on my own, ride on my own, walk the dog on my own, live on my own ( notice the theme- I am sociable really), I walk 4.5 miles home after work in the dark with the dog, I did 5 days of the coast to coast walk last year with the dog and wild camped a couple of nights for the first time.
I think you can over worry about these things and someone having tabs on my every move would drive me nuts.
Wild camping with just me and the dog in remote Cumbria was amazing- would love to do more.
I often walk for a whole day and only see a couple of people- perfect.
 
twiggy2 said:
I think you can over worry about these things and someone having tabs on my every move would drive me nuts.
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not really tabs though is it? just a general idea of where you are and how long you expect to be. I walk a lot on my own in the dark and noone knows where I am then really and am in the house alone alot too (no neighbours). Being alone doesnt bother me in the slightest, having an injury and being in the middle of nowhere does a little bit. More concerned with van breaking down tbhh.
 
I always turn mine out/bring in in a chifney with a hat on. They aren't out all that much at the min and can be a bit full on to turn out. I wouldn't put myself at risk unnecessarily and they all have lots of respect for the chifney and don't even try to prat about.
 
I often think about this even though am currently on a yard where owners live on site. But it's not just horses, it's anything really.

I used to live alone and worried what if I'd slip over or something and knock myself out, how long before someone knew? Neighbours wouldn't notice. Work would notice if I didn't log in the next day (I worked from home) but they'd probably leave voicemails for at least a day before contacting my next of kin to see if anything was up.

I live with my husband now so not so much of an issue, but there are so many people who live alone and don't have daily contact with anyone who'd notice their absence :(
 
Nay said:
So yesterday was a typical rubbish Monday! First the car wouldn't start, then the cat was sick, then one of my hens escaped the lock down! And a couple of close calls regarding the horses. One almost knocked me over when he spooked leading him to the field, and the other got me in the corner of the stable and kicked 9 bales of whatsits out of me, luckily he's only 11.2 and no shoes but I'm still pretty bruised all the same! And it suddenly dawned on me, I'm on my own a fair bit at the moment. Hubby is at work, daughter at school, and both my neighbours are away and the other neighbours are half a mile up the road! Obviously I always make sure I'm as safe as possible and always have my phone on me, but working around horses is dangerous we all know that, but when your on your own, it brings a whole me level of risk factors!! Be safe all 😳
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Ow ow ow! Those little feet really hurt :O So so glad you're okay.
 
I've always been around my horses on my own, since I got my first pony at 8 I was allowed to mess about and ride totally on my own. I am more conscious of it now I have a child so I worry if I fell of then nobody would pick him up from nursery. I quite like that my field (where I school) is in full view of the road though which although isnt busy, generally a car goes past every half an hour so if I fell off I'd hopefully not be lying there too long! I hack out on my own all the time, usually when nobody is around so nobody would even know I was out let alone where I was. I do ensure that I always have my mobile in my pocket especially when riding, just in case. My worst incident so far that really scared me was arriving home, leaving my son in the car (in full view of the field) while I ran straight out to throw a rug on one of my horses. I often chuck rugs on in the field while they're loose... it was windy and I knew he was looking flighty but I stupidly ignored the warnings and started to walk towards him with the rug but he suddenly exploded and double barreled me. He's a very big horse yet you forget how powerful horses are sometimes until they kick you! He caught me on the very top of my head causing a big lump, cut my ear (bled) and bruised my arm in a big way. If he'd kicked me properly in the face/head then I know I wouldn't be here now, I came very close and my son would have watched it all happen in front of him. Nobody else was around. That thought still fills me with horror :(

To be fair I was cautious when I was backing one of my horses, I made sure I texted my OH (who was at work) whenever I was about to get on then again when I got off. Made him feel a bit better. Hope you're ok OP!
 
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I think a lot of us are in the same position but if you over think it we would all be BHS style hats on everywhere gloves body protectors galore.
Fact is life it a risk... As long as we calculate it we should be fine but if somethings going to happen.. It will.
 
I am on my own most of the time but I have never really thought about it to be honest, have very placid horses these days, and while I know things can happen, well they can happen anywhere really. To be kicked that viciously is not OK! Has the pony ever behaved this way before?
 
I am on a yard with owner on site & mostly with company, but when I did do mine on my own, my thoughts were often about a lady who got stabbed doing her horses alone at night. Put the bejeezus right up me.
 
Notimetoride said:
I once had a very interesting (frightening) experience when on my own. I kept my horse in a very secluded spot with no passers by whatsoever. Her hay was kept in a metal container with a door on it with no handle on the inside (doh!). I was in there and the wind blew the door shut and there was absolutely NO way out whatsoever. It was dark, there were spiders, and I was completely alone. Furthermore I was single so no partner at home waiting for me, and my family lived 5 hours away. Basically I wouldn't have been missed until I didn't turn up for work the next day - it could have been days until anyone came looking for me at the field. LUCKILY I had my phone in my pocket but being in a metal box, there was absolutely no signal. Waaaaaa !!!! Panic !! After numerous failed attempts, I managed to set up a text message to friend asking her to come and rescue me, then I would bend the door just enough to poke my arm out through the top to hit the send button. Managed to get two messages to friends who came to the rescue. Its funny but crikey did it scare me !!
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The stuff of nightmares..
 
Notimetoride- that's terrifying!

I usually do my clan on my own, it has made me a lot more aware of the risks and I do what I can to lessen them, especially as I have a toddler to look after as well.
It always made me a bit paranoid being on the yard on my own, especially after a few random men came down the drive one day and proceeded to look around the barns not realising I was in one of stables. Luckily so was my English Mastiff so I just let him out 😉
 
I'm mostly on my own, Dad helps out in the mornings (well feeds the birds and does the water troughs) but other than that I do pretty much everything myself on my own. It doesn't worry me in the slightest, in fact I think I'm better on my own. The field is overlooked by houses though an has a fairly well used footpath so I should think that if anything went really badly wrong someone would notice fairly quickly. One of the houses belongs to my landlady too and I know she keeps an eye out - she's told me that she watches with binoculars at times - even before she bought the field (bit spooked by that tbh - I'm used to being in a goldfish bowl as it were because of the footpath but being the thought of her behind the curtains is a bit creepy).
 
Dave's Mam said:
I am on a yard with owner on site & mostly with company, but when I did do mine on my own, my thoughts were often about a lady who got stabbed doing her horses alone at night. Put the bejeezus right up me.
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Same here. I'm way more worried about people than what my horses might do!

My yard and field have so many lights. As a friend pointed it's the same danger at night, just dark, but having it light makes me not imagine what's there so I'm ok.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
^^^ Yep me too.

My horses are all impeccably mannered on the ground; I've made damn sure of that as manners are important IMO, both on the ground and in the saddle. They know not to barge and pull me around, bless 'em they wouldn't ever dream of doing it. Which makes me feel safe as houses around them.
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I'm the same I wouldn't entertain a badly mannered horse on my yard as my mother helps me out
 
I keep mine on a good, secure livery yard off a main road but mon, weds & fri I am usually there on my own, in the dark with a very highly strung Andalusian.
I take every precaution I can but my main thing is letting my boyfriend know that if he doesn't hear from me by 8pm call me (I am down the yard for 6:30pm).
It makes me feel better that if he doesn't get through to me something is wrong.
 
I have two large sports horses at home and I'm 99% of the time on my own with them. They are well mannered ... I expect nothing but impeccable manners from them ... and other than the occasional 'monster in the bushes' spook on the yard I never feel worried or scared working with them on my own.

I hope the pony got the hiding of his life when you got out of the corner he had pinned you in!
 
Mine are at home so I deal with them on my own but have been doing so for over 20 years and have probably become a little complacent if I am honest. I go out to put hay out in the dark and they come cantering over, I can hear them but only see them once they are on top of me. My OH telks off all the time but they have to be fed.
 
Food for thought, I am single and live with my 11 yo son, and often handle/ride alone... I wouldn't be missed until my son came home from school/friends/sleepover/scout camp which could be a few days :(
 
Yeah I have 4 i do alone before and after work... 1 is a stallion and has his own field and routine, the other 3 are amazing - one is only 2yo, one is 17.3 and the other is very fit and feisty to ride - but - I can lead all 3 down to the field together, let them go sensibly, and bring them in at the end of the day. I also ride on my own, no flood lights, pitch black, but I always text my OH when I get on and again when I get off just so he knows I'm alive, if after 45 min he's not heard anything he'll give me a call and come down if no answer. I do keep the dogs with me at all times though as they alert me to even the smallest mouse sized intruders... I have been known to fly round the corner with a pitch fork only to see something small and furry scuttling away! :)
 
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