Leaving horses tied to lorries unattended.

Arzada said:
I've no idea (I guess we could make assumptions about the owner!) but it happened when a dog was tied to one of those metal waste bins on legs that you find outside ice cream shops (or used to) and the dog ran for ages chased by the metal bin attached to its lead.
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Yes, could definitely make assumptions about the owner :P
 
Casey76 said:
You'd all have heart attacks in France.
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Same in NZ. Horses are left tied to the side of floats and trucks while at shows, ODE's, dressage days - you name it. I do go back and check mine regularly if I'm out of sight, but I expect them to still be there.
 
Tern said:
Well.. yes is some things. :-) Competing is totally different, there isn't a competition every week you can go to - they tend to be maybe once a month but they are larger competitor wise. You do get little shows which are good for the newbies but if you are a serious competitor you go to these bigger ones, that are certain things you have to have to compete at certain levels and yes, horses are tied up outside lorries quite often, if not most of the time.
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We don't do "local" shows really. Everything is affiliated (with the FFE), so it's all rather "serious" with people chasing placings for qualifications to the nationals. One of my closer venues often has over 300 competitors over the course of the day, from the prep 60 classes through to the Amateur 1m15 classes. If you're going as a club you can be at the show from 7am to 6pm depending on what classes you're entered in.

It is normal to tie your horse to the lorry, or to a bit of rope strung between to trees, with a haynet and off you go. We see it as show courtesy to untangle horses if they have a leg stuck (done that on more than one occasion), or to catch up the occasional loose horse.

We go back to check every 20 mins or so and offer water etc, but no one stays to horse sit. Most competition horses are well used to standing tied and don't think anything of it.
 
Casey76 said:
We don't do "local" shows really. Everything is affiliated (with the FFE), so it's all rather "serious" with people chasing placings for qualifications to the nationals. One of my closer venues often has over 300 competitors over the course of the day, from the prep 60 classes through to the Amateur 1m15 classes. If you're going as a club you can be at the show from 7am to 6pm depending on what classes you're entered in.
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Exactly. I mean there are the little shows that go on like here but it is normal to go to the bigger ones. You also need your Galop 7 to compete. :)
 
Well, as with all threads, lots of different opinions. I still maintain my horses are my responsibility, and yours are yours. I would not expect, or in fact want, someone else to put themselves in a dangerous situation rescuing one of my horses because of my less than perfect horsecare.
 
Casey76 said:
You'd all have heart attacks in France.
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NZJenny said:
Same in NZ. Horses are left tied to the side of floats and trucks while at shows, ODE's, dressage days - you name it. I do go back and check mine regularly if I'm out of sight, but I expect them to still be there.
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Mine too, they learn from a young age that they stand tied up until I untie them. I have a photo of my yearling who spent the day at a show tied to the truck. He had a bum rope on to stop him pulling back. When he now goes out he stands like a rock and behaves.

What do people think happened to horses in bygone times, they didn't have lorries to stand tied to but stood where placed and were expected to stay there. Horses are na by pambied too much these days.

NZ Jenny, people need to come to some NZ shows. Must admit one of my TB's would sometimes get loose, usually at the dressage, and run around winding the other horses up, he had a warped sense of humour. A bum rope stopped that fun.
 
Tern said:
Exactly. I mean there are the little shows that go on like here but it is normal to go to the bigger ones. You also need your Galop 7 to compete. :)
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No you don't :). You can start competing (SJ and DR for example) when you have your galop 2. As you want to go up the levels you need higher level Galop exams. Otherwise how do you compete as a child ;)

As an adult, if you want to start at 1m jumping, then you can go head with your galop 4 exam. As an adult you don't have to do the exams one after another, and go straight in and do your 7, but if you start, say at 4, you then need to do sequential exams.

You can also differentiate, and only do dressage, or jumping, but then you can't compete in the other discipline. the theory is tough though, as you get to 7 lol.
 
Tern said:
Exactly. I mean there are the little shows that go on like here but it is normal to go to the bigger ones. You also need your Galop 7 to compete. :)
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No you don't :). You can start competing (SJ and DR for example) when you have your galop 2. As you want to go up the levels you need higher level Galop exams. Otherwise how do you compete as a child ;)

As an adult, if you want to start at 1m jumping, then you can go head with your galop 4 exam. As an adult you don't have to do the exams one after another, and go straight in and do your 7, but if you start, say at 4, you then need to do sequential exams.

You can also differentiate, and only do dressage, or jumping, but then you can't compete in the other discipline. the theory is tough though, as you get to 7 lol.
 
DabDab said:
Out of interest, has anyone actually seen what can happen when horse panicks and loses it's footing while tied up in a lorry? It's a damn sight harder to cut them free in a lorry, particularly when they are half slid under a partition with their head hoisted tight in the air with the headcollar.
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Fair point - it could be safer outside. But again, they should not be left alone tied up. If i have finished, i put my horse in the trailer loose. Yes, i'm aware he is the size of a labrador, but my trailer is also small it is about the same size as a normal trailer would be to a 14.2/15hh horse to him.
 
NZJenny said:
Same in NZ. Horses are left tied to the side of floats and trucks while at shows, ODE's, dressage days - you name it. I do go back and check mine regularly if I'm out of sight, but I expect them to still be there.
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Your horses may well be paragons of virtue. Other horses may not.
 
Tnavas said:
Mine too, they learn from a young age that they stand tied up until I untie them. I have a photo of my yearling who spent the day at a show tied to the truck. He had a bum rope on to stop him pulling back. When he now goes out he stands like a rock and behaves.

What do people think happened to horses in bygone times, they didn't have lorries to stand tied to but stood where placed and were expected to stay there. Horses are na by pambied too much these days.

NZ Jenny, people need to come to some NZ shows. Must admit one of my TB's would sometimes get loose, usually at the dressage, and run around winding the other horses up, he had a warped sense of humour. A bum rope stopped that fun.
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IME, complacency around horses normally ends in tears. Perhaps you've been lucky!
 
Leaving horses tied to lorries unattended is banned at our local venues. Can't event begin to imagine why people think it acceptable?!

If we have to leave them, they go back on the lorry with their haynet, or someone stays at the lorry and waits for the return of the others.
 
equi said:
Fair point - it could be safer outside. But again, they should not be left alone tied up. If i have finished, i put my horse in the trailer loose. Yes, i'm aware he is the size of a labrador, but my trailer is also small it is about the same size as a normal trailer would be to a 14.2/15hh horse to him.
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No I completely agree - I like to keep an eye on mine, particularly when in a strange place (at home I don't worry so much).

But I don't think it matters whether they are in or out of the lorry/trailer. If I was ever worried about one I would tie them to something like a bike wheel inner tube - loads of give (stretch) without them being able to brake free.
 
ChesnutsRoasting said:
IME, complacency around horses normally ends in tears. Perhaps you've been lucky!
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It's called TRAINING and TRUST. I've had horses for 50 odd years and never had one hurt tied to the float or truck.

I teach them to tie up properly and then trust them to stay tied up.

I've owned many horses and worked with hundreds.

Some people worry for the sake of worrying!
 
Tnavas said:
It's called TRAINING and TRUST. I've had horses for 50 odd years and never had one hurt tied to the float or truck.

I teach them to tie up properly and then trust them to stay tied up.

I've owned many horses and worked with hundreds.

Some people worry for the sake of worrying!
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You may think you can predict your horses behaviour due to your training & 'trust' but what about the other 29 horses tied up? Do you place your trust in them?
 
Reading with interest.

IMHO everything we do with our horses is a calculated risk. Even turning them out in the field.

Personally, I'd rather leave my horse in the lorry if I have to leave him unattended to walk the course / get numbers / go to the loo but even then I realise he may not be 100% safe. Someone could steal him, for a start!

For those who say their horses are conditioned to being tied up outside the trailer / lorry, then I don't really see that this is any worse or more risky. I tie my boy up outside his stable from time to time and if he was (say) stung by a bee and panicked, he could get on to a road. Whether I was standing next to him or not. But I calculate that this is a low risk and I am prepared to accept it.

In contrast, this morning when I got my youngster out of his field, I made sure the gate leading to the road was closed before I brought him out. 100 to 1 chance that he would pull away and get on to the road but silly and unnecessary risk to take for the sake of the 30 seconds it took me to close the gate.

So, just saying we all take calculated risks and I would challenge anyone to say that their handling of their horse is totally risk free. And for the avoidance of doubt, no I do not leave my horse tied up to my lorry unattended.
 
What if - spoiling everyone's day again! If you spend your life worrying about the consequences you'll never realise your potential.

Yes other horses get loose, maybe one day something may happen, but horses can do just as many stupid things out in their paddocks, do you watch them every moment!
 
Very interesting thread. I must take pics of this year's horse fayre here in my neck of the woods. Horses all tied up together, in long lines attached to a single rope which spans across above their heads. Owners enjoying the local beer and grub. Horses tied up to lampposts outside the pubs, to trees in the local park, horses everywhere, big and small. I know this isn't acceptable in the UK, but it is quite interesting to see. They all seem to just wait patiently, no dramas, until their owners return.
 
I do not leave my horse unattended in or outside if the lorry,either.
However, even when in attendance I have had a horse break free (just being a git) from the bale twine when tied outside, and gallop towards an unmanned entrance. As luck had it someone happened to walk through it at the exact time the horse headed to it, and managed to divert him, or he would have been on a very busy dual carriageway.
I have also witnessed several accidents where people have left horses unattended in horseboxes, including a very nasty one where the horse somehow climbed on the tack locker and put a leg through a window.
 
My horses are probably trained and trusted to leave tied up outside the trailer, but I certainly wouldn't leave them if I or someone with me wasn't around. I just wouldn't risk them. There are too many stupid people around that can't control their horses or passes too closely with something that kick etc. Mine stand quite happily in the trailer watching everything going on around them.

Same for my dogs outside a shop. I just wouldn't leave them unattended, unless perhaps if it was a tiny shop with an open door where I could see them all the time. Lots of people do leave dogs outside village shops locally but I just wouldn't take the risk.
 
Tnavas said:
What if - spoiling everyone's day again! If you spend your life worrying about the consequences you'll never realise your potential.

Yes other horses get loose, maybe one day something may happen, but horses can do just as many stupid things out in their paddocks, do you watch them every moment!
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Absolutely.

But you can mitigate for accidents by not deliberately putting your horse at risk - and others.

You can 'trust' and 'train' all you like. But there's nothing like good old fashioned common sense when it comes to preventing an accident.
 
Spottyappy said:
I do not leave my horse unattended in or outside if the lorry,either.
However, even when in attendance I have had a horse break free (just being a git) from the bale twine when tied outside, and gallop towards an unmanned entrance. As luck had it someone happened to walk through it at the exact time the horse headed to it, and managed to divert him, or he would have been on a very busy dual carriageway.
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The combination of unsupervised horses tied to lorries, and an unmanned gateway, is a disaster waiting to happen. (Spottyappy, I note that your chap was supervised at the time.)

If anyone has a horse who traces back to the warmblood Fellow Fuego, by Wolfgang, you may have me and my lovely late dressage horse to thank! We set off up a busy A road in hot pursuit of him when he broke free in the lorry park and escaped through the open gate at an affiliated dressage show. Lassoing, and then keeping hold of, a very excited young stallion after riding him off the road onto the verge was 'interesting' whilst still mounted on my own chap.

Its just common sense to have someone keep an eye on your horse at the trailer or lorry. I always used to compete single handed, and coped just fine. Its just a matter of organisation.
 
As NZJenny said - you would all have heart failure in NZ - some places have yards but we tie up to trucks and trailers - to be honest always have done even in UK. We have one venue that stipulates that no horse may be tied to trucks - but must be yarded - this is to protect the polo field not the horses.

We generally keep an eye on the horse next door though if we are there and I;'ve been known to retie haynets in a save manner when spotted - think it should be part of D+ certificate exam as you see them dangling everywhere.

Generally we're pretty good at shutting the main gate into the grounds - its just something we do, we'd be lucky to have anyone manning the gate to do it for us.

Once upon a time in the UK everyone did just that though - tied their horses to their trucks and floats but we didn't get ourselves worked up about the what if's!

I know that many places brought in the keep horses in the trailer/truck when not needed because inconsiderate folk didn't clean up after themselves. A paddock full of hay and horse poo is not a good way to encourage people to have competitions there again.
 
Would never do this.

Last summer at a local show a horse was tied to a lorry (with no baler twine) and spooked at something. In a panic it broke away from the lorry, taking a panel of the vehicle with it. It then ran around the show ground car park, bouncing off cars, out of the open gate and down the road, impaling itself on a garden fence which ripped it open and its insides fell out. Even then death wasn't instant. My YO still has a big dent in her bonnet where the horse bounced off it in its panic. I can think of worse ways for a horse to die, but not many :(
 
Polar Bear9 said:
I work in a shop. A LOT of people do this. And I mean several a day
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Same, never once had a problem! I tied Annie outside lots of shops and never had a problem there either, not in the 14 years we had her. Depends on the dog. Annie was good in every way possible.

I would never leave Ned tied up though, because he's pulled back too many times for me to trust him. I leave him for a moment to get tack or clear up droppings, but I'm always in ear shot. I have known several horses who I'd trust though.
 
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