Leaving horses tied to lorries unattended.

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Mooseontheloose

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Today at a hunter trial two separate incidents where horses had been left unattended tied to side of lorries.
One horse was going mad, rearing and catching his feet in the haynet, threatening to fall over or put his feet through the side of lorry.
Second lot, peacefully standing tied to side of lorry when we arrived but the lorry was parked so the horses were standing with their bottoms into the track so we had to drive past them very close (not neccessary as plenty more parking down the lorry park0.
They were still there five hours later, but with empty haynets, so one had untied itself and was grazing on the track. The main gate was open with access to roads.
If you must tie your horses up, for heaven's sake stay with them. If you've gone to walk the course surely it's safer to leave them inside, especially in howling gale.
Having seen many incidents, including the slow death of a horse after falling while tied up onto the hitch of a trailer - is this really sensible horsemanship?
 
Never do it! It's why I always take people if I can and if I can't, I load my mare back in, TBH she stands better in the lorry anyway, seems to prefer it!

We do (if we can) make a small corral around where we tie her up, just in case she got loose, with some leccy tape and posts but of course not always able to do that on hard standing.
 
It is usually stated on show schedules nowadays for H&S reasons competitors are not allowed to do so.

Report the issue to the show secretary as they are probably completely unaware of the situation and it may stop an accident happening
 
There is only one group who do this in my "show crowd" and they are also the ones who stand in the lorry whipping their stallions penis if it dares show and dehydrate it so it is well behaved. They've been asked to leave before and got pretty grotty. They left two tiny yearlings last year and went off. They could have been literally picked up and ran off with and one got tangled and I had to free it.

I tie my boy to the trailer so he is in the fresh air and can watch the world go by but I would never have him out of eye shot.
 
Leaving them unattended is a no no... Bouncing up and down on trailer and lorry is bad too... Mum and I go together and one stays with horses.
 
As someone who used to compete alone I know how difficult it can be sometimes - but I never, ever leave a horse tied up unattended, I always load them back in the trailer if I need to go and do something.
 
I leave mine tied up unattended for short periods of time. They all tie fabulous and also stand quietly. They're left with a haynet and I'll also ask someone nearby to keep an eye. I go back and check them regularly and wouldn't leave them for houra
 
I used to go on my own and used to put my lad away if leaving him - he stands inside or out without complaint with one exception. If we were parked on a steepish slope facing downwards, my horse used to complain lots if he was left inside for too long. It happened a couple of times and I can't say I blamed him as it must have been uncomfortable and put strain on front legs.
 
I'd leave ours to run to the loo (and Id run!) but only with someone keeping an eye.
I've just all but fallen out with the local RC recently for compulsory helping, fine but not when it involves leaving my daughters pony tied to or stood in a lorry alone for hours.
I just won't because I'd never ever forgive myself
 
We did tell the secretary about the horse climbing the side of the lorry and a call was put out for the owners. But having been a show secretary there's enough to do without having to chase round negligent owners and often when you do ask them to sort something out they can be very abusive. (Don't worry, I've a PhD in rude words)
I'd be interested to know the insurance situation if a horse, left on it's own, gets loose and has or causes an accident.
I'm sure my horse would be v quiet tied up, but that's not to say a noisy lorry, loose horse, dog etc wouldn't spook him when I take my eyes off him.
I do everything by myself too, but refuse to have a tie ring on the lorry, it's too tempting. Plus the dangly string!
 
My local PC have no aversions to leaving 30+ ponies tied outside to boxes/trailers whilst their owners ate their lunch in the communal tent 400 metres away. Being anti-social😏 & slightly concerned by the prospect of one of the ponies perhaps having a 'moment' I stayed by my trailer. One did have a moment - a too long lead rope funnily enough, wrapped itself around a fetlock.
 
Spreebok said:
I see comments like this about france quite often, I'm guessing their methods of doing things are quite different? I know Spain is, but France I've never looked into...
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Yes, very different! They treat dogs like dogs and horses like horses. It was a big shock to the system when I first moved there.
 
It happens all the time in New Zealand and no one blinks an eye. Typically, someone is around the floats and will recapture loose horses or sort minor incidents.

I do it a lot as I don't typically have help at shows. My horses are always there when I get back, tied up sensibly and munching their hay.
 
I leave mine tied up for short periods alone all the time. I've never had a problem and if I ever did I would revise my thoughts about leaving him. However, he is perfectly content to munch hay and watch the world go by and I've never known him to pull back etc although I know there is a first time for everything!

I did go to a show once which had a rule of not leaving unattended and I mistakenly forgot and was chatting to people 2 trailers away. One of the show stewards saw him unattended just as I was walking back and said to me "I know he is standing like a donkey but......"
 
Spreebok said:
I see comments like this about france quite often, I'm guessing their methods of doing things are quite different? I know Spain is, but France I've never looked into...
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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.

If your horse doesn't have a known pedigree you can only compete up to a certain level. And you need a license to compete..
 
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Arzada said:
Free or stolen. Or, believe it or not, tying a dog to a moveable object which then chases the terrified dog after the dog starts to move off. It only takes a moment.
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Why would you tie a dog to something moveable?
 
DabDab said:
Why would you tie a dog to something moveable?
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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.
 
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.
 
I do compete alone, my horse would happily stand for hours on his own with a hay net, but that does not mean I would leave him, it really is not worth the risk, I love my horse. I do not care what they do in France, Let's face it, if the horse broke a leg then they would just fire up the bar-b-q. If I need the loo I get someone to hold him or to watch him while I go, there is usually someone about. If not I would load him. I am happier if he is on the box to leave for a bit. I would not leave him for long. It is harder on your own and you do have to make sure your horse is trained to tie. It seems to me it's a part of training often over looked now adays. My horses stand tied with or without nets, just because they can does not always mean you should.
 
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