Leo flipped and smashed a carriage to pieces tonight

Leo Walker

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I was very lucky. I managed to haul him off balance enough to get him onto someones drive and he got stuck on 2 huge concrete gate posts. He snapped a shaft clean off and bent the other one out of shape. Thanks to quick release harness we got him out even when he was going mental.

If I hadnt managed to stop him doing a complete 180 he would have flipped the carriage and gone back through the village which is lots of narrow roads with cars parked, so god knows how much damage would have been done. If there had been a person on the path or a car in the road when he did it he would have gone over the top of them.

Even though the carriage is sitting damaged in someones garden I feel very, very, very lucky that things went the way they did. I dont know why he did it, the more I think about it the more concerned I get. He was completely fine, trotting along and then just flipped. Once we had him out he was clearly expecting a beating, once he knew that wasnt happening he walked home like a donkey.

I'm getting the vet out and having him scoped/worked up as appropriate but unless something comes up thats a clear cause and fixable he wont ever drive again. Its one thing putting myself at risk, but another completely putting other people at risk.

I'm devastated. I love the bones of him. He owes me nothing and if he doesnt want to or cant do it anymore I am more than happy to retire him. But hes a complete idiot. If he works hard hes lovely. If he doesnt he jumps out for the hell of it and is a complete pain. Hes always refused to live out, which is fine when hes working. I'm going to try and find him turnout in a settled herd where they all live out and see if he settles. The alternative doesnt bear thinking about :(
 

TheresaW

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So sorry to read this, especially seeing how well you’ve both been doing.

Might be a stupid question, but could he have been stung or bitten by something that set him off?

Glad you are both ok.
 

Pearlsasinger

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I am so sorry to hear this news, you were doing so well together.
Is it possible that he was stung by something?

I know of a case where an elderly lady was driving up her (long) drive when her normally placid, sensible cob took fright and legged it, turned the carriage over and the elderly driver was killed. Her husband, who had witnessed most of the episode from the ground was firmly of the belief that the horse had been stung/bitten. The behaviour was very out of character.

Thank goodness no-one was injured
 

Bob notacob

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OMG! Thank God you both are OK. Beware of delayed shock .Youve been so busy sorting stuff it can creep up on you. TAKE THE DAY OFF TOMORROW (shouts Bob my trusty ID from the background)Bob is always right.
 

Surbie

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That is gutting - are you sure there was nothing like a sting or bite that could have set it off given it is so out of character?

Really glad you and Leo are both safe and it ended nearly as well as it could have. I hope you or the vet spots something that can make sense of it.
 

SEL

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Very, very glad you're ok. Was it your new carriage or the one he's been in for a while?

Ok so just read FB and old carriage. What problem did Osteo treat him for? Reoccurence? Btw - not trying to.persuade you to drive him again, just feeling you need answers.
 
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Asha

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That must have been terrifying for both you and him. Glad your both ok, and hope you get to the bottom of it
 

millikins

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I am so sorry to hear this but very glad you are both o.k. When it goes wrong driving it goes really wrong doesn't it?
 

poiuytrewq

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So so sorry to read this :(
What a massive hideous shock. Can/is he ridden at all?
A very similar accident happened last year by my house, the horse now enjoys a career doing dressage.
Hopefully something treatable will show up when the vet comes.
Hugs xx
 

AdorableAlice

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Awful incident, I have noticed there is a massive amount of early wasps around at the moment. i found two tangled in a fly rug this evening. Hopefully your vet will help you.
 

Lovethebeach

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Husband had a crash last year with senior cob but could see the hornet which had got under the strap just above the crupper, I believe they can sting several times? Was a few hundred yards before he managed to run her onto a verge and into hedge, was lucky no traffic at the time and only a bent shaft and scraped wheel. He long reined her in harness several times and then drove in the school, she has carried on driving with no problems. I do hope you find something similar with Leo and so glad you are ok
 

Micropony

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How awful for you both, that must have been terrifying. I wonder if you find a big bite or sting when you check him over tomorrow. Even the calmest horse can have it's moments, but that really sounds out of character for him - he must have had a reason. I really hope you're able to piece together what it might have been.
 

paddi22

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TRhat sounds so scary. there's a lot of wasps around our place at moment, could it have been that if it was so sudden.?
 

alainax

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Thank goodness everyone is ok, don’t think too far in advance at the moment, just take each bit of information in as you get it, and check for stings tomorrow.
 

Leo Walker

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Definitely no sting. He planned it, well planned buggering off. There was a kid on a push along scooter. He couldnt give 2 figs about that sort of thing. He is the definition of bombproof. He saw them, carried on, then basically ******ed off. He was planning on going home but I managed to pull him off balance enough to stop that.

There is clearly something wrong and the vet is coming hopefully tomorrow to discuss and book him in for a scope and work up as appropriate, but having given it a little bit of time I am as sure as I can be that its a mental problem not a physical one. To be fair given the reaction even if its physical then I'm pretty sure his driving career is over.

I wasnt scared and am pretty ballsy about stuff like that but I had a child with me in the carriage and I can hand on heart say if anyone had gotten in his way he would have ploughed them down, so that has really bothered me. I hauled him round without thinking and I have been so, so lucky that he got himself stuck. Thank god for quick release harness as well. It was literally seconds between it happening and us getting him out.

He was expecting a beating which tells me hes done it before. Travellers dont get rid of entires that pull bow tops unless they do something. I always assumed he kicked the wrong person, but now I'm not so sure

I owe him so much. I wish he could talk to me and tell me what the problem is :(
 

honetpot

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So pleased you are OK.
I had one of the kids old ponies broken to drive, he hunted at three and was frightened of nothing. I took him into town one Sunday and forgot it was fair weekend. Nothing bothered him, he stood outside Woolies for sweets. On the way home the was a Tesco bag floating about 12ft off the ground just in his vision and he started to run, there were masses of people about with dogs and kids. I managed to ram him in to a car park barrier. Like you I was more worried about other people. Although he walked home, I decided driving wasn't for me and sold the cart and harness. Kept the pony though and he is baby sitting young stock when he is not trying to get out and under electric fencing. He is out on loan and life is a lot simpler with out him, if boring at times.
I hope you find him another job.
 

Leo Walker

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Sometimes being bold and a bit bolshy works against you. Hes not bothered by anything ever, other than a bit of jiggling when old scooters come past him. If he was worried about cars he wouldnt have done what he did!
 

Goldenstar

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When things go wrong in a carriage it’s just terrifying .
You just don’t drive a horse like that again .
You are ok he did not get loose and endanger others just take a few days to settle yourself before you decide anything .
I used to drive Tatts but he just gave me a bad feeling sometimes and I just decided one day I was never putting him too again .
 

View

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Oh my goodness, so scary. Glad you are OK, and as others have said, don't rush into any final decisions. Trust your gut instinct in a few days, when he ahs been checked over.
 

tda

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Definitely no sting. He planned it, well planned buggering off. There was a kid on a push along scooter. He couldnt give 2 figs about that sort of thing. He is the definition of bombproof. He saw them, carried on, then basically ******ed off. He was planning on going home but I managed to pull him off balance enough to stop that.

There is clearly something wrong and the vet is coming hopefully tomorrow to discuss and book him in for a scope and work up as appropriate, but having given it a little bit of time I am as sure as I can be that its a mental problem not a physical one. To be fair given the reaction even if its physical then I'm pretty sure his driving career is over.

I wasnt scared and am pretty ballsy about stuff like that but I had a child with me in the carriage and I can hand on heart say if anyone had gotten in his way he would have ploughed them down, so that has really bothered me. I hauled him round without thinking and I have been so, so lucky that he got himself stuck. Thank god for quick release harness as well. It was literally seconds between it happening and us getting him out.

He was expecting a beating which tells me hes done it before. Travellers dont get rid of entires that pull bow tops unless they do something. I always assumed he kicked the wrong person, but now I'm not so sure

I owe him so much. I wish he could talk to me and tell me what the problem is :(

Know how you feel, we had a pony that we bred, well started ( we thought,) driven miles, no reported problems, but when we got him home he bolted twice, once in the field with carriage attached, went thru a barbed wire fence, 2nd time just stood being harnessed up, went straight thru the arena fence😮

He was young so I carried on with his ridden which was fine.

Wish I knew what happened, I feel so responsible xx
 

Bernster

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Gosh that sounds do awful. So scary. Glad you are all ok though, that’s the main thing. And that it all turns out to be ok. Take care of yourself.
 
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