Winklepoker
Well-Known Member
well what a terrible time we have had!
Just before I start, so as not to panic you, we are all home, alive and safe.
On Saturday my husband and I went over to Oxford from Hampshire with the trailer to buy the horse I had been dreaming of all week, he had paces to die for, the lady tacked him up and rode beautifully in the middle of an open field that he lives in! I got on and he was very steady, no rushing, lovely paces and just felt so so safe, which was really where my mind was made up. I paid my money and loaded him up. He loaded really well, tied up and got a bit aggitated so we set off in hope that he would settle. A few miles down the road and there was a bit of stamping, getting progressively worse, so we pulled over into a 'p' pull in on the A34 so that I could tie him shorter. Opened the jockey door and his blood covered head was bursting out of it. He had somehow managed to get his front legs over the breast bar and (with all four feet off the ground) was teetering on it! Husband got out to help and we hauled his head up and tried to lift out the breast bar with no joy. He then panicked, went up and over backwards onto his back, dripping in sweat, not a single muscle contracted and just layed there. I honestly thought he was dead, or at best knocked clean out from the rate he went down. Called the fire brigade, they came in 4 trucks, police closed the motorway and they started removing the partition over the back door. He had, by this point, started thrashing again and managed to get wedged under the bars with the partition on top of him.
As soon as they got the partition out he was on his feet and we got escorted to a slip road so that they could re-open the road (apparently £1000 per minute to keep the road shut!!) Once off the dual carriage way we found a turf contractors field to let the ramp down. Thank heavens for the firemen (all 20 of them!!!) they looked after freckles, led him around, let him graze, he was very calm and unharmed apart from superficial cuts and bruising.
Got the vet out she checked him over, dressed wounds and gave him a sedative as I was unable to hold him (mainly due to tears, shock, terror) Fire men left and we waited for a transport company to come in a lorry and pick us up. 3 hours had passed by this point and the transporter came, loaded him in the 3.5t rear facing lorry, I stayed with him and he travelled home beautifully.
Hindsight tells me I should have put the breast bar on a higher setting, tied him shorter or checked him when I first heard a scuffle but who was to know. He has travelled a lot in his life but obviously never in a trailer! He loaded fine into both and travelled very quietly in the lorry I guess it will just take time.
We are both very sore, and I inparticular have been utterly terrified by the whole incident but I put him out in the field by myself today for the first time (a friend has been helping me out) and I felt better. He let me pick up all four feet whilst he was eating his breakfast in the field today and although he isnt 100% settled in the stable or being tied up yet, I do think that this is down to his ordeal and not something that will always be an issue.
Hopefully you arent too horrified!
I just want to say a huge thanks to the Thames Valley Fire service, and my loving loyal friends and husband who have been so so helpful and supportive all weekend.
Just before I start, so as not to panic you, we are all home, alive and safe.
On Saturday my husband and I went over to Oxford from Hampshire with the trailer to buy the horse I had been dreaming of all week, he had paces to die for, the lady tacked him up and rode beautifully in the middle of an open field that he lives in! I got on and he was very steady, no rushing, lovely paces and just felt so so safe, which was really where my mind was made up. I paid my money and loaded him up. He loaded really well, tied up and got a bit aggitated so we set off in hope that he would settle. A few miles down the road and there was a bit of stamping, getting progressively worse, so we pulled over into a 'p' pull in on the A34 so that I could tie him shorter. Opened the jockey door and his blood covered head was bursting out of it. He had somehow managed to get his front legs over the breast bar and (with all four feet off the ground) was teetering on it! Husband got out to help and we hauled his head up and tried to lift out the breast bar with no joy. He then panicked, went up and over backwards onto his back, dripping in sweat, not a single muscle contracted and just layed there. I honestly thought he was dead, or at best knocked clean out from the rate he went down. Called the fire brigade, they came in 4 trucks, police closed the motorway and they started removing the partition over the back door. He had, by this point, started thrashing again and managed to get wedged under the bars with the partition on top of him.
As soon as they got the partition out he was on his feet and we got escorted to a slip road so that they could re-open the road (apparently £1000 per minute to keep the road shut!!) Once off the dual carriage way we found a turf contractors field to let the ramp down. Thank heavens for the firemen (all 20 of them!!!) they looked after freckles, led him around, let him graze, he was very calm and unharmed apart from superficial cuts and bruising.
Got the vet out she checked him over, dressed wounds and gave him a sedative as I was unable to hold him (mainly due to tears, shock, terror) Fire men left and we waited for a transport company to come in a lorry and pick us up. 3 hours had passed by this point and the transporter came, loaded him in the 3.5t rear facing lorry, I stayed with him and he travelled home beautifully.
Hindsight tells me I should have put the breast bar on a higher setting, tied him shorter or checked him when I first heard a scuffle but who was to know. He has travelled a lot in his life but obviously never in a trailer! He loaded fine into both and travelled very quietly in the lorry I guess it will just take time.
We are both very sore, and I inparticular have been utterly terrified by the whole incident but I put him out in the field by myself today for the first time (a friend has been helping me out) and I felt better. He let me pick up all four feet whilst he was eating his breakfast in the field today and although he isnt 100% settled in the stable or being tied up yet, I do think that this is down to his ordeal and not something that will always be an issue.
Hopefully you arent too horrified!
I just want to say a huge thanks to the Thames Valley Fire service, and my loving loyal friends and husband who have been so so helpful and supportive all weekend.
