rant at myself

[ponies4ever]

So this morning I wake up to the news that my horse has for the third/fourth time escaped her stable in the morning and has scoffed about 6 feeds of other horses in the yard. Not only is that obviously a major issue in itself but she's only got out again because i forgot to do up the chain my yard owner kindly put up for me! Now I'm going to have to pay for all the feed she's eaten and I'm being threatened with a stable move which i really don't want as she's currently in the biggest stable on the yard and is no small pony! For the record she never runs out of haylage/water and as Ive said has a lovely big clean stable and has plenty of horses around her!!!! Obviously Im annoyed at her for escaping but Im even more annoyed at myself for forgetting the chain!!! Urg!!! Utterly pointless post but I'm in a very bad mood so I apologise

 

[Clodagh]

Well sorry but you don't deserve any sympathy. I'd be livid!
Can you not stick a note on your car steering wheel to remind you?

 

[oldie48]

Well no sympathy from me either. What about if someone else had forgotten to close a gate and she got out onto the road, or someone had left the feed room open and she'd helped herself to a load of hard feed/sugar beet? I think you've been lucky!

 

[WandaMare]

Oh come on OP is mad enough at herself. Its a rubbish thing to do but horses are so faffy sometimes and with everything else going on its not inconceivable that things get overlooked. My mare is an escape artist and has two doors to her stable. I have to clip both the bolts before I leave in the evening and I have forgotten a few times. I now associate saying goodnight to my mare with doing the clips, I don't do one without the other, I find this has helped. My last task of the evening is to turn and check the bolts and now its become a solid habit.

Don't be mad at your horse though OP, she's just being an animal. We are the ones who need to remember to leave our stables secure.

 

[scats]

The note on your steering wheel is a good idea, then you’ll get a reminder before you leave.

We’re all human and make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up that it’s happened, there’s no point. Just try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Buy a bulldog clip or cut one of an old lead role and leave it on your top bolt it becomes a habit to automatically clip it over the bolt when you shut it, I have one that will open the top bolt in a second so he always has a clip on his bolt.

 

[meleeka]

I bet you don’t forget again!

My ponies have access to stables 24/7. I have forgotten to put the catch on which keeps the door open. My mini shetland obviously went in and the door shut behind him. Judging by the poo he’d been there all night with no food and water and couldn’t even see the others. I felt so guilty that I don’t think I’ll ever forget again!

 

[ponies4ever]

I totally understand no sympathy I have none for myself! luckily we are so far down a track that the road will not ever be an issue. And as of this morning I have copious notes for myself don't worry. She's still a pretty new horse and my previous mare was so well behaved its been a bit of a shock to the system having a baby again who is apparently too smart for her own good *sighs*

 

[Pinkvboots]

Just 're read your post if your meaning a chain that goes across the door be careful my escape artist just walks through them so they won't always contain some horses.

 

[Equi]

If she’s going through a door I don’t think a chains going to stop her. A kick bolt is needed and even then you still need to get into the habit of putting a clip on the bolt. I don’t like that any feed is left out where a horse can get to it anyway so that’s a yard issue not yours.

 

[SEL]

I used to ride my friend's Welsh sec C and he was kept in one of those monarch boxes with a door to a store room off it. The door had to be pulled just right for the catch to close properly. One night I drove back 15 mins because I just wasn't sure - and there was a fat orange bottom sticking out of the store room with his head in the chaff bin! I never made that mistake again!!

Horse in box next to mine has an extra bolt as he fiddles with the top one and has got out before. Might help?

 

[Kat]

I wouldn't be too sympathetic to the other liveries having their feed eaten. It is terrible practice to leave feed accessible like that, very dangerous if a horse gets out.

 

[ester]

how is she getting out?

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

OP, I have 1 stable that has a drop catch like this,
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SHIRES-SAFETY-LOCKING-STABLE-EQUESTRIAN/dp/B005T3WDGW
Also has a bottom kick bolt, plus an internal draw bolt, as well as fittings for a V weave grill.
It was only the internal draw bolt that prevented a right old escapologist getting out.
He could do the drop catch and then charge the door, on occasions breaking it to get out.

Happily the current crew are ok to leave in stables

 

[Quigleyandme]

Presumably if your horse can get at these feeds so can rats and mice.

 

[Clodagh]

Presumably if your horse can get at these feeds so can rats and mice.

THey may have been bucket feeds with lids on? I have seen that system a lot at DIY yards, then whoever gets there first just puts them in. I thought it was quite common.

 

[ester]

Yes, we always left feeds hung up outside stables so first person down fed, usually tubtrugs folded by the handles rather than covered and never had any evidence of mice/rats managing to get into them. Or any escapee horses eating them.

 

[cobsarefab]

Sounds like a kick out would be a good idea. Also how about one of these https://www.naylors.com/shires-auto...MIntfDt-vz2QIV7rvtCh07VAoLEAQYASABEgLwq_D_BwE so if you forget to do up the kick bolt he can't let himself out.

 

[AmyMay]

Buy a bulldog clip or cut one of an old lead role and leave it on your top bolt it becomes a habit to automatically clip it over the bolt when you shut it, I have one that will open the top bolt in a second so he always has a clip on his bolt.

Such a simple solution and one that works brilliantly.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I wouldn't be too sympathetic to the other liveries having their feed eaten. It is terrible practice to leave feed accessible like that, very dangerous if a horse gets out.

Every DIY yard I’ve ever been on is like that. Mine is in a lidded tub. Surely the main issue is that a horse shouldn’t be able to get out?

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Buy a bulldog clip or cut one of an old lead role and leave it on your top bolt it becomes a habit to automatically clip it over the bolt when you shut it, I have one that will open the top bolt in a second so he always has a clip on his bolt.

That works well but I’ve known horses get them off or break them if they fiddle with it enough. I think it’s called a bolt snap or spring snap not a bulldog clip as that’s something you hold papers together with

 

[ester]

not one of these though, given horsess propensity to put them through nostrils/lips etc :eek3:

 

[Tiddlypom]

I wouldn't be too sympathetic to the other liveries having their feed eaten. It is terrible practice to leave feed accessible like that, very dangerous if a horse gets out.

This. Very slack practice.

By all means have feeds prepared and ready for feeding, but only in a secure feed room and not hanging around on the yard somewhere.

 

[willhegofirst]

Same as Sussexbythesea the large DIY yard I was on, we had to leave their morning feed outside the stable door ready to be given by whoever got to the yard first, over 40 boxes so people feeding in don't want to muck about. A clip on top bolt, plus kick bolt is probably what's needed.

 

[Fiona]

Poor you OP 😣😣

DEFINITELY put a spare leadrope clip on your top bolt....

Fiona

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

OP, please Please DO NOT put any clip on the top bolt. An escapee that can undo bolts can easily lacerate themselves on a clip (as has been mentioned in earlier posts).

 

[Dave's Mam]

OP, please Please DO NOT put any clip on the top bolt. An escapee that can undo bolts can easily lacerate themselves on a clip (as has been mentioned in earlier posts).

A rope knotted where you would put the clip might deter with less danger.

 

[ester]

I do worry about the fire risks of some methods of making sure they can't get out. Which is why I did ask the OP how the horse was doing it but we don't seem to have had an update on that!

 

[henmother]

Put a little alarm on your phone when you're parked up before you get out of car . If you know you're usually done in 20mins , stick it on for 18. An annoying alarm works to help me.