Red Ribbons

[kick_On]

PLEASE, PLEASE folk if you think you horse IS a KICKER and you put a red ribbon in tail, please stay at back OR at side at all gate ways etc....................
As my horse is nursing a fabby (NOT!!!) huge front knee from someone NOT being aware of how much trouble a 'kicker' can cause, esp at front, in small hunting gate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A very pissed off person here........................... and what's more annoying, we've sorted our brakes out, and he was jumping brilliantly missing bogs before and after jumps.

Fingers cross hopefully we'll be able to get out before end of season!!

 

[Eira]

Hear hear !!!
This is something that really gets me !

Hope horsey recovers ASAP !

 

[kick_On]

thanks, good job it's so cold, as it's helping with swelling!!! he's very lucky, and he's sound - wipe brow

But i'm still very crossed with person who caused problem........... and if i had be able to stay out and catch her up i would told her so!!!

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

This is something I also feel very strongly about having had my horse and myself been kicked by someone without a ribbon on before. Made me so cross - was standing quietly at the meet with a friend when someone's horse just suddenly reversed at high speeds and let rip with his back legs. Owner was hugely apologetic though!!

However its a difficult situation because someone may have put a red ribbon on because their horse doesn't like being used as a brake and cannoned into whether it be going through a gate or just slowing down. My horse is not a kicker unless someone piles into the back of him and he will then kick out which is understandable. I have had 2 situations this season where people have rammed themselves right up his bum stopping at a gateway and he's lashed out at them. They both apologised profusely and said it was their fault for crashing into me - they knew my horse was wearing a red ribbon and that he only kicked if crashed into. We had already stopped and they were slightly out of control and probably though their horses would stop in time. I do try and keep to the side with my horse because I'd rather try and avoid any trouble though.

Annoyingly people (myself included) get quite revved up hunting and don't think as much as they should about safety and other horses etc. You wouldn't normally all try and crowd through a tiny gateway or jump something when you don't know what's on the other side!!

Hope your horse feels better soon.

 

[k9h]

Agree. Though it also poliet to keep distance from horse in front (not accusing anyone!)

Though a couple of seasons ago I was coming to a gate (open) at speed. I was catching up after collecting a few hounds.
Front of field just going through gate, someone called out "whip please" which means stop & let whip through. Everyone stopped, I approach gate in trot, then someone decided they were going to go through right under my horse cue as we went down the bank the other side of narrow hunt gate. Her horse kicked out & luckily for my horse (but not me) cracked me right on the ankle.
I didn't say anything as; A, the pain I was in & B, if I had said anything I doubt it would of been poliet! So I don't say anything!

 

[xjesspufferx]

This makes me so annoyed! Usually people with us, are quite sensible and do wear red ribbons, and if not, they will always put there arm behind there back. But 12-15 year olds annoy me most. They push in front of you at gates and then there horses kick. They do not apoligize at all.

Hope your horse makes a full and speedy recovery!

 

[LouBerry]

I've now got into the habit of putting a red ribbon on my youngster every time i go out. He's not known as a kicker but can sometimes get grumpy when used as a stopping post. I just think better safe than sorry. When we're stood in groups or narrow gaps i do tend to try and stay at the back or at least get a bit of space so that i'm not inviting trouble.
To be fair though it does work both ways. There is a minority out there who do disregard red or green ribbons and either stand right up your horses behind or barge into you. I'm well aware it's my place as the red ribboned owner to keep out the way but sometimes i think others need to have a bit of spacial awareness. I try to be polite and sensible everytime i'm out and at least then hopefully i won't get any problems. It's very rare though that i do as most of the time i get my own space at the back and stay there Although i did that boxing day and nearly got knocked off my lad by an out of control horse that fully smashed into the side of me. Typical.

 

[georgethecook]

most people tend to ignore a red or a green ribbon anyway. My horse only kicks if someone rams in to the back of him, so i where a red ribbon. No one takes any notice of it, which really annoys me. Kids are the worst- does noone at pony club tell them what they represent.

 

[peleowner]

I really sympathise. After much heart ache we finally decided to allow our daughter to take her horse out hunting on Boxing Day. The horse can get quite wired so she was on strict instructions to keep out of everybody's way and not to jump if there was going to be any crowding etc. Our horse also had a huge red ribbon, just in case.
They managed two lines out with the Bloodhounds, brilliant galloping and jumping everything, with brakes and steering and mother actually enjoying watching.
Unfortunately this was not to last. Somebody had brought out what looked like a really novice and extremely naughty horse with neither a green or red ribbon in its tail. The girls managed to avoid it in open spaces but trotting up to the start of the third line, in a narrow lane flanked with a hedge on one side and a ditch on the other it ran backwards and delivered a double barrel to our horse. MORE ASTOUNDINGLY the rider seemed to hardly notice, and left my duaghter and her friend dealing with a horse bleeding profusely quite a long way from home and rode off!
When the person who had been accompanying the girls arrived back at the end of the line I asked where they were and she explained what had happened and pointed out the kicker. I asked the kicker if she knew where my daughter was her reply was' I haven't a clue' and she rode off. She completely disappeared and I have never seen her since.
Libby managed to lead her horse back after about 40mins, still bleeding. The huntsman washed out the wound and we had the vet waiting by the time we got her home. She has 14 stitches, a quantity of mashed muscle had to be removed and there is no telling what long term damage has been done. She won't be eventing for a while!
I was disgusted with this persons behaviour - leaving a rider with a profusely bleeding horse in the middle of nowhere is totally unacceptable and then not to come and find us and check if all was ok afterwards is appalling. I would really like to let her know how much damage has been done, show her the horse and the size of the vets bill, and the disappointment about being unable to compete for quite a while on my duaghters face. She must know who she is and is probably wondering somehwere if she ought to say anything.
I say that an apology would go, at least, some way to helping.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

I don't know what to say Peleowner but how absolutely dreadful for you and your family. Perhaps you could ring the secretary or the huntsman and find out who it was. They should certainly be paying your vets bill.

 

[peleowner]

Wow. Thank you for your support.
I have asked everybody including the masters and huntsman but they said they had not seen her out before. So all I can do is hope that she may 'own up' if I give her enough avenues through which to contact me.
To be honest although I'd love her to pay the vets bill the main thing is that I really don't want that to happen to anybody else. It could so easily have been Libby's leg or our horse's that was broken.

Happy New Year

 

[LouBerry]

I'm sorry to hear that this happened to your family peleowner. It must be an awful thing to go through. And the girl in question should be severely ashamed of herself. It's one thing not to own up to something but to also ride off twice and not care a hoot about either horse or rider is just a disgrace. I would be red faced and full of shame if my horse had done anything like that. I hope you do find out who she was so she can face the consequences of her actions. The other trouble is the likelihood is her horse will do it again if action is not taken

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

Having just reread Peleowner's post above my blood is absolutely boiling. The kicking horse should have been taken home after behaving like that and the woman riding it should have taken all possible means to find out who she had kicked and what she could do to make things better. We all have insurance for hunting to cover damage done to a Third Party and we aren't allowed to hunt unless we've got it.

I really hope the horse is ok and that you aren't all too despondent. I also hope the woman turns up and is presented with a big bill. I also hope there were a number of witnesses to prove it was her horse that kicked your daughter's. She may have thought her horse wouldn't do anything but, if its a novice as you say you thought it was, it should have had a green ribbon on and if she knew it kicked, then a red one. My horse is on about his 20th day out with hounds this season and still wears a green ribbon and a red one to make people doubly alert that he is a novice out hunting and a red ribbon to warn people not to use him as a back stop.

 

[kit279]

That is truly appalling. I once accompanied a novice horse that bucked a little when stood still (nothing naughty and it was ribboned up) but I made damn sure I told everyone who came behind us that he did it. Particularly the little ones on ponies who seemed to nip in and out behind us all the time - heart in mouth moments, I tell you. Unfortunately, people like this just make you think twice about going hunting at all and that impacts upon the hunts turnout as well. It would be just as well for the secretary to actually ascertain people's names and contact details when they pay their cap - that way problems like this could be avoided, not to mention that in an emergency (I sometimes go hunting on my own) you could trace and identify anyone in an accident.

 

[RunToEarth]

Hope your horse makes a speedy recovery Kick_on.
This is a subject I also get very pissed off about.
It does REALLY annoy me when people put red ribbons on and then still stick their horse in the middle of the field.
If your horse is a known kicker you cannot put a red ribbon on and expect everybody to avoid you and give you a wide birth. You have to make sure your horse is at the back of the field/ away from other horses and not put in a situation where it may kick- it is not the rest of the field's job to pussy foot around your horse.

 

[combat_claire]

It does REALLY annoy me when people put red ribbons on and then still stick their horse in the middle of the field.
If your horse is a known kicker you cannot put a red ribbon on and expect everybody to avoid you and give you a wide birth. You have to make sure your horse is at the back of the field/ away from other horses and not put in a situation where it may kick- it is not the rest of the field's job to pussy foot around your horse.

Totally agree, out on foot on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day I was perfectly sited to notice just how many people had a red ribbon and then plonked themselves in the middle of the meet oblivious to what their horse's rear end is doing. If your horse is known to kick it is YOUR day that should be inconvenienced by staying at the fringes of the meet and sticking to the very back of the field.

It is rare for a season to go by without hearing of a serious incident as a result of someone or an animal being kicked. Remember a kick from a shod horse can kill a hound and seriously injure horses and people.

If the worst does happen and your steed does kick and injure a horse and person, at least have the courtesy to stick around. A young girl from our hunt was kicked badly, in fact so badly the shod horse gave her an open wound and serious fracture and the chap didn't have the balls to stay and see she was okay.

As an after thought make sure you have Countryside Alliance insurance for public liability. I heard of one lady whose ned kicked a farmer hosting the meet and broke his leg. he sued her for loss of earnings and she wasn't covered and had to find the money for the award in favour of the farmer herself.

 

[JenHunt]

ditto guildford... that rider deserves to be booted herself!

you can bet your last pound coin that she'd do the same if the boot was on the other foot!

I hope ponio is ok and recovers soon and that your girls aren't put off by the whole episode.

 

[Christmas Crumpet]

It would make me incredibly nervous putting my horse in the middle of the field at a meet or even for the next hour or so till he settles. The chances are he will behave himself but because I know if someone rams up his bum he might kick out I try and keep out the way as much as possible. I was so glad I didn't take him to the Boxing Day meet because there were so many people on foot and horses and there was every chance he'd get excited and something may happen. People seem to stop using their brains and thinking. I find I am always one step ahead when riding this horse and you need to be! If we meet in a farmyard I will always stand outside on the road/lane. Very boring but safer.

Its very frustrating having a horse who isn't 100% predictable but just makes you realise how lucky you are if you have had a solid, dependable hunter in the past. I always have and so its a bit of a novelty not to have something that stands at the meet etc. Still - he's stil in his first season and they say that TB's take a season to settle. The South Dorset all have to have C.A membership to be able to hunt which gives third party insurance. Makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[kick_On]

really sorry to read this................

Girl who kick my horse did get shouted by ME!! but not sorry but was a bit late as damage done!!! - Keep the bu88er at back or to side not in main field!!!

Fingers crossed for your horse and that you'll be able to get out eventing with her this coming season

 

[Ianh]

I cant agree more. If you know your horse has a tendancy to kick please please please put a red ribbon in his tail and stay at the back or at the very least keep to the side.

I am talking from bitter experiance. just before christmas we had to have one of our horses shot out whilst out on the hunting field after he was kicked.

They was trotting down a lane and the horse in front of him "cow kicked" catching Chancer on his knee totally shattering his leg.

The eldist daughter who was riding him at the time was totally heartbroken, as we all were but she took it worst of all.

The person who was riding the horse that kicked Chancer was also very upset and very apologetic but the horse didnt have a red ribbon in. That horse has been out again this time with a ribbon in but that is to late for Chancer.

I can honestly say that it was one of the worst experiances of my life. My partner had Chancer on long term lone from some very close friends of ours. He was 16 going on 6 when he left us. He had taught both our daughters to ride and my partner and her daughters had had alot of joy from him. We had only just decided to retire him from show jumping and eventing and just let him hunt as that was the thing he loved to do.

I must say that the rest of the field and the hunt staff were brilliant and they bent over backwards to help us. We take some comfort in knowing that he went doing the thing he loved to do and that it was relativly quick, less than 15 mins from being kicked to leaving us, but it is someting that i would not wish on anybody. Driving out to the meet with 3 horses and coming home with 2 i hope to never have to do that again.

So if your horse does kick at any time please put a red ribbon in.