Riding through floods - caution

[Chambon]

We have a lot of floodwater around our area at the moment and this morning I saw some local riders taking advantage of the weather and going for a ride through the floods.

As I was stuck in the traffic (while the little old lady in the Corsa in front of me decided that the water was too deep for her to drive through and proceeded to do a 50 point turn...) I saw 3 riders cantering along through a flooded field.

Momentarily wishing I was with them, I was brought back to reality when all of a sudden the lead horse disappeared. With the Corsa out of the way (I was tempted to drive over her by this point!) I drove up to where the horses were. It had fallen over a barbed wire fence that had been completely hidden under the floodwaters. Horse and rider were fine (if a little soggy), but they were lucky, it could have been a lot worse.

 

[squirtlysmum]

They are very very lucky it wasn't worse. I learnt a hard lesson when I was 14 and riding someone horse for them, I was told not to ride where you couldn't see the ground, well being 14 and the font of all knowledge (NOT!) I decided to ignore this advice and as I cantered across a field full of long grass the horse went terribly lame, I got off to find he had severed a main artery in his fetlock and the blood was literally arching out of the wound and up onto his stomach, I walked him to the road where my friend who was with me galloped off for help, the horses blood covered the road, the owner appeared with trailer and we got him, home after emergency surgery in his stable he survived, just!
He went on to make a full recovery and taught me a massive nasty lesson. Had that been someone with my horse now I'd hang draw and quarter them.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Thanks for that warning, will make us all think. I learnt this lesson when I went on a beach ride many years ago. We were having a canter along the beach and a couple of friends with me decided to canter through the waves, rather than on the sand (luckily I stayed on the sand). They were having a great time, right up to the point that the horses hit some submered rocks (thankfully they were both O.K. just wet and bruised).

 

[Stella]

These are sobering tales. I always think that riding through thick snow looks so romantically wonderful, but I'm put off trying it for this reason, much more than concern about slipping.

 

[Sal_E]

2 shocking stories - hope people take note.