Sad day, freak accident

What a terrible thing to happen, RIP beautiful horse and I sincerely hope the other one makes a full recovery. My deepest sympathy to all of those affected!
 
Ludoctro said:
Yes dusty our yard does to individual turnout and some use it, me personally I don't like it. I think horses need to interact with each other for their happiness but I do see why people do it. But for me I like my boy in with others, even if it risks him being hurt. He loves his chums, always playing and grooming them. I'd not take that away from him.
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I'm so sorry for all of you, but I totally agree. I like my girl to be part of a herd even though there are risks involved.
 
Crikey how awful for you all :( RIP poor horse, I hope there is better news today for the one recovering

My boy isn't so clever in the field and likes to play, he has fractured his leg twice (same bit) in the last 8 months due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but as said prev I risk it as he is extra happy when out with friends and thankfully he seems to be a little wiser now he is a little older....
 
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How awful for those that have lost and had their horses injured. Very lucky that yours were not injured you must be incredibly relieved.

The yard I worked at as a kid had large herds mixed sizes and occasionally there would be pecking order issues that would be sorted out when horses were released. I have to be honest if there was a history of horses being injured through 'playing around' in the paddocks I would not be letting mine into those herds.

I really hope the other girls horse pulls through.
 
So sorry I'm typing thru tears writing this. So very sad for the owners of the horse that died and the injured horse and for you and your friend who must have been really traumatised.

I do think that we have to let animals live a life as true to their kind as we can and that involves risk but equally enriches the life lived. It's not the same but I have a parrot who flies free, some keep them with wings clipped for safety but he is a bird and loves to fly and he is great at it. Yes one day it may place him at risk but I do everything possible to manage those risks whilst he is the creature that he needs to be.

Gallop free darling horse RIP and thoughts kind wishes to the injured horse and to all involved.
 
I have read this thread with gret sadness, as I do with the many posts about horses that have been injured through kicks/fights/general hooning about together - I don't usually comment on the debate re. Individual turnout because i dont wish to del with the backlash and it wont achieve anything as people will do what they want to do regardless, but this time I feel compelled to do so.

For all the people that want to keep their horses as 'naturally' as possible and turn them out as a 'herd' bear in mind the following:

'Natually' horses live in a herd but they range over vast areas and have ample room to escape one another when they need to.

In these herds there is an established pecking order that is not influenced or interrupted by horses being fed in close proximity/hanging round gateways waiting to come in/other horses being taken in and out.

In such situations any horse that is weak, unsound, elderly or compromised in any other way is likely to just die (survival of the fittest).

Horses in these herds do not have metal nailed to their hooves allowing even a moderate kick to cause devastating injuries.

Individual turnout does not have to be solitary confinement but it is a sensible precaution given the circumstances that most of our horses live in. If you really want to see horses living naturally then go and observe any of our native ponies in their natural habitat rather than trying to keep domesticated horses in ways that lead to injuries and fatalities all too often - nothing we do with our horses is natural - if you want to own a horse then you have to accept that most of what you will do with it will be unnatural.

One of our responsibilities to our horses is to keep them free from unnecessary suffering - turning them out together, in confined spaces, very often with shoes on is putting them in a situation where they are at risk and do not really have the 'fight or flight' option because we have removed this in our misguided attempt to let them live 'naturally'.

IF, and its a big if, there is huge acreage and no hind shoes then it is workable but in the set up seen in most average livery yards 'herd living' is just a massive risk to horses with miminal benefits to them.

With notable exceptions (young stock being the main one) I keep horses turned out separately or in pairs if unshod. I have had no field injuries other than minor over reach/kicking self whilst hooning. Horses groom over the fences and are all in sight of each other.

This post is in no way critical of OP or the circumstances of the incident under discussion - they could have been out in 30 acres and all unshod for all I know - it is a general comment regarding the number of field accidents/injuries that are posted about on this forum. Horses are fragile and there are already enough problems that may or not end their career/life without taking unnecessary risks.
 
Lulup said:
I have read this thread with gret sadness, as I do with the many posts about horses that have been injured through kicks/fights/general hooning about together - I don't usually comment on the debate re. Individual turnout because i dont wish to del with the backlash and it wont achieve anything as people will do what they want to do regardless, but this time I feel compelled to do so.

For all the people that want to keep their horses as 'naturally' as possible and turn them out as a 'herd' bear in mind the following:

'Natually' horses live in a herd but they range over vast areas and have ample room to escape one another when they need to.

In these herds there is an established pecking order that is not influenced or interrupted by horses being fed in close proximity/hanging round gateways waiting to come in/other horses being taken in and out.

In such situations any horse that is weak, unsound, elderly or compromised in any other way is likely to just die (survival of the fittest).

Horses in these herds do not have metal nailed to their hooves allowing even a moderate kick to cause devastating injuries.

Individual turnout does not have to be solitary confinement but it is a sensible precaution given the circumstances that most of our horses live in. If you really want to see horses living naturally then go and observe any of our native ponies in their natural habitat rather than trying to keep domesticated horses in ways that lead to injuries and fatalities all too often - nothing we do with our horses is natural - if you want to own a horse then you have to accept that most of what you will do with it will be unnatural.

One of our responsibilities to our horses is to keep them free from unnecessary suffering - turning them out together, in confined spaces, very often with shoes on is putting them in a situation where they are at risk and do not really have the 'fight or flight' option because we have removed this in our misguided attempt to let them live 'naturally'.

IF, and its a big if, there is huge acreage and no hind shoes then it is workable but in the set up seen in most average livery yards 'herd living' is just a massive risk to horses with miminal benefits to them.

With notable exceptions (young stock being the main one) I keep horses turned out separately or in pairs if unshod. I have had no field injuries other than minor over reach/kicking self whilst hooning. Horses groom over the fences and are all in sight of each other.

This post is in no way critical of OP or the circumstances of the incident under discussion - they could have been out in 30 acres and all unshod for all I know - it is a general comment regarding the number of field accidents/injuries that are posted about on this forum. Horses are fragile and there are already enough problems that may or not end their career/life without taking unnecessary risks.
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I've always preferred to keep mine in a herd, but I do think you make some very good points about domesticated horses not living naturally anyway.

Where I have mine at present, they are in large herds but in huge fields and no back shoes are allowed. Accidents still happen, and horses have suffered fatal injuries in the past due to hooling around. So with all the precautions taken it still happens.

From a work/life balance, I could never keep mine on their own on a small patch of land so they have to take their chances, but it does concern me when you read what has happened to these horses.
 
Lulup, please. Yes, we all get it isn't the wild. Horses, domesticated ones, are social creatures and do like company.

However, if people choose individual TO then so be it. I understand both sides.

Stupid crap happens with horses all the time. It sucks. Thing is when you're dealing with a loss of horses being horses you don't really want to hear the what if's. I had a filly foal run into a gate and kill herself. There was no panic from the 2 mares and foals. They were all goofing around. Normal and expected. Next thing I here a sickening thud. Yup filly smacked right into it and dead instantly. What if I had special gates to take impaction? But then they could hit post. What if I kept mom and baby in a small safe area on their own so they couldn't run around? Well I wouldn't be raising a very sound horse for the future.

I've had horses injured in and out. I love to see mine being horses and running around. But at the same time you're also thinking, oh please just keep them safe.

I'm sorry for the injured and lost horses. So sad.

Terri
 
Ludoctro said:
Yes dusty our yard does to individual turnout and some use it, me personally I don't like it. I think horses need to interact with each other for their happiness but I do see why people do it. But for me I like my boy in with others, even if it risks him being hurt. He loves his chums, always playing and grooming them. I'd not take that away from him.
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Good for you.

Awful thing to have happened - condolences / sympathies to the owners involved.
 
Well the injuried boy is still in animal hospital they have X-ray all over and can find no fractures which is fab BUT that does not explain why he won't weight bear on front leg and what's going on with back leg, he is alot better in himself though and seems happier, eating etc. as far as I'm aware they keeping him in for another week to try and get to bottom of it as they don't believe he not Injuried by the way he was.

So fingers crossed.

As for Individual TO debate to me it's like the stable v 24 hour TO one, chalk and cheese some for it some totally against. I sit on the herd side so my lad will also be in with other horses, I know of horses including one of my own killed or seriously hurt in field with others but I also know of ones that have done the same on individual TO. I don't think you can take the risk away unless you stable 24/7 but I'd rather shoot my horse myself than stable him 24/7 but that's just me thoughts.

So my laddy will always be out with his chums and I just pray he keeps being watched over like he was on Saturday
 
Hope the injured horse recovers well and so glad your's is ok. I agree with you that I would not be happy with individual turnout but that is easier for me as have my own place and my animals have been together just the two of them for years so yes they do run about and kick out at each other but they have plenty of room to avoid each other to. I do keep the minis separate from the big horses just in case. Please keep us updated on the injured one.
 
In my 20 years of horse keeping, owning 15ish horses and living in various places in NZ I havn't know one horse killed while turned out with other horses. Accidents happen and if you try and bubble wrap for every situation you may as well give up. I have seen a few horses injured / killed competing, in transit etc.

I do think tho when you restrict a horses movement in a box you possibly increase the risk when they are turned out, all the horses I have dealing with are out 24/7
 
Glad to hear the one that is in horsepital is doing a tad better and I hope they get to sort it out for the horse, will they get a second opinion as clearly the horse cant use its shoulder/leg etc?

Re the turn out accidents happen and they are herd animals and any animals are risky when domesticated etc aka riding them too etc etc, etc. But I sincerely hope that the surviving horses are going to be ok and the poor lady that lost her horse but they were being horses and looked after ones at that. Just tragic for all concerned.
 
A little up date

The injured horse has PULLED through :D

They have pretty much xrayed his whole body very carefully and found nothing.

He has also improved dramatically and is coming home this weekend to box rest.

They are at a loss as to why he was so bad and there no injury but who cares now I guess all that matters is he is well

He is walking on all four legs :D

He is one tough cookie xxx
 
SO sorry to hear about this! While I love watching horses galloping about and play fighting (was watching 4 ponies this morning in fact) but I always have a niggle in the back of my mind that something might go wrong.

I can't imagine what it must be like to lose a horse like that :(

Glad injured horse pulled through!

R.I.P horsey
 
Something similar happened years ago to the mare owned by the yard owners mother. Her companion had been away at a clinic for a few weeks and had come home completely better. The owner of the companion turned her out. Her friend was soooo pleased to see her, and they galloped off together up the field kicking their heels. Unfortunately this exuberance was a little over the top and the one horse kicked out at the other horse (in fun) and the other horse swayed out of the way at the last minute and wasn't unable to avoid the fence line and crashed into the fence breaking her leg.

Whilst the yard owners Father and other liveries evacuated the field of all the other horses I had to go and get the yard owners mother and drive her over the field in my car so she could go and say goodbye to her mare before the vet arrived. She had owned her for over 25 years.

It was teribly sad.

This is unrelated but just to tell you:

I've also heard about a young foal and mother with headcollars on in the field, the foal reared in playing and caught its foreleg in its mums headcollar and she, in trying to free herself broke her neck. The foal was PTS with a shattered leg. I hate horses turned out in head collars and I can't bear material ones, leather are much safer.
 
Awful story - although glad to hear the other has pulled through.
I guess the only comfort that can be taken by the owners of the one who didn't make it is at least he went having a dam good time by the sounds of it. Poor boy :-(
 
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