Scary hack - Tweenie fell over on the road!

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Patches

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Never had such a moment of horror when riding! Every one's worst nightmare.

Out hacking this morning, me on Patches and Hannah on Tweenie. Lovely morning. Cold (about 4 degrees) and we hadn't had a ground frost overnight. Beautifully sunny. Glorious for the time of year.

Enjoying a lovely hack when Patches suddenly shoots forwards a few strides. As I was leading, I turned around to check Hannah and Tweenie were ok. Imagine my horror to turn around and see Tweenie lying on her side on the floor and Hannah standing over her putting reins over head and picking the stirrup and leather up, that had pinged off the bar and landed on the road!!!

Quickly turned around, Tweenie jumped up and walked towards me fine and dandy. Not a mark on her legs. She had a mark on her quarters where she went down, but it was more a dirty, wet mark than anything else.

Hannah then informed me that she couldn't stand up (Hannah that is) as the road was just a sheet of black ice! Don't understand how Patches hadn't slipped as her shoes are worn paper thin.....farrier due on Wednesday. Tweenie's back legs were what slipped and she's only shod in front too.

Trying to work out if Patches shot off as Tweenie fell, or whether Patches shooting off at something caused Tweenie to slip as she just happened to be on that patch of ice. Don't suppose we'll ever know.

Tweenie is trotting up sound and is out in the field having a stretch. Hannah is completely un-perturbed and wasn't hurt in the fall.....although Tweenie Beanie did step on her foot as Hannah slipped on the ice when leading her. Expecting Tweenie to be stiff later or in the morning, but thankfully there are no wounds to be concerned about.

Never want to feel that split second of terror again.
 
How awful, Ive been cuaght out on black ice before myself and its not nice, but of course a hundred times worse when you turn around to find your child and pony on the floor ((hugs)).The main thing is though they are both ok.
 
Oh god that's awful
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am so glad Hannah and Tweenie are ok. Perhaps Patches shot forward if she felt the ice?
 
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Oh god that's awful
shocked.gif
am so glad Hannah and Tweenie are ok. Perhaps Patches shot forward if she felt the ice?

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We weren't on the "wet patch" then. She often shoot forward there as there is a cattery and cats leap at the wire mesh on their runs as you walk past.

Can't decide if she shot forwards as Tweenie slipped or whether her shooting forwards caused Tweenie to slip as she was crossing the ice.

No idea but I'm surprised her unshod feet slipped. My head tells me the metal shoes should have less grip.
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Blimey - what a scare for you. Glad to hear that both Hannah and Tweenie are OK though.

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Thanks.

I am actually incredibly proud of how Hannah handled it. She didn't panic, cry or suffer shock. She just hopped off as she went down, got reins over her head to stop her getting caught in them as she tried to get up. She even gave her the once over when she was on her feet and calmly announced she was going to lead her home and that she would be ok.

Very impressed.
 
how very odd! would be tempted to think that Patches shot forward as she heard Tweenie slip though, as when you turned round she was still on the floor?
mm I would have thought metal shoes would have less grip than unshod ones too.
 
Crikey..how scary
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Falling horses is my worst fear..its how I broke my ankle years ago and it is my only real fear when riding!!

A couple of weeks ago, daughter was having her lesson in the indoor school and her horse was being a bit lazy and daughter was half asleep. They were trotting round when suddenly her little horse tripped but instead of finding his feet he just continued forward..his front legs went from under him and he rolled forwards and over to the side in slow motion. Daughter kind of just fell off to the side. Horse got back up, daughter got back on and they were on their way again.. but with a bit more implusion this time...there was definitely a moment where all went quiet..tis very scary..I sympathise
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Happend to me last March on a raod - no ice, horse's legs just crossed behind him and he went down on his side with an almighty crack. He came off better than I did as i broke my collar bone! Fortunately he seemed unhurt although i did book him for a session of physio shortly after just to be sure!

makes me very wary on road surfaces now though
 
Wow, wish I had Hannnah's common sense!! Think I would have sat down and cried!!!! Very lucky that everyone is ok
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I would expect that maybe Patches went forward when hannah's stirrup clanked on the road? Especially as Hannah was already up by then, suppose you'll never know though.
 
Glad they are both ok, I have had this happen to me once but luckily Breeze did a bambi impression but stayed up - I jumped off to help and ended up on my backside and had to crawl to the grass at the side of the road before I could get back on my feet.

Was horrible at the time but Breeze didn't seem that worried - just slithered a few feet then stood waiting for me to catch up with her.

Having had a horse fall with me it can be very scarey but one time it happened so fast that I didn't even have time to think so no time to be frightened - hope this is what happened for Hannah.
 
Must admit to a few nasties in my many years of hacking so I always put Jefferies leather and felt knee pads on the fronts in case they go down and have the farrier put in road nails on the back. Also rolled toes on the front as both mine are getting on in years.
 
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Must admit to a few nasties in my many years of hacking so I always put Jefferies leather and felt knee pads on the fronts in case they go down and have the farrier put in road nails on the back. Also rolled toes on the front as both mine are getting on in years.

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Tweenie's only shod in front and has never slipped before so doesn't even have road nails in....unlike my mare Patches. Patches has two road nails riveted into holes made at the back of all four shoes. They are never knocked into her foot as a clench.

She also has leather knee boots.
 
Happened to me on the first hack i ever went on. Nothing really caused it, horses legs just gave way underneath her! One minute we were walking the next she was laid on the floor as if she was laid in her stable or in the field! I didn't even lose my stirrups! She was fine though, just had grazed knees! really odd feeling though!

Sounds like Hannah handled it really well! Hope Tweenie isn't too stiff later! xx
 
These situations are never ever nice, and it's even worse when it is your child and pony who lose control. I do think the riding out in icy/wintery conditions are far worse in England though, because you just don't expect it to be there under you, or if you do then often you can't see it.

Over here it is quite simple. If you ride out, you WILL be on ice pretty much all of the time. Our horses walk with teeny tiny steps and are exceedingly careful - they seem to learn this as foals, because they are at risk from slipping over all of the time, even out in the fields which are totally frozen for months on end.

I'm pleased no-one was injured and that Tweenie is no worse off for her fall.
 
Yes, I think that is the problem Tia.

There was no frost overnight, so I believed it to be safe to ride out. No idea how there came to be a patch of ice on that bit of road.

Thankfully they're both ok, but it has made me think twice about riding earlier in a morning at this time of year.
 
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