I have had two horses in the past get injured from slipping on the ice. I was new in this State and not used to knowing about horses + ice+ snow beings from Florida. After all, you see plenty of TV commercials with people are riding and galloping through the snow, right?
So I learned my lesson well.
Two days ago the snow was melting enough where you could see the ground through what was left of the snow. No ice in sight and the temps were in the high 30's so I let my horses out for a good run. Mistake. One of the minis slipped on a left over patch of ice behind the barn that I didn't spot in time and another one who followed behind did also. They were ok and didn't fall or anything but that was a broken leg or a stifle wreck looking for a place to happen so that was my cue to get everyone back inside which I did.
Sonny my big quarter horse didn't want to go out in the first place. I practically had to drag him out. He has a great sense of self preservation and that white stuff on the ground doesn't appeal to him. He would live in a stall 24-7 if I let him. I forced him out thinking he needed to exercise and get his old bones moving about. So it was time to get Sonny in. He comes in last. I called him and he came trotting to me and then picked up that slow lope of his and then went into a full gallop. I got out of his way in a hurry and as I opened the gate really wide I slipped on another patch of ice that I didn't notice was even there when I put him out. As Sonny came storming in there was no way to stop him it happened so fast as he went through the gateway, he skidded on the ice and went down and fell on his side hitting hard. Half of his body was outside the gate and the other half was inside. His back leg went through the cattle panel there up above his hock and his foot and ankle through another square and his body all stretched out. He lifted his head struggling to get up and I held it down talking to him for fear he would bring down the entire panel and tear his leg off at the same time. It was a miracle that he managed to calm himself and as he got up, his legs somehow slipped out of that cattle panel without one scratch on it. I only had to help guide his other hoof through for him which was still hung up. I have said before those panels are no good because in a case like this, there is no give to those squares like there is in field fencing where you could move them with your bare hands if you had to. If I had to leave him alone and run for bolt cutters this could have gone south in a hurry. He was also wearing his winter blanket which kept him from tearing up his body on the ground.
Sonny got to his feet on his own, very shaken but picked up his slow jog and went right into the barn without a hitch in his step. He stuck his head in his feeder and proceed to eat his dinner while I went over him with a fine tooth comb. Again, not a scratch to be found but I knew he would be sore for a couple of days. He turned to me with a mouth full of food as if to ask "What the heck just happened to me out there".....I tell you I was shaking myself for a good 45 minutes and drank about 3 cups of hot tea when I came in.
Everyone here lets their horses out to play in the snow right? Ok I don't know how you do it but these little left over patches of ice that are left overs are near impossible to see without going over every last inch of ground.
My big old man is sore today as I expected but it looks like I'm going to end up having to hand walk a lot of horses till winter is over. I'd rather do that and clean stalls ten times a day than ever see a horse fall on the ice again.
This has been a public service announcement.
So I learned my lesson well.
Two days ago the snow was melting enough where you could see the ground through what was left of the snow. No ice in sight and the temps were in the high 30's so I let my horses out for a good run. Mistake. One of the minis slipped on a left over patch of ice behind the barn that I didn't spot in time and another one who followed behind did also. They were ok and didn't fall or anything but that was a broken leg or a stifle wreck looking for a place to happen so that was my cue to get everyone back inside which I did.
Sonny my big quarter horse didn't want to go out in the first place. I practically had to drag him out. He has a great sense of self preservation and that white stuff on the ground doesn't appeal to him. He would live in a stall 24-7 if I let him. I forced him out thinking he needed to exercise and get his old bones moving about. So it was time to get Sonny in. He comes in last. I called him and he came trotting to me and then picked up that slow lope of his and then went into a full gallop. I got out of his way in a hurry and as I opened the gate really wide I slipped on another patch of ice that I didn't notice was even there when I put him out. As Sonny came storming in there was no way to stop him it happened so fast as he went through the gateway, he skidded on the ice and went down and fell on his side hitting hard. Half of his body was outside the gate and the other half was inside. His back leg went through the cattle panel there up above his hock and his foot and ankle through another square and his body all stretched out. He lifted his head struggling to get up and I held it down talking to him for fear he would bring down the entire panel and tear his leg off at the same time. It was a miracle that he managed to calm himself and as he got up, his legs somehow slipped out of that cattle panel without one scratch on it. I only had to help guide his other hoof through for him which was still hung up. I have said before those panels are no good because in a case like this, there is no give to those squares like there is in field fencing where you could move them with your bare hands if you had to. If I had to leave him alone and run for bolt cutters this could have gone south in a hurry. He was also wearing his winter blanket which kept him from tearing up his body on the ground.
Sonny got to his feet on his own, very shaken but picked up his slow jog and went right into the barn without a hitch in his step. He stuck his head in his feeder and proceed to eat his dinner while I went over him with a fine tooth comb. Again, not a scratch to be found but I knew he would be sore for a couple of days. He turned to me with a mouth full of food as if to ask "What the heck just happened to me out there".....I tell you I was shaking myself for a good 45 minutes and drank about 3 cups of hot tea when I came in.
Everyone here lets their horses out to play in the snow right? Ok I don't know how you do it but these little left over patches of ice that are left overs are near impossible to see without going over every last inch of ground.
My big old man is sore today as I expected but it looks like I'm going to end up having to hand walk a lot of horses till winter is over. I'd rather do that and clean stalls ten times a day than ever see a horse fall on the ice again.
This has been a public service announcement.