Sad, sad, story...

[CAM]

Here is the link...

Horse Accident

The town of Sisters is here in Central Oregon but the accident happened near Portland, Oregon about 3 hours away. Such a sad, sad, ending. :no:

 

[nootka]

Oh that is indeed so sad.

Was the horse not tied as well? I guess I didn't note that part of the story. What a tragedy.

Liz

 

[Candleliteranch]

OMG! That just made my stomach churn reading it! What a nightmare! :no:

 

[Jill]

I cannot stand to read it right now, but I am thankful it was not one of your horses! I know we were discussing trailering horses yesterday on here and wether or not to tie... I was really surprised how many horse people do not tie and many of them are people whom I know to respect their knowledge. Just the same, my horses will continue to travel tied.

 

[kaykay]

this happened to soemoen i know about a year ago. their horse came off the trailer going down the highway. Someoen forgot to lock the trailer door. Their horse lived!

 

[LaraP]

What a thing to wake up.. I wish I would have waited to read that.. If I were that lady I would have lost it.. and noway would have gone on with the trip.. That is just horrible.. David double checks the lock on the trailer. and will DON't tie our horses if we don't need to.. Maybe we should start rethinking that decision

Lara

 

[Ashley]

I had this happen to my gelding. It was probably about 5 years ago now. Somehow the door came open and he either fell or jumped out. He lived and is still around to this day.

He did have sever road rash, his back was out and some chunks of skin/flesh missing. It was on the freeway doing about 65. Thankfully the people were very supportive. One guy stoped traffic, another followed along side of him so he wouldnt go to the other side of the road. By the time he was caught and we were going to go and thank the people for helping, everybody was gone.

However I do thank them almost daily when I see my boy. If it werent for there help he might not of lived.

 

[REO]

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[Sunny]

OMG, that's horrible! Thank God no other vehicles were involved. Can you imagine if there had been a car or truck following closely and this happened........ It could have been so much worse.

I personally think travelling with a horse untied is just plain stupid! And this type of incident just emphasizes that.

 

[Vicky Texas]

Such a very sad story. I don't understand, if the horse was kicking that bad,

and it had to be, as it was a big horse, not mini, why did the driver take so long

to stop?? For the horse to bow the door open, it had to be kicking hard? How sad

for the horse and it's owner who was not with them.

Vicky

 

[Ashley]

I personally think travelling with a horse untied is just plain stupid! And this type of incident just emphasizes that.

I think that is very judgemental.

I very seldom tie my horses. In fact there is a couple on our farm I would not tie as it would me safer for them to be untied.

I am assumeing this is a slant load trailer. Had this big horse been tied he still could of fell out but instead, would of been drug along behind the trailer because he couldnt of gotten lose.

Just because one person does something differently then you doesnt make it stupid. Accidents happen, and unfortuantly this one had a bad out come.

 

[Mona]

I personally think travelling with a horse untied is just plain stupid! And this type of incident just emphasizes that.

Well, personally, I feel the results could have been just as bad if not worse IF he had been tied. If he had been tied and this same scenario had happened, he would likely have gotten only part way out of the trailer, held back by his rope, and his rear end dragging on the asphalt going down the highway at 60mph or more, would have been even worse! That dragging would have tore his hide, flesh and probably even ground his bones down to nothing. It also would have been quite gruesome to have the owner stop and see only half of his horse tied in the trailer, with the other half ground into the asphalt for miles trailing down the highway. :no:

Examination of the trailer indicates the horse was kicking at the locked rear door when it apparently bowed to the point that it opened and the horse fell out.

 

[Equuisize]

Oh how horrible.

There has been two such accidents in the neighborhood by the barn.

Both were in slant loads with multiple horses on board.

One lived with much much veterinary care and other finally had to

be put down after developing a serious bone infection.....

Makes me so sad to remember it.

I don't have a slant load trailer but a two horse straight that converts

to a one horse slant....... Doors shut like a traditional straight load

though.

Is it a common problem for slants to have their doors pop open???

Seems manufacturers would do some modification on that type of a latch.

Maybe a pin that would go thru after the latch is slid into place or maybe two

set of latches?

I've knew the two horses I mentioned above but have heard or read of others

having this same thing happen in slant loads......

I feel so bad for those folks, they must be devastated.

 

[Sun Runner Stables]

What I really have trouble with is the fact that the horse was able to kick out the door, aren't those doors designed for that, and I agree with an earlier post as well, if a horse is kicking That Bad, you can Feel it all though your rig, (Drives me Nuts when I have a kicker!)

I always tie as well, always have always will, only exception is mare and foal, in which case, mare's tied, foals free. JMO.

What a tragedy .... :no:

 

[Sunny]

MAYBE, if the horse had been tied PROPERLY, it wouldn't have been able to reach the back door in the first place and would have been kicking at the side wall (if it was a slant load) instead of the back door..... No way should a horse be tied so long that it can fall out and be "drug" along even if it does kick out the door.

 

[CAM]

My guess is it happened so fast that by the time the driver, in an RV, realized the commotion in the horse trailer and was able to safely pull over, it was too late. Very unfortunate for sure. I for one, tie some and don't tie others for particular reasons and in different situations. Each situation is unique and there are occasions where not tying is safer for the horse. My preference however, is to tie if the situation warrants it.

 

[minisaremighty]

Just plain awful. For everyone involved. :no:

 

[Gini]

IMHO I don't think there is really any right or wrong way to transport a horse. It is what you and

your horses are comfortable with. My mini's, I will say are not tied and this is just my way. When we haul the large mules they are always tied!! I do however have a camera in the trailer I can watch them

with in case there are any problems...

I just feel very sorry for the horse and owner that this happened.

 

[Nancy G]

Sad, sad, sad. There is always a lot of "what if`s, maybe if and could have done this or that`s" when this type of thing happens. I know of a horse that fell down while tied, somehow twisted her neck and died. Another I knew of another that had reared up or something & had it`s leg caught where he was tied - that horse ended up being ok though. Things happen, no matter how careful we try to be. It is a SAD ACCIDENT. I will not tie a horse, unless they are behaving badly.

 

[Minimor]

On another board the info given was that the trailer was being towed by a motorhome; the driver did feel the commotion in the trailer & was in the process of slowing down/pulling over (not something you can do in 5 seconds on some freeways?) when a vehicle pulled up beside her & was motioning frantically toward the rear of the trailer.

I know of two other horses that have kicked their way out of a trailer--one was a 2 horse the other a stock trailer, both back in the days when trailers were made of steel & I'd have thought were too solid to get kicked open. Some of the horror stories I've heard about rivets giving way & ramps/doors bowing out on some of the aluminum trailers....when the horses weren't kicking...one girl puts 4 horses in her 6 horse head to head & the frame twists & the back door gives way...

I currently tow a steel two horse trailer with rear ramp. which I don't believe would give way/come open no matter what a horse might do inside & that's the way I like them....but in any case my horses usually ride loose in the trailer & no, I don't consider it stupid at all.

If you think a horse properly tied can't come part way out the back of the trailer I can only say you would be surprised. I've seen someone open the back end of the trailer while their horse was still tied (not tied too long either) and the horse flew back & did come part way out of the trailer--butt bar was down, but I've also had someone tell me their horse did the same thing with the butt bar still up. The horse got scrambling, sat down, and came right under the bar. What is correct tie length for a horse standing up square in proper position in the trailer stall becomes amazingly long-tied once that horse flies back & stretches his head & neck out as far as he can stretch both!

Some slant load trailers are IMO poorly designed because the back stall does not have a divider between the horse & the back door. There is that little tack compartment in the left hand corner, and the horse has that long his left side to about his girth, then he has just empty space between his hindquarters & the door. That does give him extra room to turn a bit & kick the door itself if he were so inclined. I've looked at friends' trailers made that way & thought that I didn't especially like that--I'd want that extra divider in there.