Posted 2005-08-30 9:35 PM (#29811) Subject: Crazy things that Can happen to a horse
Regular
Posts: 56 Location: va
I have had horses for 40 years, but I am constantly amazed at the ways they can find to get in trouble
I had put a new leather halter on a Clyde X TB mare that can be hard to catch. It had an adjustable noseband and was a little big on her. It had 4 inches of strap past the buckle hanging out. I guess she either stepped on it or one of the other horses was pulling on it and it pulled so tight on her that she could barely breathe. There was no way she could eat or drink , I mean this thing was pulled tight , where it was nearly cutting into her skin. The four inches had become a foot and a half long the buckle had come un latched and was not holding pressure, but the leather keepers on the strap were keeping the tension on it. The neighbor called and told me that one of the horses had a lead shank hooked on its halter, that is what it looked like from a distance. I went right over to the field, I think she could have died from stress it was that tight. I had to really work to get it loosened up and would have just cut it but the mare was in such agony that I was afraid I might cut her intead, with all the head tossing and frantic reactions. It has taken over a week to get the swelling out.
Posted 2005-08-31 7:48 AM (#29815 - in reply to #29811) Subject: RE: Crazy things that Can happen to a horse
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 565 Location: Michigan
Exactly why I don't leave halters on my horses. I have a pony that is hard to catch when he is out in his paddock but I still would never leave a halter on him. Live and learn.
Posted 2005-08-31 8:16 AM (#29819 - in reply to #29811) Subject: RE: Crazy things that Can happen to a horse
Member
Posts: 14
Location: Iowa
I have never heard anything but bad things that have happened to horses with halters left on them. I actually had a friend that lost one of her horses because of its halter getting caught on a fence post. It strangled itself trying to get free. Most of the halters now days are so strong that they will not break when caught. I would never dream of leaving a halter on a horse. I even take them off when I put them out in the paddocks to play while I chore. It just doesn't take that long for something horrible to happen. If you have to set a catch pen to catch this horse, but please don't leave the halter on, next time you might not be so lucky.
Posted 2005-08-31 12:47 PM (#29826 - in reply to #29811) Subject: RE: Crazy things that Can happen to a horse
Member
Posts: 5
Location: southeast
In almost all circumstances a halter on a horse in a pasture provides an avenue for trouble. They are wonderful animals but, will find new and interesting ways to get into mischief. We have a TWH that did not like to be caught straight away - he liked to play catch - eventually, stopping for the halter and lead. Well, I started bringing a treat and offer it after putting his halter on and suddenly it occurred to him that this running around business wasn't near as much fun as getting a treat. Now, he comes the moment I go into the pasture - no problems. Try that method - just don't leave her in the pasture with a halter on.
Posted 2005-08-31 1:33 PM (#29829 - in reply to #29811) Subject: RE: Crazy things that Can happen to a horse
One of my last clients(by this time next year I'll be an ammy again)left the hater on her gelding and he nearly died. He crawled into a boat trailer(empty) in the pasture and somehow got his halter hooked while grazing under it. He drug the boat trailer across the pasture and nearly cut his tendons all the way through. My first question was, why was he outside? Then, why did he have his halter on? Lastly, why was an empty boat trailer in the $%^'ing pasture? No matter how smart they look they are only 2 years old inside that timy little brain. Childproof EVERYTHING!
Posted 2005-08-31 1:35 PM (#29830 - in reply to #29811) Subject: RE: Crazy things that Can happen to a horse
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
One of my last clients(by this time next year I'll be an ammy again)left the hater on her gelding and he nearly died. He crawled into a boat trailer(empty) in the pasture and somehow got his halter hooked while grazing under it. He drug the boat trailer across the pasture and nearly cut his tendons all the way through. My first question was, why was he outside? Then, why did he have his halter on? Lastly, why was an empty boat trailer in the $%^'ing pasture? No matter how smart they look they are only 2 years old inside that timy little brain. Childproof EVERYTHING!
Posted 2005-08-31 6:53 PM (#29850 - in reply to #29811) Subject: RE: Crazy things that Can happen to a horse
Member
Posts: 20
Location: Tujunga, CA
These types of things can happen even when not turned out. My mare got her self in trouble with her halter while tied up. She was tied to a chest high tie rail that had horse shoes welded on the back side that you could use to keep them from sliding the rope down the rail. I had walked into the tack room to get something and after a couple minutes heard a commotion outside so went to look. I found my horse with her head stuck to the tie rail. She had reached over to investigate what she thought might be something edible on the ground on the other side of the tie rail. When she picked her head back up the throat strap on the halter came up under the horse shoe welded on the rail. Since it was on the throat part I couldn't pull the buckle up far enough to release it and her throat was right at the rail so I couldn't push her head down to drop it off the horseshoe. She stood very quietly while I tried to release her but when I realized there was no fix I went to get the caretaker and a knife to cut the halter off. I guess she tought I was leaving her there because she started to struggle really hard again and luckily broke the halter and not her neck. This was not a breakaway halter with any soft spots, it was a very solid nylon halter. Luckily the stitches in the throat latch gave way. After that all halters I buy have a buckle/clasp at the throat strap as well. It is amazing was just a fraction of an inch can prevent you from doing. I couldn't believe there was no way to either move her head down or the halter up enough to release it. She had picked the exact perfect spot to catch it on.
Posted 2005-09-01 11:15 AM (#29870 - in reply to #29811) Subject: RE: Crazy things that Can happen to a horse
Expert
Posts: 1391 Location: North of Detroit, MI
In the first situation, the adjustable chin strap caused the problem - but with an adjustable chin strap, sometimes you can unbuckle THAT, slide the jaw strap off and get some relief in that manner when the horse has caught another part of the halter.
BUT - I prefer to leave halters off. I also prefer leather halters over nylon or web.
I know some horses are hard to catch, but rewarding them with a treat when you put the halter on goes a long way towards helping and you don't have to do it for the rest of their lives - once they are good about haltering, just do it once in a while. AND... when you halter and treat, pet the horse for a few minutes and release once in a while so that they don't think HALTER = WORK.
Crazy things that Can happen to a horse
