Happy Valentine's Day! You Call This Love? PIC

[pasofantasy]

Although I haven't been reading this forum, I thought, that I should post this. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words and I think, that this might be one of them. Often people don't want to think, that their sweet horse can hurt them. I try to tell people, that there's always that chance, since it is a large flight animal. Well, look what happened to me from over the gate!

I had been with one of my horses, fixing the fence. He was doing other things until I left; then he came to the gate for attention. I was petting him over the gate when he jumped. I don't know why. I had a poncho on, but I shake it over his body, so that it won't bother him. Later, a sudden wind came up, so possible that happened. We had some nasty storms the night before this happened.

This is a horse, that I've left beginners ride. The farrier couldn't believe, that he was the one to do this to me. A friend, who knows my horses well, wanted to know which one, but he was surprised to learn who. Someone at the show told me, that I had to do something wrong, because he wouldn't do that.

The cheekbone was very swollen. For once, I really had a bag under my eye. The wound over the eye is an implosion. Basically the impact caused the skin to explode. Of course, it was swollen, too. There was a knot on the back side of my head on the opposite side where a ligament was injured.

I've shown children, so that they know, that they have to obey adults around horses. This is to show proof of what can happen even with our sweet horses. Something can still happen, but hopefully people will be careful, so that there's less chance. This was just meant for information. There's no need to respond unless you feel the need to discuss it amongst yourselves.

LORI, I got this picture, so that you could see how I went out the other day. :lol:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v348/pasofantasy/Web250021406001.jpg

[Pasogirlz]

Thanks for the reminder Cyndy. You are so right. We always need to be careful. I have had a broken jaw in the past myself. :shock:

[Heidi]

Wow! You are so right about being careful around these large animals. They may not WANT to hurt us, but because of their mass, sometimes they do without meaning to.

I have to say I've been very lucky around the horses. I've been kicked twice...both times when I was a pre-teen.
A pony kicked me away from her pile of grain, I was very close to her so it was more of a 'push' than a proper 'kick'...but if she'd had the room I know she'd have kicked.
The other time was a friend's mare. She asked me to check her back leg and when I went to move her tail, she fired one at me and got me in the calf and sent me flying! I had a huge purple bruise from that one and was lucky I didn't break my leg.

I haven't had one spook and hurt me...but after your experience I'll be more aware because it CAN happen!
Heidi

[Pam M]

You bet it can happen! My very docile 25 y.o. recently swung his head, hit mine, and nearly took me out. My neighbor's 28 y.o. did the same thing to her - she ended up with a broken nose. One of my horses was kicking at another animal and got me in the process. My fault...I'm not even sure she knew I was there! I was scratching on another while he was lying down. He rolled over on top of my foot and I was stuck! There's so many little ways that you never even think of.

Here's some of our new barn rules - one day I'll have a sign made:
-Always know where they are when you're crossing the pasture (so the babies don't plow you down when they're playing chase!).
-Learn to duck (and avoid swinging heads).
-Perfect your stop, drop and roll.
-Don't let the cat jump on the horse when you're in the stall (trust me on this one!).
-Don't try to lead 3 horses from stall to pasture, at the same time, with just lead ropes around their necks (yep, trust me on this one also!).
-Don't bump them in the rear with the wheelbarrow when they won't move - try vocal cues first.
-If you feed them enough off the ATV, they'll learn to chase the ATV. This is not a good thing.
-Don't use them as a leaning post when the fireworks first go off.
-And don't ever, ever, ever try to go get the mail, bareback, using a dog leash as a makeshift bosal, when you have the flu and feel too sick to drive.

Oh, and don't forget - when you get a broken arm - they can't put a cast on until the swelling goes down, so save yourself a trip to the emergency room, ice the arm and wait 2-3 days.

[Minouri]

Wow! Now there is some real life advice....lol

Really? For a broken arm you wait?

[CarolU]

Ouch Cyndy...my head hurts in empathy for you! I hope you feel better soon. Thanks for posting this...and yes, it is amazing how quickly we can be hurt.

But, in defense of horses, many of my worst injuries have all been done to myself by myself, with no help from 4-footed friends. I fell down the stairs and broke my tailbone (sorry, no pictures ;-) ), rode my bike into a mailbox that was minding its own business and collapsed my windpipe and put a stitchable hole in my head, tripped carrying a spring horse downstairs and put another needing-stitches gash in my head, tripped going up stairs and needed stitches in my knee. Come to think of it, stairs are dangerous creatures!!!!

I should add to Pam's list...

Never whip your horse over the head for any reason.

Never undo the front cinch first.

Never leave your foot in the gate after opening it.

Never train a horse to shake its head yes or no.

Never train a Lab to shake hands.

I could go on, but I need a cup of coffee.

Cyndy, I do hope you feel better soon. I would watch for signs of depression. That is a common symptom following internal head injuries.

[Pam M]

Minouri, I know it's probably bad medical advice to say wait but we've been through 6 broken/cracked arms in this household - not all by horses! - and we know the drill now. But you have to be sure it's just a fracture and not a bad break. The last couple we've had, we just ice it, put on a sling, take Alleve and go to the Dr. 2-3 days later.

[cowboy ed]

put a sign on your horse's head that says, "if you can read this, you are too close!" :lol:

[motorgypsy]

and butt C Ed!!!

I confess - I got kicked the other day for the first time in my 50 year life with horses. I was so embarrassed I didn't even tell anyone but Kyle who heard me yell. It was totally my fault.

We tied everyone for feeding (7 mares in a pasture) and we tie in order of dominance so noone who is tied gets picked on by one above them. Everyone was tied but Kalua decided that Lula was too close, she was very hungry and she doing her threat one foot kick to warn Lula off. Now they couldn't reach each other where they were tied. It was just an "I've extremely hungry so don't go near my space thing". I had a huge yellow rain slicker on because it was cold and very rainy plus I had on long johns and a big sweat suit and a thick parka under the slicker. I bent over to get another scoop of grain to take to a different horse and didn't notice I was too close to Kalua. She nailed me on the upper leg right at the hip level and the blow actually paralyzed me it was so hard. I yelled but just couldn't move from the pain and impact. Now she couldn't see anything but the big slicker because I was bent over in a postion that blocked everything from her view. When I stood up and yelled she got the most perplexed and then embarrassed look on her face. This mare never threatens humans. She is sweet and very cooperative and likes people but she was really hungry and was telling her sister to back off and got me instead. Her look said "UH OHHHH - I'VE DONE IT NOW - I KICKED THE MAMA. OOOOOH AM I GONNA GET IT." Well I couldn't move and Kyle was too far away so all she got was yelled at but she got the point before I said anything other than AHHHHHHHOOOOWWWWWW.

Well - we finished with the horses and went back to the house, five minutes away and put DMSO gel on it, seran wrap and a bag of frozen collard greens. I kept the ice on all evening and amazingly enough the huge blow healed in record time and left just a very small lump in the center of it that was not painful. We've had fantastic luck with this combination but the DMSO will blister the skin and make it itch and you just don't scratch it and it will be fine.

When I had a horrendous blow to the face when I met the edge of the horse trailer at high speed (it actually dented my cheek bone permanently) I did the same thing. It was starting to involve my eye and really scared me so I said what the heck - it shouldn't hurt and might help and slaped the DMSO on the cheek bone, the seran wrap and the ice and kept it on there. Boy did it sting. I know why the horses don't like it - but the combination was amazing. The swelling went down and stayed down and all I had was a very minimal black eye. Of course ice is miraculous by itself but if they IV DMSO in horses I figured it wouldn't hurt and it seemed to make a huge difference in both really bad blows' healing time. (Any personal stories are never a recommendation to try anything we've done - see your doctor) I haven't used DMSO on any open wound though. When I chain sawed my knee into the joint I cleaned it out with contact lens normal saline - a quart of the stuff - and covered it with seran wrap to keep it sterile and iced it.

You can bet the first thing I did the next day was move Lula around the corner so Kalua wouldn't feel like she was going to steal her food. So Kalua doesn't kick out at her or anyone now.

DUMB DUMB DUMB!!!!

[PASOFAN]

WOW, that is one heck of a shiner PasoF! I hope you heal soon..

I have had my fun too w/horses. This pic is from my 3yr old storm, was thrown pretty good but I tried to hang on and stay in the saddle and this is what the horn did to my arm..
http://www.2hottotrot.com/data/500/BRUISED_ARM_05.jpg

I have never been kicked (thank my lucky stars), but have come close, and it is a funny thing really. When I pick out chico's hooves and some of the dirt flys out under his belly, he takes his back leg and kicks up under himself, standing on two feet! I am very careful now and watch for it, I have tried to tell him no, but hey I would wanna itch too if I was itchy..

Chico has tired to barrel kick at me, when he is testing the dominace levels, I am alwasy just outta reach. I HATE that, and boy do I get after him for it...

I have only bit the dust a handful of times, but never kicked.

There are some great tips there Pam and Carol!

[Jane Hurl]

The first time one of my guys kicks me, or even kicks AT me, HEADS ARE GONNA ROLL! :mad:

I've not ever had that problem, but I do have a problem with a REALLY dominant mare that scares the bejabbers out of everybody else. It is not safe to walk in their field when she's running free because a horse might be standing beside me getting a scritch scratch and she'll come up from the other side, head snaking, and that horse will plow right into me (or you or David or anybody) simply in an effort to get away from the witch. I hate that. I don't mind her being dominant, but doing THAT really ticks me off. Hard to like a horse like that.

[Pam M]

I frequently carry a riding crop with me in the pasture - and I use it!

There's one very aggressive gelding here and he's great with humans for the most part but he'll run another horse into you. My horses now know if they hit me, they get hit back so they usually try to avoid running into me. To be honest, I would prefer that they injure themselves instead of me. Most of the horses here try very hard not to hit me now.

I've had some pretty disrespectful horses and I'm not a big person so I learned the hard way. I used to be all about being nice to my horses but it got too painful!

[Brigitte]

OUCH!!! I've been hit/hurt I think almost everywhere, in my chest when a horse reared up in front of me, my face when Mar lifted his hoof while I was putting a hoof thing on it ( never sit next to a horse :roll: ), trampled, and of course thrown, kicked, bitten and fallen on. That's life with horses for ya!