Was loading Thyme today for the start of my mini-holiday with the girls. She was a bit reluctant to load - hasn't travelled much. I opened the jockey door so she wasn't walking into such a dark space. She walked on ok after that. The front bar was up. She put her head down and got it stuck under the bar. She then lurched forward in a panic. I instantly saw she was going under the bar - and out of the jockey door. All 16hh of her! My 3 children were stood outside the door looking in. I myself was trapped in the way. I screamed at the kids to get out of the way as there was going to be no stopping 600kg of scared horse.
She threw herself through the little door and stopped a short way away. My children were sobbing because I had scared them yelling so loud. But I had to make it clear that I was not kidding about the need to get away from the door.
How Thyme avoided seriously hurting me, them or herself I will never know.
Incidentally, she loaded again after that. Which I thought was pretty astonishing. I thought I was facing weeks of loading rehab!
So am I a total numpty for leaving a visible 'escape' route when loading? Or is this just one of those weird freak things that I couldn't have predicted. Feeling like such an idiot and feeling so guilty about all the 'might have beens'..... oop:
She threw herself through the little door and stopped a short way away. My children were sobbing because I had scared them yelling so loud. But I had to make it clear that I was not kidding about the need to get away from the door.
How Thyme avoided seriously hurting me, them or herself I will never know.
Incidentally, she loaded again after that. Which I thought was pretty astonishing. I thought I was facing weeks of loading rehab!
So am I a total numpty for leaving a visible 'escape' route when loading? Or is this just one of those weird freak things that I couldn't have predicted. Feeling like such an idiot and feeling so guilty about all the 'might have beens'..... oop: