Need to share a painful (pyshically) story

OwnedbyChanter

OwnedbyChanter

With out my boys life would be bland
Apr 16, 2009
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Raininghamshire
I have just re-subcribed after around a month away and found I missed ths site more than I throught. Any way in the intrim I have a rather nasty accident and needed to share for two reasons:

1) in the hope some one will learn from my stupidity.
2) In the hope that someone will read this and understand the fear that I now have.

I was feeding my horse in his field with his field mate my boy is not the alpha and gets a little picked on but nothing massive to worry about. I was stood (and this is the learning curve) in the corner of my field stroking my lads face and chatting to my mate when her horse didn't like my lad getting the fuss he tried to warm my boy how kick back but stayed out. The other horse lunged for my boy who had know were to run as we were in the corner!!

He knocked my forward and trampled me in his haste to get away. I was very luck very very lucky. He landed one hoof on my shoulder the other on my ankle 500 kgs of tbx it hurt like hell. As I said I was luck just a fractured humorous and lots of brusies. No driving, riding, poo picking, cleaning or stroking my boy.

The second part. I am now scared. I have got better in the field and can lead in and out but only if he is calm. They played up a bit tonight and the fear came back along with the flashbacks.

Will this pass I love my boy and trust him but I am truely scared now with fire works night coming he will be even more jumpy I need to get past this.

Big glass of wine or choc for anyone who reads this.
 
I'm glad you're ok and it wasnt any worse!

As for the nerves, maybe you should consider getting professional help? I'm really not an expert though and I suspect others on here may be able to advise on techniques etc

Good luck
 
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH NO...................

You were lucky, BUT, we have all been there, maybe not with the injuries
you sustained, but we have all been in a position of a near miss because
of our own stupidity.........however we don't see it as that at the time do we, just AFTER:)

I was in the stable with my TWO the other week (they can come in and out as they please and choose to share a stable). All of a sudden there was
a loud 'BANG' outside and I got squashed up against the side of the stable in their haste to make an EXIT:D

I wasn't hurt, thankfully, but 'AFTERWARDS' thought how STUPID was
I to have put myself in a position in the stable where that could have happened. Something I will NEVER do again;)

I appreciate it scared you, BUT your Horse did not hurt you intentionally,
he just had nowhere else to go. Read 'scared' as 'survival instinct' thats what helps keep you safe. I would never feed a horse of mine in
a field with others quite honestly, would always bring them outside the gate, purely because it does cause jealousy.

Hope you are feeling better soon, it will take a bit of time, but as your
injuries start to heal hopefully so will the memories and you will realise it
was just being in the wrong place at the wrong time and probably a mistake
you will never make again.

Welcome back to NR. xx
 
it happens to everybody I think- near misses do, you were unlucky for it to happen at all, but lucky enough to be able to warn others.
I have had a few near misses but you learn from them and adjust what way you do things.
e.g
I was leaving my draught mare into the field (years ago now) I didn't turn her around to face me when I let her go and we had been joggin into the field as it was starting to rain. She ran on past as I let her off and she cow kicked to my side, near my head. I realised just int time what was happening and ducked to the side away from her feet. Didnt realise how close her feet were until my husband came over, he had seen it all, she was afew inches from connecting with my head.
Since then I only walk slowly to turn a horse out and never let them off until they are facing me and I am already walking backwards away from them- this includes my old mare who has never taken off silly when i let her out but I treat her the same anyway.
ps it took a while to build up confidence to lead her out to the field again even though she hadnt actually hurt me. So it will take a while.
 
What a scary thing to happen, but we all make mistakes, you will get over it, just need to give your self time.

I got dragged over by one of my shetlands a few months ago, went flying, was completely winded and badly brusied, it was all my own fault.
Forgot how fast he can go, a lot faster than me these days, so leading him over a jump, going downhill wasn't the brightest idea I ever had.

These things happen.
 
I agree with Sofi P.

It's totally normal for you to have fear now and although your boy was only doing what comes naturally (flight reaction) and didn't intentionally hurt you, your doing what comes naturally as a human and your fear is kicking in, in a bid to protect you from it happening again.

Maybe a hypnotherapist could help you?

Whatever you need to do hun, do it as soon as you can, so you don't let this ruin any precious time you share with your horse.

Good luck. :)
 
Thank you for your kind words. Sorry I should of said they are fed seperatly but left to wonder once their bowls have been removed.

I have been having in-hand lessons to try and gain the confidence back. He did look really sorry afterwards and for the a couple of days.

But it has shocked me how quickly after bening around horses for 13 years how scared I am now.
 
Sorry to hear about your accident. Maybe you could get an Intelligent Horsemanship practitioner to come and help you regain your confidence when you are up to it. They tend to work with your horse but get you to do the work also.
 
You are not alone! I always feed mine and his field companion out in the field together, although well away from each other. A couple of weeks ago, I was putting the other horses rug on, when mine got jealous and lunged for him. He is a 16hh IDxTB and is a big boy! I had my head bent over doing his surcingles up at the time and he came sideways into the top of my head, knocking me flying! I spent about 2 minutes just lying on the floor, looking up at the sky and feeling like a right prat! They both came over and sniffed me for ages as if to say "what are you doing down there"?! When I didn't move, Toby bit my elbow gently and started nudging me! I think he was worried he might have done me in!

Lesson learned. My old farrier used to say NEVER forget they are unpredictable, even if you've had the horse for donkeys years and feel you can trust it 100%. They'll still go through you if they're scared enough.

I only came away with a bruised bum and slightly dented ego luckily for me! Sorry to hear about your injuries and hope you're heeling well. I would just give yourself time with the flashbacks etc. Try deep breathing for relaxation before you turn him out, in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, wait for 4. Then repeat and then increase to 5, then 6. It's a great technique and really works! You'll be fine. Time is a great healer.:)
 
I always sing (very badly) if I am feeling nervous, helps me feel calm.

Everyone has to put up with it, even the bloke who drives the hire lorry.
 
I think by feed separate people mean take one out of the field to feed. I understand you to mean they are on the ground apart and when empty then you remove them.

I would never feed together, always take mine out of the field on headcollar, then put pony back.

Good luck, hope you better soon. Huggs.
 
when i first worked at a riding stables, i was stood holding two horses and some stupid woman came up and was feeding one of them with a polo or something, other one was jealous and went for it, i was in between hence my ear got bitten. Luckily it let go, because ears can be easily pulled off! Earing pulled out and stitches .. learnt my lesson that day and hope the stupid woman did. Latest lesson I have learnt is always pay 100% attention when unloading from box even if they look half asleep and walk down the ramp happy as larry... you can always get knocked flying if they decide out of the blue to jump the last step. This can result in a broken arm and bruises up legs oh and also a black foot where you may or may not have it trodden on. I am sure you will get over your fear all things take time to get over, make sure you know exactly what you intend to do when you go in the field, if you have thought of things before hand then things dont come as a suprise.
 
That's terrible, we're often only a moment from a potentially nasty accident round horses and your feelings now are perfectly understandable. I think GG's suggestion regarding having an IH trainer out to give you some pointers and help with your confidence handling horses on the ground is a really good one.
 
Nothing more to add really. We all make silly mistakes and we all learn from them. Your horse did not do this intentionally and probably will have forgotten about the incident. Hopefully you will just need time. Like every bad incident it stays with us but in time gradually fades into the background.
 
Sorry to hear about your accident, and hope you feel better soon.

I'm glad I read your story, and some of the other posts. At my yard, a few of us have a turn out rota in the mornings, which involves 5 geldings including my share horse. Some of the other girls lead two at a time on their days to save time (I won't do this after being barged and almost dragged by a horse at another yard last year).

I have to admit though that I have been known to be a little complacent when turning out the quieter ones, not turning them to face me etc. In future though, I'll always make sure I do this, as you never can tell what might happen.
 
I had a near miss in the field once. I went to catch my mare, they had put hay out about 10 minutes ago and all the horses were stood in a line. My mare was the bottom of the pecking order and always had to wait until the others had found their place in the line. She was happily eating and had a 3m gap between her and the other horses so I thought that it would be safe for me to get her. I put her headcoller and was just doing it up when one of the other horses lunged at her. She rushed forward into me, stamped on my foot twice (and she was a shire horse!) and then ran away. While nothing more serious happened, it could have been a lot worse for me. When I caught her again she was shaking!

I now am very wary of catching horses, especially where there are horses that I don't know very well. I haven't got any advice, but I do understand how you feel.
 
Sorry to hear what happened, that must have been very scary for you :(

But with time, patience, good friends and a polite horse you'll get your confidence back :)
 
try feeding six sheep every morning, it is like running the gauntlet and being stood on by sharp little feet and shoved and almost knocked over.

sympathy for what happened but maybe you have to realise that it is just part and parcel of working with big animals. what happened to you was an accident, they didn't mean to hurt you, you just happened to be in the way of a private feud between two horses.

once rosie tried to bite molly, missed and got me instead, i was pretty teed off with her as i had a wonderful set of teeth marks all down my arm....she and molly were having a spat, and i just happened to be there at the time.

i did get kicked full throttle on my hip by a mad tb mare i had years ago - i remember getting up, dragging herself and my to her stable putting her away and then calling for an ambulance....i was bruised from my ribcase to my knees and boy did it hurt. she did it on purpose so we parted company as i decided there was more to life than living with her, as she was a mad madam - her next home was with a teenager with no sense of fear and the old girl lived the rest of her life there without a problem. they can pick up on your reservations...

while there are precautions you can take, to minimise risks, there is always the chance with horses, who are flight animals and are unpredictable, that these things happen. i remember me and the vet being bounced off stable walls by a 9hh donkey and laughing our heads off that neither of us could hold her to give her her jabs....my donkeys get away with murder as they are little, but my two big cobs don't. they move a hair and they get told off as they are too big and heavy to argue with.

i think you may need someone to give you a hand and regain your confidence but you have to accept that accidents like this can and do happen, people do get killed around horses. not many but it happens. i remember one of the grooms being killed by a horse barging her at a doorway and standing on her, just a stupid accident and life is full of accidents. i think you have to see it as just that.

i can't say to you it won't happen again - i broke my toe years ago and every horse that stands on my feet stands on that toe which still is dodgy, that's just how it is - but you can do things to protect yourself e.g. double gates, feed separately, internal bar in stable so you duck under it with door open, little things which give you an exit. confidence takes a knock and it is hard to get it built up again, but if you can see that really it was just a thing that happened, not a deliberate attempt to hurt you, then maybe you can just move on from it.

take care, be brave.
 
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