Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

No matter what you use the worst can happen. I've seen horses run 
between trailers and snag horses tied to trailers. Talk about a 
potential disaster. I've seen horse break HiTie bars and run across a 
paved road, fall and get all gnarled up. I've seen horses run over 
portable pens built with metal panels - that can be a real mess. Nothing 
is completely save. I saw a situation where the horse tied to the 
trailer laid down and got one leg under the trailer. Some one noticed it 
and if the horse would have panicked and gotten up he would have snapped 
his leg. They sit on his neck to keep him down and someone ran and got a 
vet to tranqu. the horse so they could move the trailer around and work 
his leg out. That was down right scary. Of course the rider could not go 
the next day since his horse would have competed on drugs.

The best way I have found to protect my horses from loose horses is 
block where my horses are located. Instead of being right in the 
"middle" I select camping on the edge - even if it means walking farther 
to the vet check. If there is a fence, I'm up against it.  I use the 
trailer on one side and the truck on another to block access. I try to 
find a place where there are trees or other natural barriers - anything 
that would slow horses down or hopefully deflect them away. I also use a 
charger that is designed for 3 miles of fence and delivers a whack. I 
also check the output regularly. It is amazing the number of people that 
assume it is working - when in fact the charge is very wimpy. I also 
insure a good ground. No ground - it won't matter how much charge on the 
fence - it won't work. Wimpy ground - wimpy charge. I also have a good 
tester for my fence and make sure the circuit between the fence and 
ground is strong.

In over 20 years using an electric I've not had a issue.

The last ride I attended there were three loose horses. One at the start 
of the ride - saddle slipped under the horses belly. He bucked the rider 
off, bucked till the girth broke and took off. One at the first check 
one got away from his rider and took off to find his buddy.  Later in 
the day another saddle under the belly.

Truman



--

"It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended 
from man." H.L. Mencken


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