BAILEY ESCAPED - HE RAN AWAY!!

[maplegum]

Went to work this morning and couldn't see Bailey in his field. I thought he was just behind one of the trees. Not long after arriving at work, hubby phoned to say that Bailey is missing! :new_shocked:

I left my office and burnt rubber driving out of the carpark here. I drove home faster than I have ever driven before. What is usually a 50 minute drive, took me around 30 minutes. (waiting for speeding fine to arrive in the mail now).

I kept in contact with my hubby who was out in his car driving around. We live right on the state forest and knew that if Bailey made it into the forrest, I'd never see him again.

Thoughts of someone sneaking into my property overnight and stealing him also crossed my mind.

We have a big field behind us with other horses in it, but my hubby checked in the field and couldn't see Bailey. He also checked across the road where his 'girlfriend' lives. No luck.

I was a complete mess driving home. That feeling of now knowing what to do, where to go, where to look. I don't even remeber getting home. I cried and screamed for him all the way home. The trip seemed to go in slow motion. Lets just say I am not good in a crisis.

:

Ok, I was almost home when my hubby phoned to say he had found him. He WAS in the back field but because the field has rolling hills, he was unable to find him, even with binoculars. I think as soon as I heard that he was found, I cried even more!

I finally got home, raced to Bailey and wrapped my arms around his neck and didn't want to let go. I took a huge deep breath of his horsey smell and cried into his little neck.

:

Now get this! Bailey managed to find 2 loose wires on the bottom of the fence. He must have layed on his side and dragged himself through the gap! I'm not kidding when I say the gap was tiny!!!! He also had his winter rug on him, so he was even chunkier. I still can't work out how he did it. Hubby is home now fixing the fence!

So, please share your 'escape' stories with me. I'm still a mess here!

 

[RockRiverTiff]

Ha! We're always addressing the question of "What are they good for," but this definitely answers "What are they good at."

 


I've had a mare push herself under a 6" gap (obviously with pressure the fence lifted a little); I've had them push through fences; one of our 29" stallions repeatedly jumped a 40" wall from a standstill (obviously we don't keep him in the cute mini stalls anymore). We even have a mare that knows how to open latches with her mouth. Half the things they've done I wouldn't have believed if I hadn't seen it myself, and every time we make improvements they make new plans, so I'm sure it's not over yet.

 


So don't beat yourself up too much--these guys are pretty smart! I'm just happy you found your guy safe and sound. I bet the little stinker's feeling pretty smug too.

:

 

 

 

[zoey829]

Yikes! How scarey. I am glad all was well.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

How scary. I am glad he is safe and sound. How ironic you wrote this now. I just came in from giving the 2 QH's back that were found running down our street I got them and thru them in a stallion turn out (which is empty at night) and then drove around hoping to find someone looking. How I saw this lady in a car driving down a busy road (at 40 mph) and knew she was looking for her horses I will never know but I did and turned around chased her down and they just came and got there horses who were happy for there "dinner out" LOL

 

[Katiean]

I had a standardbred mare that would crawl under a chain link fence with a tension wire at the bottom to get in with an arab stud she liked. Horses can get through the tiniest places. Our goat goes under a chain link fence and you don't even see her do it. One minute she is in the horse pen the next she isn't and you never saw a thing.

:

 

[JanBKS]

Ha Ha, My escape Artist Mini named Jet is double chained now, since he was a young foal he learned how to escape, his last trick was popping the chein off the nail by grabbing the gate and pulling it, letting it snap back until the chain popped off, well now he can't do that two chains with a clip he cant get open and a bungie at the bottom holding it tight against the bottom pole. And he was smart enough to make sure the gate snapped shut so as not to let the others out. Well I guess it kinda shut on its own but he never let anyone else out.

He used to just go under the fence or if he wanted out of his stall just jump over it and all of a sudden there he wsa, Hi Mom did you want me ha ha.

My first big horse a TN Walker would fiddle with the latch let herself out to eat grass on the front lawn, when she heard me coming home from work she would let herself back in, until she left a few tell tail piles on the lawn did I get smart and double lock her up.

So many little escape artists what fun these little ones are.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Very possible he was having a good roll and with his rug on the fence didn't zap him and he kinda rolled under! Glad he's safe and sound, I know that hollow pit you feel when they're in trouble.

 

[Charlene]

my little guy doesn't exactly escape. i turn my big horse out into the alfalfa field when i'm doing chores. we live miles from the highway and when tuffy's feet hit the green stuff, he comes to a screeching halt. i've done this for 10 years with no problems. most of the time, i don't even halter him.

the first time i let tuffy out after rebel came to live with us, i haltered reb and put a lead rope on his halter, turned him out with tuffy thinking he'd like to graze for a few minutes. he followed me through that open gate and ZOOOOOM, he was GONE! he ran like a fool, kicking up his heels, all over 5 acres, lead rope flying in the wind. i didn't figure he'd go far and he didn't, never even got out of my sight and he was having such a good time, i didn't have the heart to put him back in the dry lot. after a couple of minutes, he went to tuffy's side, grazed for a few minutes and then back they went, into the dry lot. it's old hat to him now, when i turn them out, he just grazes. guess he figures it's too much work to run.

 

[Georgine]

We took 2 horses to a sale and did not sell them, so we were bringing them back home.

On the trip there are several places where a complete stop is required.

When we got home from the sale (a one hour drive) the tiny side door of the trailer was open and inside there was only one horse.

Our 29 inch 6 year old black stallion was missing.

We put the horse we had in the barn and left to retrace our steps.

My husband and I were ready to have a heart attack, we are older folks. Our stomachs were churning and we were in shock.

When we got back to the sale area there was still no sign of him. We were expecting to see a bloody mess somewhere, or possibly a little horse running with broken bones or huge injuries.

We again headed for home, driving slowly scanning the fields and ditches.

When we got home two vehicles were in our yard. They knew us and our horses and had been following us 25 minutes or so behind.

They spotted our little guy in the yard of a small town, with some children holding him by the halter.

He apparantley jumped out the door at the stop in the little town. There were two earlier stops in the middle of the country prior to that one that would have left him in the wide open spaces.

He was always a high spirited little guy but after that episode he seemed to change his demeanor.

When we ran to see him in the barn he was looking pretty "sheepish" and glad to be home.

 

[Whitewave]

My escape artist is a pro......My stallion Excalibur is 34" and my daughters gelding is 25" ..our pasture is fenced in with 5ft chain link with the srtand that run along the bottom to keep it tight....I could not for the life of me figure out how they were getting loose so I watched from behind a tree and low and behold Ex would push the fence out as far as he could til it was on his withers and Blue would run out with Ex close behind....I soulve that problem i took hotwire and ran it 5 ' from ground and another strand about 3ft from ground an Ex no longer will get within 5ft of the fence.... :new_shocked:

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

i remember waking up at 4am to a pounding on the front door, it was the neighbor, "your horses are out" (we only had big ones then) - rousted the kids and grabbed leads and went to find them. we lived in town in a small horse property pocket, imagine 2 figure 8s next to each other (or a 4-square?) and our house was right at the middle intersection, well the kids always rode around and around the block, never turning out the side streets that went out to the main streets, so luckily our horses, being creatures of habit, would run around and around the block! so we just went in opposite directions and caught them between us. we never had ours go anywhere but around the block and they escaped several times over the years...

our Appy gelding learned to open his gate so we chained it. the next day he was still in his pen BUT he had reached over and let out the mare next door to him. he was pretty old and is now gone but we learned from him and all of our gates are kept chained now, on top of whatever "latch" they may have - horses can do amazing things with their lips. in fact my daughter's Arab used to turn on the hose when he was thirsty and the water bucket was empty. too bad he didn't turn it back OFF when he was done

 

[Bess Kelly]

I have a little mare who will push on every fence (if no hot wire) looking for a spot where the nails have popped off and she can lift the fence up. When she is "testing" she'll be sideways as if rubbing....when she finds "the spot" she'll spin around and put her butt on it and back up until she's through to the other side.

: If anyone is near and wants to come along she'll stand still unil they get through. A real party gal! Trust me, they sure do remember where "THE" spot was

: :bgrin Try again day 2.

 

[lilfolks]

Where's theres a will to escape, they can find a way !!!

I'm glad all turned out well for you.

Joyce L

 

[PaintNminis]

I am SO Happy there was a Happy Ending

:

I don't have Trouble with my Minis getting out but I

do have lots of Trouble with the Bigs ones the Troublesome Trio

Genie (Jenny) Foxy and Japheth

once I wake up and went out to feed and their Gate was Wide Open!!!

Oh boy did I panic!!!! (We live 200 ft from a Busy Highway)

Well We went Running Down the Street Almost in Tears then

I saw a Black Tail out of the Corner of my Eye

It turns out they wondered into my Neigbors Pasture!

She just closed the Gate behind them and Called the Radio Station (Too Bad I don't l

isten to the Radio in the Morning haha)

All Ended Well

Then they busted into the Round pen with the Minis lol They broke out of Prison and ending up in being Solitary Confinement for a week :new_rofl: (The little Angels (Minis) Got to be in the Pasture)

 

[MiniHunterHorseFan]

My horse Bodie is trained to jump but has never jumped higher than 36in. He is only 3 years old. Well one morning my parents looked out the window and he was in the backyard eating grass. He had jumped our 4 foot chain link fence wearing his winter blanket. I have no idea how he managed that.

 

[MBhorses]

:aktion033: thanks goodness Bailey is okay.