Scary Incident Today

[JennyB]

[SIZE=10pt]Wow! We got a scare today :new_shocked: Our 2 Shetlands and 2 Miniatures are dry lotted during the winter, but when we get warmer spring days like today, I let them out into an acre pasture next to the barn to get some exercise. I did that last week when we had one of our first nice days in months it seems! [/SIZE]

Last week my weanling mini colt, Diamond really played hard with his sire and his 4-year-old half brother. It was really comical as he went from one to the other tormenting them to no end. They were like his play toys!

: Even though they tolerate him, they never hurt him by kicking, just crow-hopping and I am sure wishing he would pick on someone else...

Well today he started the same deal again. They rear on each other and bite butt to butt, go around in circles and chase each other. I was in the barn cleaning and when I came out I looked over and saw Diamond hanging on RED's neck as usually, but this wasn't the same!

: He had his leg caught in a mane knot on RED and couldn't get loose! :new_shocked: I went out slowly as I didn't want RED to start to run. Got there and there was no way I could pry that knot loose or get Diamond's hoof out of his mane--EKKK! That is when a pocket knife to have with you if possible ALL the time would have been great!

My husband had just came home so I yelled as calmly as I could without frighting the guys. Now I am trying to say scissors to a man who is really hearing impared

:, but he finally understood what I meant and came as quick as he could with them. Right when he got to them they spooked and RED reared up and took Diamond with him, rolling competely over head over back together! and when they both came up, Diamond was free of RED's mane. OH WOW!! You can't believe how scary that was :new_shocked: and both un-hurt :aktion033: GOD BLESS!

:

I usually do a good job of keeping their manes free of tangles as they are always knotting them up. Some mane hairs are very fine and it doesn't take much twisting to knot them up again! If you don't check them everyday, you can miss them underneath like I did.. In over 30 years with Equines I have NEVER had one get hooked on anothers mane like that and what a terrible accident that could have been :new_shocked:

So Please check your horses manes for knotts daily, especially if they are going to be in with a bunch of playful young ones. I sure learned something today that I had never really thought much about. Please pass this on to your other equine friends.

Thanks for listening to my story

:

Jenny

 

[Kim Rule]

Horses can get into the darndest predicaments! I'm so glad you were there to make sure your boys didn't get hurt!

Kim R.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Wow what an ordeal you must had. You wouldn't think a knot like that could do much damage when you don't think about it.

Thanks for your story!

 

[Dona]

Thanks for bringing this up! I'm so glad your boys didn't get hurt! This is also a very real danger for young foals who like to jump U play on Mama. I've heard of babies dying after getting "hung" up in their Mama's mane. :no:

 

[Cathy_H]

Glad your horses are ok. I have heard of this happening also. That is one reason that I do not let our horses manes get real long.

 

[SWA]

Goodness gracious! WOW! The things that horses can drum up out of no where!

:

Gosh! So thankful neither of them were hurt! {{{HUGS!!!}}}

:

 

[Getitia]

Jenny - thank goodness you were around. Each fall we trim the manes of all of our broodmares back to approximately 4 inches - and the reason is a friend of ours lost one of his best foals when it jumped up and pawed his mothers neck and became tangled in a mane knot, she spooked and dragged him - sadly he died before he could be rescued. It was a horrible experience for her and one that I want to avoid at all costs.

Thank you for sharing your experience and that no one ended up injured.

 

[runaway ranch]

I have a couple who get dredlocks and I have just learned to keep their manes cut back a bit. So glad everything turned out okay for you.

 

[jleonard]

Wow! That is scary! I'm glad all turned out well, that could have had a very different ending!

 

[MInx]

SO glad all is well and also glad all is well with your heart! I think I would have had another stroke!

Right on about the barn/pocket knife..i stress that to Crl and barn help as a safty issue. Also have to stress to keep said barn knife up out of reach of little kids though.

Kim R. I love your avatar!

Maxine

 

[ClickMini]

Well, I am glad I read this because I have NEVER thought of or heard of such a thing!!! The problems these little fellas can get into, eh???

 

[KrisP]

We've always called the knots that they can get in their manes "fairy knots" and try to keep them out at all costs, I almost lost one of my best mares to one, she was scratching her neck on the left side with her back hoof and got the hoof caught in the knot, then she fell into the creek, thank GOD is was a very small creek and she was facing downstream. She was non responsive when we found her, cold and shocky. Thank GOD Doe made a full recovery from this and has gone on to have more nice foals for us.

She was also pretty darn lame for quite a while after that, having her back leg stuck at her neck for who knew how long. She also colicked right after this event.

So glad you were there for your guys to prevent a real disaster!

krisp

 

[LilSapphire]

Goodness, they can figure out the oddest ways to get themselves into trouble can't they? Thanks so much for sharing, that is definitly something to keep an eye out for now.

Jessica

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

WOW--that had to have been a scary situation for you. I am so glad everything turned out OK. Corinne

 

[Sunny]

I'm glad it all turned out okay!

A friend of mine had this happen with one of her mares and foals. Just as Getitia described, the foal got hung up in the mare's mane, mare spooked and dragged that baby all over the field. Fortunately, though, they got her stopped and the foal was surprisingly unhurt.

When we have babies, I'm really careful about the manes since hearing that story. I'd never thought of such a thing either. But it also never occurred to me that a horse could get its own leg caught up, as with KrisP's mare. I can see some of my horses will be getting some major grooming tomorrow, and probably even a hair cut!

Thanks to all of you for sharing your stories. Many people learned something here tonight, I'm sure.

 

[hhpminis]

Good Grief! I am so glad they both are fine Jenny. I have one mare who's mane gets really long and will get knots it.

Thanks for sharing and warning us.

Sheesh! What will they do next! :new_shocked:

 

[ChrystalPaths]

Glad it all turned out well and thanks for sharing. Little tips like this can sometimes save just one from heartache.