The Horses Are Out!

A horse is running loose. For a horse owner, almost nothing is more frightening to think about…and most horse enthusiasts have encountered this situation from time to time, either with their own horses or someone else’s. It seems that no amount of thought or precautionary management can completely protect horses from the danger, and owners from the worry, resulting from an escape.

Thinking through a possible scenario may trigger ideas to help owners minimize the risk of a loose horse and cope with the reality when (not if!) the situation arises.

What happens:

You’re just going to zip into the field for a second to set out a new salt block. The horses are all the way across the pasture and appear to be half-asleep. Since you don’t plan to be in the field for long (and surely they couldn’t get to the gate in that amount of time), you don’t see a need to close and latch the gate behind you. You set the salt block down and then catch a glimpse of the longe whip you misplaced last week. You walk over to pick up the whip…hear the sound of pounding hooves…and look up to see your horses whisking through the gate, manes and tails flying.

How to prevent it:

• Close and latch the gate. This time. Next time. Every time. No matter what. Even if it seems silly or too much trouble.

• If a field has more than one gate, check all gates each time before horses are turned out. Lotof trouble? Yes. Worth doing? Yes.

• Every so often, and especially after storms or high winds, check your fences for holes, loose wire, or broken boards. Make a note on your calendar to do these checks on a regular basis throughout the year. Perform repairs immediately. No excuses!

What to do before the escape to minimize the chance of a problem:

• Some people leave halters on their horses for turnout; others don’t. Unhaltered horses are harder to handle if they get loose. Haltered horses may tear up their halters, lose them, or get them hung up on something. This is a decision each owner must make. Turnout halters with a breakaway snap or Velcro patch may be a reasonable solution. If the horses don’t wear halters in the field, keep extra halters in the barn where they can be found easily. Keeping a spare halter and lead shank in your car at all times means you will always know where to lay your hands on at least one set.

• If you have a choice in fencing or farm layout, think about ways to ensure that a loose horse doesn’t have a way to escape the farm’s boundaries. Most importantly, be sure the horse doesn’t have access to a public road. It’s inconvenient to open and close main property gates, but as long as the horse can’t leave the premises, it is at least somewhat safe. Having to pass through two successive entry gates requires more fencing but increases security.

• Know whom to call for help. Close neighbors are the obvious choices, but if they are not familiar with horses, you could be setting up a dangerous situation. If you can’t get control of your horses very quickly, call the closest law enforcement officials. They might not be able to help you catch the horses, but they can keep vehicles from driving into the area until you can secure your animals.

What to do right after the escape:

• During the process of catching loose horses, keep in mind that the safety of all people comes first. The safety of the horses comes second. Prevention of property damage comes third. Remember: people, then horses, then property. Plan your actions and choices accordingly.

• The first thing to do is secure the scene. This means preventing the situation from getting immediately worse. If there are any horses still in the field, take a moment to close the gate so they don’t also leave. If there is an exterior property gate that can be closed to keep horses from leaving the premises, go right away and close it. If there are other people in the nearby area, alert them that there are horses loose. They may be able to help, or at least keep a firm grip on the horses they are tending.

• Get some help. Ask nearby people to aid you; call friends in the area; if people stop their cars to assist, tell them how to help.

• Go after the horses, but pick up one or more halters and/or lead shanks first. You usually can’t handle an excited horse with your bare hands. Belts, pieces of baling twine, and extra pieces of clothing with long sleeves are somewhat better than nothing. Wearing gloves is a good idea; excited horses can pull strongly.

• If you have time to throw a few handfuls of grain in a bucket, take this along. When the horses see the bucket, shake it so they can hear that there’s grain inside. The whole group may decide to come flying back at the sound of the feed bucket being rattled.

• If you have several people to help, spread them out to form a loose line that can move the horses in the direction you want to go. Send someone to block off obvious escape routes. Two people can hold the ends of a longe line to lengthen the string of helpers. If a horse charges toward the longe line, drop it! You don’t want to burn your hands or get the horse tangled up. If the idea of a barrier doesn’t work, the line itself won’t work, either.

• Attempt to herd the horses into some sort of enclosed area. A fence corner or fenced yard will help you slow them down. Approach the horses as steadily and calmly as possible. Talking quietly to them and holding out a handful of grass may help. Running and yelling are not usually good ideas. When you get close to the one that seems to be the easiest to catch, reach toward the mane behind the ears and slip a lead shank around the horse’s neck. Then the halter can go on.

• BE READY! A loose horse is almost always a frightened horse. The one you are trying to catch is likely to jump, rear, back up, whirl away, or bolt. Remember, you do not want to get hurt, and you do not want anyone else to get hurt. Be ready to move, and let the horse go if you are in danger.

• When the first horse is caught and led for a few steps, the others will often settle down and fall in line also. This is not always the case, so be aware that the horse you are holding is likely to get excited if the others start running. As more horses are haltered and led, the group will become calmer. Don’t relax at this point! You are not home yet.

• Lead the horses back to their pasture or barn. Stay alert! The horses are still nervous and could break away again. When you reach a safe location, close the gate. Don’t let go of the horse you are leading until everyone is ready to let go.

What to do immediately after the horses are back home:

• Check each horse for injuries, lost shoes, and overheating. You may need to hose or sponge overheated horses or walk them until they cool off. During the next few hours, watch the horses for signs of discomfort, colic, lameness, or a long delay in returning to a normal body temperature. Continue to check all these things frequently for the next 24 to 48 hours. If you need to call your veterinarian, be sure to give him the details of what has happened to your horse.

What to do in the next few days:

• Analyze! What led to the incident? Take steps to be sure the same thing can’t happen again.
• How was the incident handled? Think about what you and others did in response. Are there ways to change or improve the way events unfolded?

• After you analyze the recent incident, broaden your thoughts to include other scenarios. Horses get loose at shows; on trail rides; after a car or fallen tree knocks down part of the fence; as they are being led from the riding ring to the stall; or if a rider falls off. What can you do to minimize the chances of your horse getting loose? What can you do to be ready to help if someone else’s horse is loose?

• Finally, buy a spare halter, a lead shank, and a pair of gloves and keep them in your car. Then, go out and check your gates!