SAFETY
FROM THE GROUND
By Catherine Sampson
Horse accidents are not confined to the
saddle or cart. The majority of mishaps
occur handling horses. Some of these
cases can be of a serious nature, others minor.
Each are painful and in some instances, preventable. Lost wages and loss of enjoyment with your
horse are also consequences during convalescence. Trod on toes, broken limbs and appendages,
rope burns, head and back injuries, along with an assortment of cuts, bumps and
bruises are an all too common occurrence.
Horses are blessed with lightning fast
reflexes for self-preservation. Our
response time to these sometimes unpredictable and rapid movements is
relatively slow, especially as we age.
Our strength and balance is compromised when dealing with the
horse. Unfortunately, handlers are often
in the wrong place at the wrong time when the horse takes flight. That fresh horse being lead out to the
pasture may get carried away in their exuberance. The new mom may show over-protectiveness
towards her foal. That unpredictable
baby might be blind-sided with temporary fear.
That young stallion may be testing his boundaries and you may become the
target of his adolescent ways. Simply
grooming a horse or leading it out for a hack carries a degree of risk. However, there are certain precautions and
common-sense lessons that can be learned and applied.
Safety
Proofing your Stable
Creating a save working environment is
essential.
Repair uneven floors that may pose a
tripping hazard. Keep stable flooring
dry and replace weak or substandard boards in your hayloft. Fix loose boards and remove any exposed nails
from stalls. Store tools in a designated
area. The simple act of setting a rake
down with the teeth of the rake facing against a wall will prevent accidentally
stepping on the teeth, potentially resulting in a blackened eye, or worse, a
fall.
If you don’t have a phone in your stable,
carry a cell phone or cordless phone. In
the event of any emergency, you will need to get assistance and may not be able
to travel any distance to reach a phone.
Have a complete first aid kit for humans in
an easily accessible location and check your inventory on a regular basis.
Adjust crossties to a safe comfortable
length and height for the horse. Too
tight or too loose are concerns. The
unyielding restraint from a crosstie adjusted too snugly can invoke the fight
or flight response in the horse. A loose tie allows the horse too much freedom,
resulting in possible entanglement. Use
quick-release snaps in the event of an accident. If you are using straight ties, attach them
high – not level with the horse’s head where the horse can pull with greater
force. (Trailer ties make handy straight
ties.)
Affix a quick release snap to the end of
the tie that bolts into the wall and not to the halter of the horse. It is much easier to get to a snap that is
securely positioned, than attempting to release it from the halter of a frantic
horse. It also gives you a short shank
if it is required, after the horse is released.
Apparel
The wearing of jewellery is a definite
hazard when working in a stable. Finger
rings can get caught in a variety of ways, resulting in dislocations. Earrings and other body piercing jewellery,
including chains, necklaces and bangles also pose a risk. The wearing of jewellery should be
discouraged.
Safety boots or shoes maybe recommended
when working with horses. Some stables
insist on them. Grade 1 is the highest
impact resistant certified boot for use in heavy industrial work
environments. Guidelines to meet this
certification allow for metatarsal protection (upper foot bones and toe area),
as well as guarding against electrical shock and sole puncture. Sneakers, dress shoes, and sandals are an
open invitation for injury. Visitors to
the barn should be advised of this potential danger. Most non-horse people are unaware of this
risk.
Gloves should be worn when lunging, leading
or loading a horse in a trailer. They
will protect against those nasty stinging rope burns while providing added
grip.
As a precaution, always wear disposable
latex or rubber gloves when handling medications in the stable. Certain common drugs and ointments found in
many tack boxes may unknowingly pose a health hazard to humans. These powerful drugs with their concentrated
healing properties are harmful if absorbed through the skin in minuscule
traces. This is especially important
when handling sedatives, liquid based hormone therapy, such as Regumate, anti-inflammatory
powders and gels, including certain antibacterial salves. Remove the gloves by taking them off inside
out and discard them in a sealed container.
Helmets, especially the lightweight design,
are an excellent measure of safety when working around young horses, stallions
or new horses. Head injuries are
serious business and every precaution should be taken to guard against such
injuries. Getting into the habit of wearing a helmet during grooming and
turnout of fractious young horses is also a good practise to follow. A playful rearing horse can inflict critical
head trauma.
General Handling Tips
Pony Clubs and 4-H programs teach safety
zones to young children. For the
newcomer to horses, ignorance of these many common sense simple rules can pose
hazards. Below are a few reminders.
·
Never wrap a lead shank around
your hand.
·
Lean over when working on lower
limbs and hooves of the horse – never kneel.
·
Because of the horse’s field of
vision, approach the horse from the side not directly in front. You can startle a horse if it is unaware of
your location.
·
Remain close to the horse when
walking behind it. Standing three feet
from the horse puts you in direct line for full impact at the end of the stroke
from a kick.
·
Never lead a horse without a
lead shank.
·
Use a lead shank of sufficient
length (nine feet is preferred) when leading horses to and from pastures. Should a horse rear, you will need room to
escape entrapment while still maintaining some control with a lead.
·
If a horse begins to bolt and
your efforts to control it on the line become futile, let go. Don’t become a victim of dragging. If this habit of bolting becomes a common
occurrence, use a shank with a chain placed over the nose to instill manners
and correct the problem.
·
If a horse becomes nervous when
approaching an object while being led, switch sides, putting yourself between
your horse and its perceived danger. By
doing so, you not only encourage the horse to move forward, but also eliminate
the possibility of the horse inadvertently knocking into you as it shies away
from the object.
·
Halters with a fixed bottom
ring as opposed to loose sliding rings on adjustable chinstraps, are easier to
attach a lead shank to. This is especially
apparent in fussy group situations when horses are crowding at the gate vying
for position.
·
As a measure of safety, put the
turnout gate between you and the horse before you release the horse into the
pasture. Teach the horse patience and
make it stand before releasing. A frisky
horse can turn and buck in playfulness.
·
Enter a stall quietly, never in
a hurry. Let the horse know that you are
there and watch the horse. At feed
times, give the hay ration first in order to distract the horse, taking its
attention off of you and the grain bucket.
Some horses become very excitable when the grain bucket appears or is
shaken.
·
Always be aware of where the
horse is when departing a stall. Back
out if you can do so safely, placing yourself strategically in line with the
stall door. In the case of stallions or
young colts, never turn your back to them.
Never become complacent.
Desensitizing
The sooner you start with a young horse,
the better. Even the mature horse can
benefit from these simple desensitizing techniques.
For the problem horse when it comes time
for deworming by syringe, make it a practise during your grooming sessions to
insert a small syringe into the corner of the horse’s mouth. A 3 cc syringe can be obtained from your
local veterinarian. Be sure to disinfect
the syringe after use or between horses.
Once accustomed to the syringe, deworming will become a non-issue.
Another practice you can add to your
grooming routine is to work with your horse under its tail and around the anus.
Most horses object to having their
temperature taken, so desensitizing this area will prove beneficial should the
need arise to use a thermometer. Every
domesticated horse will have its temperature taken at sometime in its
life.
For the young stud colt and future
broodmare or gelding candidate, having the horse accustomed to being handled in
sensitive areas will go a long way to eliminate protest, making the horse more
agreeable.
Other Scenarios
During the peak fly season when fly masks
are in use, remove the fly mask before entering the stable. The change in light may temporarily impair
the horse’s vision. For ease of removal,
place the fly mask over the halter instead of underneath.
In winter months, stock up on safety salt
for paddock paths and doorways. As an
alternative, standard cat litter or moist manure from the stalls spread out on
ice patches will help.
For the shy horse that avoids contact and
is difficult to halter in a stall, attach a leather cow collar to its
neck. It will make your task easier for
safely catching the horse in preparation for haltering. Whenever possible, let the horse come to
you when haltering.
If you come upon a horse cast in its stall,
always approach the downed horse from the back side whenever possible. A panicked horse’s flailing hooves can be
dangerous. To help right the horse,
using the tail to pull the horse away from a wall may be useful. If the horse is trapped in such a way that a
tail pull is not enough, use a soft cotton rope or lead shank and loop it
around a leg. You then have some
leverage to roll the horse over.
Treating a horse without assistance is
difficult. However, many of us find
ourselves in this predicament at one time or another.
To help stabilize and calm a horse, a twitch
may need to be employed. The one-man
twitch design works best in these situations, especially those that do not have
attachments. Fasteners that can swing
perilously from a connecting string, when applying to an uncooperative patient,
can cause possible injury to the handler and/or horse.
Correct use of a stud chain can also be an
effective form of restraint. (Running
the chain under the chin will provoke a horse to rear to escape the pain.)
Picking up a front leg may also help in
controlling the fidgeting horse.
Although sometimes awkward, you can often complete the cleansing and
medicating task with one hand.
A less effective measure of restraint is
the shoulder roll. Grabbing the loose
skin mid way at the edge of the shoulder blade of the horse, roll your hand
inward against the shoulder. This is a
mild form of restraint.
Chemical restraint should only be
administered with the explicit advice and recommendation from your
veterinarian.
Working with your Veterinarian and Farrier
Often times an owner is uncertain as to
their role as a handler assisting the veterinarian and farrier. Below are a few guidelines that when
followed, will benefit these professionals.
·
Create a quiet, noise-free
environment while your veterinarian is examining your horse and taking
vitals. Turn the radio off and remain
silent.
·
If the horse is sedated, loud
sounds will disturb the horse. Certain
tranquilizers such as Rompin heighten the sensitivity of the horse’s hearing.
·
Use moderate, yet sufficient
restraint when holding the horse and stay close at the side of the horse’s
head.
·
Minimal pressure on a lead
shank is desirable when a veterinarian is floating teeth. Too much pressure can only add more stress to
the horse. Too little pressure is
ineffective.
·
A horse that is sedated will
require careful handling. When turning
the horse, use large circles and allow sufficient time for the horse to complete
the unsteady move. A second handler
should grasp the tail to help balance the horse when walking. (As a side note, remove feed from a
tranqualized horse’s stall. Sedation
slows digestion and an overload of feed introduced to a sluggish digestive tract
may cause an impaction colic.)
·
Crossties may not be
appropriate when treating a horse. If a
horse should rear, bolt forward or pull back, the handler should be at a safe
distance. Never stand in front of a horse
in crossties. Attaching a lead shank may
help, but most veterinarians do not recommend crossties when restraining horses
for treatment.
·
While the farrier is working on
your horse, a rule of thumb is to stand on the opposite side for front hooves
and the same side for hind hooves.
·
Although tempting, do not begin
to discipline an uncooperative horse while the farrier is bent over working on
a hoof.
Your veterinarian and farrier may
also instruct you further as to handling procedures that he or she prefers.
Regardless of how
vigilant you are in your daily handling and working routines, knowledge gained
and advice given from experienced stable grooms and trainers are lessons to
heed. You can’t wear a suit of armour
while working around horses, but you can minimize the element of harm by being
conscientiously aware of your surroundings and safety minded in your practices.
Here is a section
on handling mares and foals that could be added if necessary.
Medicating foals and working with new moms
can be a challenge.
Be aware of your mare when addressing the
foal. A newborn foal can create an
aggressive protective nature on the part of the sometimes-timid mare. Approach with caution. If you have been working on a regular basis
with your mare prior to foaling, this will ease the tension.
Administering medications and doing general
foal care will require special attention.
By using a corner of the stall and the wall itself as a form of
resistance, you can position your hip against the shoulder of the foal to hold
it fast against the wall. Lifting the
foal’s tail also acts as a restraint in the event that the foal may attempt to
rear and flip over backwards, possibly injuring it or the handler. Even though a foal is small, their tiny
hooves can impart a painful blow.
Restraint is a necessary evil for both you and the foal.
