A near heart attack...

Well today, my heart nearly exploded and I thought.. "this is it, this is how my horse will die"

2 boarders and myself went on a ride with our neighbour (5 driveways up.. but its quite a distance as there are fields, a cove, a graveyard ect) We went on a short ride up the public access trail and then went to my friends indoor arena. I untacked as I lunged and ground drove Willow.

When the girls were ready to leave I brought Willow into the stable to tack her up. She's been there nearly every weekend all winter, she's even stayed over night when I farm sit. I put her in the standing stall and chatted for a while. I grabbed my saddle blankets and put them on, but when I walked out to get my saddle Willow tried to back up with me and when she felt the pressure of the tie tied to the wall she pulled back. Not a struggle rip free, legs planted pull back.. but she did it hard and quick enough that the sidepull she was wearing unbuckled caused the nose band to flap around her face. I held the tie and tried to calm her but she threw her and and voila - the nose band slid through the crown piece and alas, she was naked.

Willow trotted out the barn door (which is directly beside this standing stall) and went right to the driveway. Its a wooded driveway and I knew that if she hit the road... that no one would see her coming. I grabbed a lead rope quickly (I figured if I got close enough I could makeshift a halter by going over her poll and over the nose)

So I jog to the driveway and then stop and say her name. She turns and looks my way. I crimple some receipts I had in my pocket and I thought YES! she's coming! (shes very food motivated) but no... she spun and galloped to the road. Leaving me close to 100 feet away.

I've never ran so fast in all my life. I don't think I took a breath because when I hit the road my lungs felt like they were going to explode (Its a long driveway, I swear..)I could hear her hooves clashing the pavement and she was already about 200 feet away from me. I could only see her vaguely through the trees.

A car was coming and while I ran I made gestures for it to stop. She stopped and asked if I needed a ride. I was so gracious I jumped in - no idea what she looked like, or what colour or make the car was. By this time Willow was about 300 feet away and nearly out of our sight. She was directly on the yellow line in the middle of the street. I just wanted my horse and nothing else in the whole world. (I do remember there were two young childrens in car seats that were staring at me like I was a crazy person. I told them horsies are really nice but sometimes they are bad. The only other thing I remember saying on the drive was "She's going to go home" "she's just going back home" "She's knows where home is" I guess I was just trying to calm myself down. Picture being in a strangers car, while your horse gallops up the middle of a street where people drive 100. Heart attack in the making. I'll forever remember being less than 10 feet behind her galloping bum, tail and mane blowing carelessly in the wind.

As the stable got into sight Willow slowed to a high knee action - tail straight up - I wish she did this kind of movement under saddle kind of trot. I remember the woman asking me if I would like to get out but I was already jumping out (the car hadn't even stopped) I yelled that she saved my day, and I could never thank her enough as I darted up the barn driveway slush.

When I got to the gate, Willow was calmly sipping a mud puddle. I opened the barnyard gate and shooed the 2 geldings away and she walked in beside me. I shut the gate, walked to the barn and she walked behind me. I opened the barn door and she walked in and stopped in front of her stall. Not phased in the slightest meanwhile I'm still trying to get the images of broken windshields, blood, and a dying horse on its side in the middle of the road. Willow isn't phased in the slightest by todays ordeal, I wish I could say the same. As she relaxed nodding on and off to sleep in her box stall.. I was still beside myself.

Bugger. Here she is sporting her lovely throat latch and brow band.



Accidents happen.. but perhaps I shouldn't of been so trusting. Perhaps I should have put her in the cross ties, or maybe I should have shut the door or at least put the rope across the door.. but I didn't.

I think someone was looking out for Wilow and I because other than the woman who ironically was a far enough distance away to see Willow dash out the hidden wooded driveway and see me following behind flailing my arms for her to slow down.. there was not one other vehicle on the road or in sight.

I have a lot to be thankful for tonight.

oufffff!!!!, is all I can say...

Glad she is okay...such a helpless feeling.

wow glad she is ok...

I hope you won't beat yourself up about this, I don't think we can completely avoid these kinds of accidents. I can still imagine how your heart must have been beating, I would have been crying once it was all over! Glad all is well. Turkey Willow, to give you that experience!

wow, all's well that ends well, except for your so legs and pounding heart!!

had a similar experience once. Two horses, high speed run across the 90km/hr road, then up it for a mile ... at -30 wind chill. NICE stranger gave me a ride to catch up to them. The word 'treat' that I had trained well worked perfectly with one, which was all I needed. Real cold walk home! :-o

Never told my husband for 4 years

Just reading this post gave me an anxiety attack!!

I've had this happen to me twice. First situation ended very badly with my first horse being hit and killed by a car. Not fun at all. Glad everything turned out good for you! I think you should have taken her back to your neighbours and put her back in the straight stall right away.

"taken her back to your neighbours and put her back in the straight stall right away. "

To the horse that is punishment, not teaching. BUT if there was a BIG reward in that stall, it might encourage her to stay around the next time .

The good thing is now you know for sure that she likes to go home given the 'option', so take greater care , as you suggested, to keep her on a line when changing bridles/halters, etc.

In my personal opinion by the time I got back, she'd of forgotten what happened anyway as it wasn't "traumatic" to her (when I got the sidepull back I was impressed, its not broken. the buckle came undone and the strap slid through the crown peice)

When she was "free" she walked out of the barn calmly then trotted, then took off after the driveway.. even on the way home as I drove a few feet behind her she wasn't freaking or nervous - she just knew where she was going and went. Its kind of phenominal really there wasn't the slightest hesitation. She went home and stopped at her stall.

If she was a puller I'd be concerned about a repeat but the way that it happened was a fluke, and I don't feel she pulled out to run away, she pulled, realized she was free, then decided she was going home. Luckily there was nothing scary that happened, and although she did get the reward of being home she acted no differently when I rode the next day thank goodness.

HAHF has a good point - now that I know she'll go home I have that to keep in mind. No taking chances off property.