Why Do Horsemen Do That?

Working around horses require that certain tasks be performed in certain ways, but do you know the reason why? Or were you just told to do it, because “that is how we do it” and you just accepted that.

Some things that we do in the barn are based on tradition, perhaps based upon looks or climate, but many tasks performed in the barn and around horses are done so for safety reasons.

Sadly, many are not taught the reasons why for doing certain things and they fail to understand why there is a right way to do something and as a result, don’t bother to do so correctly. By failing to perform tasks in certain ways, someone may end up injured, whether it is a person or a horse.

In today’s blog, I tackle 4 of those common everyday things we do in the barn and explain why it is so important to do so correctly.

LEAD ROPES

Recently a video made the rounds of a woman who lost her hand because she wrapped the lead rope around her wrist. The horse spooked and bolted and her hand was literally degloved and was found still wrapped in the lead rope. That is pretty gruesome but kudos to the woman for having the strength to talk about what happened. The video serves as a powerful reminder to never wrap lead ropes around any part of your body.

I learned as a kid that you never wrap your lead rope around any part of your body. I was taught that very early on by my grandfather, but the lesson was driven home when I witnessed a girl being dragged around a show ground for what seemed like eternity. She had tied the lead rope around her wrist and the horse spooked and bolted, taking her with him. She was about 10 years old and I will never be able to erase the sound of his hooves striking her head, or the screams of people trying to stop the horse. I can still see the image of her being dragged behind this horse. She survived, which was a miracle, but was in a coma and I never saw her again after that incident. I wonder to this day if she made a full recovery.

Horses will always win when it comes to power. They weigh 8-10 times more than you and a scared horse, especially one which is now dragging a screaming human behind them, will be difficult to stop. One must always be mindful of where the lead rope is, as well as lunge lines and any other equipment which is attached to the horse. It should never be dragging on the ground to tangle your feet and should never be wrapped around any part of your body.

HAY NETS

Horses are fed from hay nets and hay bags for a variety of reasons, whether to keep a horse busy and eating for longer periods of time or, if your horse is like mine, you stuff hay in a hay bag because he is an absolute pig and will have hay strewn all across the stall, wasting most of it. Whatever your reason, care should be taken that horses cannot get their hooves stuck in the holes, should they roll or paw. There was a photo taken recently of a horse at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala who managed to get his hind shoe caught in a hay net while rolling. The photo taken of the horse was a very powerful reminder to take care when using hay nets.

There is much discussion regarding the height which a hay net should be hung. It was widely accepted that it should be hung no lower than chest height, and some were taught to hang the bags at head level, to prevent a horse from getting a hoof caught. However, researchers in Italy recently conducted a study on different heights of hay nets and the impact they have on horse’s posture. The results were that hay nets hung higher than knee height will affect the back, neck and jaw due to unnatural grazing positions. Hay nets hung above the withers resulted in unnatural grazing positions, resulting in changes to the neck posture and mandibular angle. This height also caused shortening of the longissimus dorsi muscles, which run along each side of the horse’s back and under the saddle. The study found that hanging hay nets at knee level created the closest natural position compared with horses grazing off the ground.

In addition, studies have shown that hay nets with small openings are causing unnatural wear and tear on the teeth of horses. Horse’s teeth are not designed to gnaw, causing damage to gums and enamel. Hay bags solve this issue, as horses are not having to work as hard to pull hay out.

Obviously, it is not safe to hang a hay net at knee level due to the risks of a hoof getting caught, which takes us back to the question, at what height do we hang a hay net or hay bag? For safety concerns, always hang at a height where a leg cannot be caught in it. This will typically be chest height or slightly higher. Too high, will have a negative effect on his back, neck and jaw. Place them in areas where you can easily view your horse eating from it and don’t place a hay net near where your horse likes to roll and they should never be hung in a corner, as that is where hooves are most likely to go when rolling.

Inspecting Horses Daily

A good barn manager or horse owner will inspect every horse throughout the day, especially after a horse has come in from turnout. Even if it is just a quick visual, to notice any change in behavior or attitude. Take notice of their manure, which can be an indication of any health issues. A horse laying down more than normal may also be signs of trouble brewing. Is the stall unusually messy to indicate perhaps a colicing horse in the middle of the night? What does the water and feed buckets reveal? Did the horse drink his usual amount of water? Is there left-over grain in the tub? By running your hands down legs, any swelling and cuts will be revealed, since it may be difficult to detect just by visual inspection. In addition, running your hands over their coats will reveal any skin issues or ticks. This is important in the winter, when long coats may conceal weight loss, especially in senior horses. By paying attention to horses and by knowing their habits, from eating to drinking to laying down, one can catch an illness or injury before it becomes too serious.

Snaps

Snaps are found everywhere in barns, from hanging buckets and hay bags, to securing blankets and cross ties.

Snaps should always face away from the horse. If a blanket is secured with snaps at the chest, the nub that you open the snap with should be facing the horse’s body. That nubby will do damage to a horse’s eye! Not to mention that it can get caught on hay nets, fences, buckets and just about anything else!

And if you are using these snaps to hang buckets or hay nets, the opening needs to face away from the horse, towards the wall. Again, those nubs will rip an eye. They will also rip open lips and nostrils. I have seen eyes, lips and nostrils torn open as a result of improper use of snaps.

And because so many people get this wrong, I am going to repeat it one more time: Face the opening of snaps AWAY FROM A HORSES FACE!

These are all common sense horsemanship skills, but sadly they are skills that many don’t understand the important reason behind performing them.

I hope that this blog has encouraged you to go check those snaps!

I am excited to announce that the manuscript for Common Sense Horse Keeping has been submitted to my publisher and will be available in February 2024! Please follow us on Instagram and FaceBook for details, contests and book signings!