Safety First, Please

I had hoped to be able to obtain and post pictures for this post, however.... we are all familiar with the phrase, "The best laid plans..."

One of the biggest things in this line of work that is potentially an issue is how horses are held while work is being done on them. It does not matter if this is a hoof care provider, or a vet- improper handling during any procedure is a good way to get someone hurt, and teach your horse some pretty nasty habits.

The simple rule is:
Always stay on the same side as the service provider.

Why?
Because the person handling the horse at the head can control the entire direction of the horse's body.

Now take note:
Standing on the same side does NOT NOT NOT mean stand directly in front of the front legs. Ever. In the case of hoof care providers, should a front foot break loose from our grasp, your knee cap (or *ahem* worse,) is directly in the line of fire. Ever been clonked in the knee by a fast moving cinder block? That is about how it feels when a horse yanks a foot away from a hoof care provider and swings it with force forward. Trust me- this can and DOES do some serious damage. (Had a gent once tell us about how a horse was being difficult, yanked the foot away from the trimmer and smashed him in a rather delicate area. He never stood in front of a horse again- ever. And he also never had kids.)

How does staying on the same side keep your service provider safer?
When the horse breaks free, acts up, dances about, etc, the handler has the ability to turn the horse's head INTO them, as they step back/ sideways towards the hip, and the service provider steps straight back, out of the line of fire.

This is a pretty serious job- not one, in my opinion at least- to be taken lightly. For instance: cell phones? Banned. No phones while we are working, please. All it takes is one second of inattention and someone can/ will get hurt. When working on front hooves, it is too easy for a horse to be tempted to take a chunk out of our backs, heads, arms, etc. Should your hoof care provider need to bring a front foot forward, it is OK to move to the opposite side, so that you can still control the head of the horse. THIS is when a lot of horses manage to find trouble- most are kind, and will not bite. Most like to sniff and see what the heck is going on. However, sniffing puts that delicate nose in a touchy place, and an accidental whap from an elbow or tool can happen. (Leaving a bad impression with the horse.) In those horses who tend to be a bit, shall we say *cranky*, this is a prime chance to get a bite and express their opinion on the matter. Preventing this is fairly easy- simply put a slight amount of pressure on the nose, away from the service provider. You will essentially be tipping the nose towards you, and away from temptation.

Biting = NEVER a good thing. EVER.

A lot of service providers will have the owner tie the horse, or they will tie the horse and do their jobs with no owner present. In our practice, we require either the owner to be there, OR a competent handler to be available. I can hear some of you now, rolling your eyes and whining about how inconvenient it is for you to have to be there, or how it will take time from work/ out of your day/ etc. The kicker is, we are willing to adjust OUR schedule around YOURS to some extent. With proper planning, we can work weekends, and we will even work towards evening hours if need be.

We Do Not -- NOT -- Work On Tied Horses. Period.

Every time we do, Something Goes Wrong.

The LAST time I worked on a tied horse was in 2000. I was alone, barn owner had to go to work, horse owner could not make it up the mountain that day due to some heavy snows. Since I lived at the top of the mountain, and had a nice big four wheel drive, it was no big deal for me to put it in gear and mosey on over to the barn. This was an "easy" horse- a calm older mare that I knew well and loved. Unfortunately, this day the winds were howling as yet another Nor'easter was headed our way, and the door to the indoor had wind swirl under and around it, and it literally ripped the door loose. (Fairly common occurrence at times up there in Tundra Country.) That happened when I was just moving out of the way, and the mare blew. She was tied- and couldn't go anywhere to escape except on top of me. My right foot to be exact. I wound up with some broken bones in my foot that laid me up for weeks. I couldn't drive, feed my horses, walk, or do ANYTHING. I still have trouble with that hoof of mine from time to time.

Since that incident, I have never gotten under another tied horse. There is not enough money in the world for me to attempt hoof care with out someone with me- be it my husband or a good handler. Life is too short, and there is too much that needs to be done on a day to day basis for one of us to be laid up.

Stay alert, know your horse, and be sure to open a line of conversation with your service providers about what works best to keep EVERYONE safe and happy. Ask questions if you don't know. Horses are a hard line of work, and not exactly the safest line at times either. Pay attention to your horse. If you have a horse you know has "issues" about things, school them some before your appointment. Don't work them into the ground- but reach out and engage their BRAINS. Remind them that YOU control their feet, and how much they can move, how fast they can go, and where they can go. Work with young stock in short increments, when you can. In this case, QUALITY of work counts for quite a bit over QUANTITY. Young stock and older horses probably need to move some between feet. This will remind them that they have a job to do in listening to you, and allow for stiffness to sort itself out. Just like you after sitting too long in your office chair, a good stretch does everyone some good.

Be safe out there folks. Think about what you are doing, watch and read your horses, and talk over a game plan with your service providers please.

Happy Hoofin' Y'all....