Do you carry a lead rope and halter in your daily driver?

[stb]

Well, you should. And I certainly will from now on.

Yesterday I was driving to Tractor Supply, which in my area is on a major highway. I had my young grandchildren in the car. I come around a blind corner and there is a horse grazing right next to the highway. People are speeding by at 65 mph or more. I turned my car around and was able to pull off the highway and into a driveway in order to get my grandkids and car safely away from the road. Another woman stopped to help and we were able to walk up to the mare, who thankfully was wearing a halter. I had no lead rope or any rope in my car, so was holding the mare by the halter and praying that she wouldn’t give me trouble. I did remember that my grandson was wearing a belt, so was able to get that and slide it through the halter. Unfortunately, he is a skinny little guy so it wasn’t much.

Anyway, it all turned out fine. I called the police - who did have a lead rope but no horse knowledge at all. I called my vet’s office and asked if they had the phone number for the owner of the farm nearby. I know the people but not well enough to have their number. The farm owner was out of town but I did talk to her and she was able to get someone to come get the horse.

Before I get in my car and leave this farm again I will have a halter and lead in my car. It was a lucky break that the loose horse had a halter on, that my grandson had a belt, and that a very kind woman stopped to help me as well. That was terrifying. If that horse had gotten hit not only would it have killed the horse but people would have been badly hurt as well. It would have been a giant pile up on a blind curve. So scary.

[trubandloki]

Good job securing that horse and finding its owner.

I do not have a halter but I have more than one dog leash. I can twist a dog leash into a halter or use one as a lead rope.

[wsmoak]

Yep, there is always a halter and lead rope under the back seat. There’s also a gallon bag with half a dozen lengths of hay string/twine.

In a pinch you can make a figure 8 out of nearly anything, behind the ears and over the nose, crossing under the jaw.

Good job getting the horse safely back where it belonged!

[clanter]

my wife’s car is a tack store and emergency room as she carries an Animal medical kit (which she had to use in a Human last week LOL) (come to think of it daughter’s truck also)

She is a RN and was a vet tech beforehand, daughter in all the other stuff she does also is a vet tech working for a local vet on weekends,

[OnAMission]

Yes, an old halter and lead as well as dog leashes and treats. A halter can be used on a big dog as a harness as needed. I always have a gob of baling twine it seems too. I used to deliver papers in the middle of the night and ended up catching many loose horses, often enough that I started carrying an old bucket with some grain in the bottom, then the halter on the top. Now I seem to find a dog wandering the highway on a regular basis. I had 5 lanes of highway stopped a couple weeks ago for an old blind dog that had wandered out into the road. Was glad to see a highway patrol pull up behind me to put on his lights. He wasn’t much help catching the dog but he did help with the traffic.

[yaya]

Yep, because horses in my subdivision keep getting out (usually the same ones). As a horse owner, I’m on the list to help wrangle them. I had to buy halters to keep in my car because my warmbloods’ halters are way too big for the horses who keep getting out.

[frugalannie]

Yes I do. I simple slip loop type, with attached lead. (And dog leash and treats). With the ACOs help, we got enough donated for each police car and fire truck to have one. The fire dept has done horse handling training at our barn as well. Consider offering it to your local dept. As a bonus they will then be familiar with the layout of your place which can save precious minutes in an emergency.

[clanter]

@frugalannie

we got enough donated for each police car and fire truck

might want to add “oxygen masks for dogs” for the fire departments as often they rescue dogs from fires and none of the human masks work well for dogs

We are members of a dog group that has donated hundreds of the dog masks to fire departments

[Arlomine]

Yup. Rope halter and extra long lead in all vehicles.

Especially since I had an experience when I was 16… Three horses galloped down our suburban road at 5 AM, waking me up with their hoof beats. I grabbed some rope out of the garage and ran after them. Caught up with them about 5 miles away on a golf course! I used the one long piece of rope to tie all three of them to a fence. I’m afraid it looked like a bunch of macramé, since I had no idea how to do a quick release knots. Finally the police came, followed by the owners… Who never even thanked me. Oh well.

On second thought, Maybe I should put more than one halter and lead rope in the car!

[chestnutmarebeware]

I have a halter and a long dog leash, because the leash can be used as a lead rope for a horse, or looped around a dog’s neck. I also keep peppermints in crinkly wrappers in the car. I’ve had to use all of them more than once.

[ThreeWishes]

Yes and also a leash and dog food. Once as a 16 year old I caught a loose horse with my bra. Slipped it right out my armhole. It was all I had in a pinch.

[equinelibrium]

Thanks for the reminder! Great job getting the horse to safety. Thank goodness she was wearing a halter! I’ve been meaning to get something to keep in my car for this type of scenario. One of these seems really useful since it would fit just about any horse/dog/critter in a pinch:

https://knotjustrope.com/products/pocket-halter

[Maythehorsebewithme]

I do have a couple of lead ropes in my car, and could jury-rig a halter. My only experience with something like this was driving to the barn through a suburban community, and seeing a loose pony being chased (!) by several police officers. Why???!!! Don’t people know that horses (or ponies) can run faster than humans?

Pony was playing tag with the police, luckily not really frightened. I parked, got out, and told the police to “stand down”, which I never thought I would say to police officers.

Not only did I have a lead rope (and the pony had a halter on), I had a plastic bag of carrots. I rattled the bag and immediately almost got mugged by the pony. Got the lead rope on. Asked the police, “Now what?” Police wanted no part of taking hold of the beast. Luckily the pony was only about a quarter-mile from home. I walked, leading the pony, and we had a police escort.

Owner was older guy, very upset, very grateful.

And I got to ride in the police car back to my car!

[Janet]

Just baling twine.

[chestnutmarebeware]

@Maythehorsebewithme

My only experience with something like this was driving to the barn through a suburban community, and seeing a loose pony being chased (!) by several police officers. Why???!!! Don’t people know that horses (or ponies) can run faster than humans?

My office is next to the fancy new city/county animal shelter. Right after it opened a couple of years ago, they had several young pot-bellied pigs surrendered to them. At least two of them escaped from the facility almost immediately and spent most of their time in our parking lots. Animal control sent their guys over, who proceeded to try to chase these pigs down on foot.

It was both the funniest and stupidest thing I’ve ever seen—two grown men running after a small zigging-and-zagging pig with their arms outstretched with zero chance of catching it.

The entire office watched for about half an hour before one of my co-workers, who comes from a farming family, suggested they bring a large trap over and bait it with some yummy food. The animal control guys did not take this suggestion gracefully and left in a huff, but when we came in the next morning there was a covered trap with a sheepish pig inside.

[Paint_Party]

@yaya

Yep, because horses in my subdivision keep getting out (usually the same ones).

Same here. Always. The. Same. Horses.

I finally called the sheriff, who put me in contact with the county brand inspector who also oversees all the livestock. He took a report and visited the owners and explained that next time there will be a fine involved. Loose horses wandering the roads, can result in not only death to the horses, but death to the driver and destruction of property. Idiots. Put up some perimeter fencing and keep your danged gates closed!

But uh, yes. I keep a halter, a lead rope and an actual rope-rope inside my truck.

[candyappy]

I will stick one in my car now for sure. Maybe a small container of feed as well for catching?? If the need ever arises

[Mango20]

No halter, but I always have two dog leashes in my vehicles, so can make a halter/lead, or neck rope.

A couple weeks ago I was zooming down the 55mph road and saw a loose cow just outside a fence. I turned around to try to alert someone to it or shoo it back in, but when I pulled into the driveway, I saw the cow had been tied out on a long rope to a fence post presumably on purpose.

[furlong47]

Yes, and I’ve used it more than once. I’ve also given the halter away several times to people at shows when their horse broke the only one they had along. I just buy another used cheapy at the consignment store to replace it.

[trubandloki]

@furlong47

Yes, and I’ve used it more than once. I’ve also given the halter away several times to people at shows when their horse broke the only one they had along. I just buy another used cheapy at the consignment store to replace it.

I will never understand people who take their horse somewhere and do not bring along a spare halter and lead rope.