A legal opinion, please, from someone qualified.
In the OP scenario, if the blanketer is seriously injured or killed during the blanketing attempt, I can envision “we can get you all that you deserve” lawyer types jumping into the potential money pool.
But where is the real liability? Who is at financial risk? I can speculate, but I have no legal training, which is why I ask.
Again, the problem is not in the skill level of this person. It is the barn’s practice of feeding a horse on a hot wire fence and then expecting handling to happen there, including blanket changes. My horses shift their weight all the time when they see me ready to heave-ho a blanket (they are not small horses). I highly doubt this girl “drove” your horse into the hot wire. If it was her energy or approach line, he probably would have left before she got to him, if he was going to react to that.
OP, you asked the question if you overreacted. To summarize this thread, the answer is yes.
Actually, no.
Shifting weight does not make a horse hit the hotwire where he’s been fed for 6 or so years without incident in this exact paddock. No, horses would not have left their grain if the blanket person was experienced. What are you talking about? Shifting weight? Are you aware of the facts here? Did you read what I posted? Ummm, shifting weight does not enter into the equation.
You can sure summarize this thread to say I over-reacted if you summarize it based on certain peoples’ responses and ignore others. I hope you get to experience a new-to-horses teen blanketing your horse and having your horse hit the electric wire that your horse never did before and freaked out, but was cognizant enough of the handler not to freak out on her. You can then tell me it’s no big deal and you and your horse over-reacted.
I guess many of you wouldn’t care if your horse knocked over or trampled a novice young blanketer. Or don’t care if your horse has difficulty being blanketed after such an incident. So glad I can’t identify with you.
I was hoping someone would pick up on this! So, in an ad, would you say “great mower - grass-cutting, even - walks the (straight) lines, little maintenance required”?
OP, have some respect for Ghazzu please. They are a veterinarian and add a great deal of valued wisdom to the board, never snark or rudeness.
As I said before, I saw my horse hit the hot wire in his paddock all by himself while he was taking a nap. I was well outside of his paddock doing something else. No one to blame but himself. Also had another horse accidentally hit the hot wire of his pen playing hard and even a couple times grazing next to the fence because he didn’t realize how long his ears were. Horses are sensitive but sometimes do stupid stuff.
What you wrote is that your horse “moved forward” and touched the wire. And that the had been at his feed bucket which was attached to the hot fence at the time that he moved forward. I don’t see any of that to mean that he “left” his grain.
I mean, for a time the hot wire was solar powered where my horses are. They realized that some days it didn’t work all that well. They sure tested it every single day. And made a toy out of it if it wasn’t hot. We had to hard wire that fencing.
I’m not saying that the incident wasn’t dangerous. Only that your allocation of blame to this girl was misplaced. It is not smart to handle a horse next to hot wire. And he’s only there because he is being fed there. Again, not that smart. But those factors were attributable to decisions of the barn owners. Not this employee or her energy or limited experience. And you also said things had been moved recently, so it does not appear that all of the chain of events with the blanketing happening next to a hot fence had been going on for 6 years. You said that previously he was fed in a different area that was not hot.
My horse actually has difficulty with being caught due to “stranger danger” which was exacerbated by a freak accident where he freaked out at the barn manager catching him for dinner (who he otherwise before or after does not view as “stranger”) and tried to jump the fence and broke his scapula. I can certainly relate to the dangers of handling mistakes. But I also can recognize that sometimes horses just make stupid choices and sometimes things are an accident waiting to happen no matter how many years go by without an incident.
But sure if attacking me personally makes you feel better about your actions and having to walk back your relationship with the barn, you do you. Just don’t know why you came here for any input.
You:
Also you:
You asked opinions on whether or not your reaction was reasonable. When people answer with one of the obvious options (no, your reaction was not reasonable) you then flip out on them or act snotty or dismiss their input.
Why did you ask the question if you are so demonstrably hostile to any answer other than the one you already gave yourself about yourself?
That is utterly nonsensical.
How kind.
In return I also offer kindness. Most of us would be smart enough to say “Hell no!” to hot wire anywhere near our horses’ feed tubs in the first place, let alone when we know that area is also used for blanket changes during feeding.
How much simpler can “tie horse away from hotwire while blanketing” get?
This is pretty par for the course from this poster, honestly. She doesn’t ever want honest opinions, she wants validation.
I’ve got questions.
I’m sorry if I’ve missed this, but can you explain exactly what you think the young woman did to cause your horse to touch the hot wire? You seem convinced that it was her incompetence that caused the entire issue, and I’m interested in what you think she did.
Is the horse’s feed bucket truly right beside an area of hot wire? Like, how close are we talking? If he’s eating, could he touch it without moving his feet? Or would he have to take a step or more to be close enough to hit it?
Also, didn’t you mention things had been shifted around? Is this a new place for his feed bucket?
What exactly happened during the incident? You say the young woman was not hurt. Did she get him blanketed or not?
Is he the only horse she blanketed while the BOs were away? Was your horse the first one she’s ever blanketed in her life?
I’m just trying to get a clear picture, because you’ve posted about this horse plenty, and in another thread you even refer to him as “Sir Spooks-a-Lot” who has put you in Urgent Care and still won’t go past certain areas of the arena, etc. So, the horse has a reputation of being unpredictable and injuring people. But on this thread you claim he’s “the easiest horse on the farm” (or something along those lines) which doesn’t really echo the other things you’ve said about him. Unless by “easiest horse on the farm” you mean that he grazes his pasture evenly.
It sounds to me like there was almost a bad accident that involved your “Sir Spooks-a-Lot” and the BO’s adult daughter who was helping them out during a rough time, and instead of accepting this, you want to blame someone for something that honestly could’ve happened to anyone. No one can control every factor in a situation. A horse whose nickname is “Sir Spooks-a-Lot” being blanketed beside an electric fence by someone who is not familiar with him is a recipe for an accident. It’s not the young woman’s fault. As you said, she doesn’t have a lot of experience. In that case, the people who DO have a lot of experience (you and the BOs) and who know the temperament of your horse should have been extra diligent about informing this young woman about the risks and possibly giving her instructions that would minimize any possible issues (put a halter and lead on the horse and move him away from the electric fence for blanketing).
Regardless, if no one got hurt, I would have definitely waited until the BOs were back in town and if I was still concerned, I would have mentioned it in passing after asking them about their family and letting them know that I recognize there are more important things going on for them than my damn horse getting blanketed properly by “qualified” people.
Oh, I’ve been known to snark a bit when I think it’s warranted.
Are you? Do you not understand forum rules? Do they mean nothing to you?
Yes, limited experience affects a horse being blanketed.
'I came here for input from people who would listen to the facts rather than the sild assumptions. I’m really sorry that you dont think an inexperienced person blanketing a sensitive horse makes any difference. Let’s clarify the difference between “sensitive” and “dangerous” that some here will jump on. I’m sorry you chose to listen to the problematic people here rather than just addressing me directly. You can be sure I don’t post detail here.
thanks.
No, early responses were reasonable. Then came the “other” responses that didn’t read or consider what I said. They offered bogus narratives and many people followed them.
Of course I’m hostile to bogus narratives, largely from people who regularly post them.
It truly is utterly nonsensical. I agree with you there.
That’s not up to me.
Umm what? I have no idea what you are talking about. All horses are sensitive. Which is what I said. I’m sure yours is too. I didn’t say anything about him being dangerous. I don’t know if he is or isn’t. I was going on exactly what you said. The situation was dangerous, sure. Nevertheless, I will stand by that in this particular incident, I think it could have / would have occurred regardless of the skill of the handler. And the solution is to move the feed tub and/or move the horse for blanketing…steps that need to be implemented by your BOs.
Then you need to move your horse to another barn.
Thanks for your bizarre post.
You actually don’t understand the situation at all but think you do.
You haven’t provided information as to how much groundwork and under-saddle training my horse has. Hmmmm, why not? Does this make your narrative more important to you?
Please grasp, my horse has been blanketed his whole life and is easy to blanket. The BO said in writing he is “easy” in October-you are making things up. How utterly strange that you are casting him as difficult to blanket him based on what you “interpret:” from my past posts on COTH. SirSpooksAlot is Spooky under saddle but has over a years worth of ground training from a professional that other’s ridiculed here. I fully keep up on and expanded that training.
Such is COTH. It seems to be the horse’s fault here.
The young woman has limited experience blanketing horses. In my world, that is significant. In your world, obviously it is the horse’s fault. We’ll agree to disagree.
Glad to know you’re up for the daughter being hurt before bringing it to the parents attention. Again, we agree to disagree.
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