Loose horse at invitational jumping

Does anyone know What happened to the loose horse from the invitational jumping last night?

Try the Kentucky Three Day Event thread, but I believe the horse was caught in the warm up ring.

They reported that horse and rider were ok last I saw.

There is a video going around on TikTok.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwATvMm/

They said the ground crew was ok and the horse was caught in the warmup ring. The announcers had said the horse was known to be a hot ride on air.

But it was spooked by its bridle which came off after ducking out of a fence and took off around the ring.

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I’ve been wondering the same thing!

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We saw it happen from the stands. Glad everyone is ok. Thanks for the update

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I just read a comment on Facebook from someone who is good friends with a member of the Split Rock team and it sounds like the jump crew member has a shoulder injury but is otherwise ok. She was there when they caught Carrots in the warmup and she appeared to be fine and walked back to the barn sound.

She’s a very sensitive mare and was totally freaked out by the bridle dragging behind her (and probably by the fact that she lost her rider in the first place). At the same show last year she had a boot come loose and bolted out of the arena at the end of the round. I am a huge fan of hers, but sometimes they are their own worst enemies.

An official statement was just posted on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/share/p/bUfbi2ZyjxiyzBmH/?mibextid=oFDknk

This, btw, is exactly how I had my injury at the Devon Fall Classic in 2019.

Horse stopped, dropped rider, bridle came off but was caught on hind legs. Horse bolted, jumped out of the Dixon Oval and into my head. (Thankfully wearing a helmet but still got LOTS of time off thanks to brain/occupational therapy and physical therapy)

Bridles can be far more dangerous when not on the horse.

Em

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I’m glad everyone seems mostly okay.

Now I’m wondering if I can do some “bridle breakage” bomb proofing work with my horses… you can’t prevent everything but it seems like a valid thing to teach (not panicking with straps flapping around/dragging). Hobble training? Hmm.

I saw the clips on TikTok. It was scary.

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I can’t see how. My horses are completely unflappable about stepping on a lead rope. I had one get his halter snagged in a slant divider support and he rode lord knows how far with his nose at his feet…but solo in an arena and ramped up? Good luck.

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Yeah that’s the kicker - if a horse is already in Bolt Mode, there’s not much stopping them until they decide to.

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My guess is the air vest probably started it and that combined with dragging the bridle by the hind legs made it even worse.

I don’t believe he was wearing an air vest. The horse took down the jump.

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He was taking his air vest off as he was running after the horse. Probably the best way to prevent this happening is to not use an ear bonnet. I swear in almost every video I’ve seen of this happening, the eat bonnet slipped off and took the bridle with it.

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I agree with you. Ear bonnets seem to make it easier for a bridle to slip off from what I’ve seen on video wreaks like this. I’m sure it’s been mentioned a time or ten on COTH as well.

I’ve shown with a split ear bridle (a western bridle with just one ear piece, no throat latch) and never had the bridle come of like that, but I’ve never been dumped by a horse wearing one either…

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He was wearing an air vest. It went off when he came off over the horse’s head when it took down the jump. He was trying to take it off while running after the horse.

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Ear bonnets and throat latches so loose they are pointless. I mostly see this in dressage world where everyone is paranoid about the throat latch interfering with neck movement but the only purpose of that piece of leather is to stop a bridle slipping off the head :woman_shrugging:t2:

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My daughter was there, said there was no ambulance on duty. She thought that was odd given all the other precautions. The mare slammed into a ring crew person

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Yes. Loose throatlatches are a pet peeve of mine but all but one of the various dressage trainers I have worked with fasten them loose (and the noseband tight). With one trainer, I’d sneak in and tighten the throatlatch and loosen the noseband before I got on. She never noticed.

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