This occurred in 2011, but the lawsuit was filed last week.
We breed exclusively by live cover and I cannot imagine how a person with any sense at all could end up under the horses. Very, very sad.
It is very sad. Things happen and horses are unpredictable. I have ended up under a stallion through no error on anyone’s part. The stallion lost his balance getting on the mount and we both ended up on the ground. Accidents happen and you can not always control every situation.
Wow. I know Heather and of her farm. Very sad.
So sorry this happened. Condolences to her family.
For those that breed live cover, things can happen very quickly and in a very volatile manner, and often in a split second, things can go from normal to awful for handlers and/or horses
There have been many cases of large KY or FL based breeding farms losing seasoned breeding experts who probably participate in hundreds of live covers each year, spanning 10-15-20 years. And who take every precaution in well set up, well staffed breeding environments, while wearing helmets, safety shoes and protective vests. If you have ever seen some of these places operate, there are usually 4-5 staff in there per breeding, with everyone knowing their jobs and their place very well. And in that split second, something quick and terrible happens and someone dies or gets hurt very badly
It happens
Last year a friend of mine lost a mare through a live cover breeding. The stallion wasnt getting the job done with him and the mare being held, so the stallion owner suggested turning them out loose together. He did get her bred, and as the mare and stallion owner were talking, the stallion appeared to take great exception to this mare being in “his” paddock, so from what I was told by the mare owner, he flattened his ears and charged at her, tried to grab her by the neck and throw her on the ground. They both went into the paddock to try and get the mare out of there and he repeatedly savaged the mare and if they got within range, he pinned his ears and flew at them and drove them both out of the paddock. And then went back to savaging the mare. The SO got a lunge whip so she could try and drive him off the mare, the MO grabbed the mare and tried to get her out of the paddock, but the stallion flew at both of them so she had to let go of the mare and get the Hell out of there and then he went back to savaging the mare again
Finally she was able to get the mare out of there with a lot of holes and gashes in her neck and body. She was euthanized a few days later and the MO said as many horses as she has been around over so many years, she has never been as afraid for her life as she was trying to get her mare out with the stallion coming at her repeatedly
Ive had mares clamp their tails and sit down like dogs when we try and breed them (and this is after the vets said "she is in the process of ovulating - breed her NOW!!!). Mares trying to double barrel me and the stallion if we get within 10 feet of them, even through Dormo and Torb cocktails and yes - the vets and their teasing showed they were ready to breed. Mares that leap in the air and get the Hell out of Dodge if the stallion even comes close
And then we’ve had mares that just stand there and really - dont even need anyone to hold them at all. They are a breeze to breed … 
A few years ago and this was probably the funniest breeding of all, we bred one of my new mares, my daughter was holding her, we got the job done and I said “I’ll put GG away first and then you can bring Iris in”. GG went into his stall, no Iris. Went back out and my daughter is chirping and clucking at her trying to get her to move but she had this zoned out look of bliss on her face and she wasnt moving anywhere very quickly so I told her to just leave her and once she started moving around we’d bring her in. She was probably one of the easiest maidens Ive ever bred!
So - yes - I can see how things could have turned bad very quickly in this case where the lawsuit is being filed no matter how experienced or careful both parties were
A friend of my aunt was killed quite some years back in a live cover accident. He was a very, very, VERY experienced handler at one of the large Ocala TB breeding operations. Mare nailed him in the chest and stopped his heart.
Regarding the savaging issue - a few years ago, someone posted on this forum she had taken her mare to be live covered by a WB stallion, and he had not only violently raped her mare, but also savaged her so badly she foundered and had to be put down. The MO was wondering what her recourse was toward the SO - apparently he had told her all stallions are “rough” during breeding. I believe folks on this forum advised her to get a lawyer, but I don’t think she ever came back on the forum to report the outcome.
A friend of my aunt was killed quite some years back in a live cover accident. He was a very, very, VERY experienced handler at one of the large Ocala TB breeding operations. Mare nailed him in the chest and stopped his heart.
That was one of the ones I was referring to. My understanding was that he was a 30 or more year professional in the industry that really knew what he was doing …
If it could happen to him, it could happen to anyone … 
[QUOTE=Slewdledo;6505932]
We breed exclusively by live cover and I cannot imagine how a person with any sense at all could end up under the horses. Very, very sad.[/QUOTE]
If you cannot imagine how this could happen, I would STRONGLY recommend you stop breeding. And I’m not being snarky or sarcastic. There was a study done a few years ago that investigated injuries to vets by horses. It was found that they were more likely to be badly hurt by their own animals. Why? Because they became complacent and “knew” their own animals. In other words, they lost their “edge” around their own animals and assumed they (their own horses) wouldn’t do anything.
Weird as it may seem, as I age, I definitely see my reaction time slowing down and being able to dodge and duck when moving around the breeding shed - I’m not “quite” as quick as I used to be. I’m currently scheduled for ACL surgery on the 28th - my ortho doc considers what we are doing an “extreme sport”! SWEET!!! <lol>. I never thought I qualified for that tag on anything :D! But seriously, things can change in a heartbeat and even just doing collections on a breeding mount, we’ve seen stallions take exception to the tease mare, the breeding mount, get cranky because things aren’t happening the way THEY think it should, savage the breeding mount, fall off the breeding mount, etc. You name it, it’s probably happened and if you’re not expecting it or anticipating it, it can result in being in the wrong place at the wrong time :(.
We will do live cover when we have to (TBs), but in those situations, you now have TWO animals that can contribute to chaos. One misstep at a bad moment and you ARE underneath. Totally, totally tragic and unfortunate. Hopefully the current lawsuit in Australia will at least allow stallion owners/handlers in the TB industry to remove one of the components to the equation. And honestly, more often than not, it “is” the mare that lets fly with those hind feet at a critical moment :eek:!
Very tragic for all.
Could anyone comment on how things like Equine Inherent Liability laws, and liability waivers will be viewed in a situation like this?
I read the article and what the lawsuit contends - what standard breeding procedures do not allow horses to move during breeding? Ok, maybe the mare, although I would consider stocks or hobbles more dangerous than not. But a stallion has to move. Kathy, I understand your dilemma – I can barely walk right now with sciactica - although I am riding some and probably getting another epidural. But, I know my days of breeding live cover are over. When Murray (my 23 y.o. stallion) is gone, I will not have another stallion. I feel lucky to ride at this point. This accident is a tragedy, but when the hormones are at that level with two big animals, anything can happen and does.
PennyG
And honestly, more often than not, it “is” the mare that lets fly with those hind feet at a critical moment !
Yup. Agree 100%. Whether I am holding the mare or the stallion, 99 times out of 100 its the mare that will get me and very very rarely the stallion. Whether I get kicked at, struck at or run over, it is the mare that I have to watch the majority of times
Thats why the good mares that know their job and co-operate fully get the extra kiss, pat and carrot. They make life SO much easier and safer for everyone …
I have absolutely the easiest stallion on the planet to live cover, and I only live cover mares that are literally sitting on the fence, begging to be bred.
My stallion is actually many many times easier and calmer when live covering than when he is heading to a phantom. He has lived with mares, so is very smart, and I totally leave it to him, standing way back on the line - totally out of the way, as I don’t need to control him at all.
We also always twitch the mare, in spite of the fact that she has planted feet, and teasing hard.
Because of my self made rules of only breeding really receptive mares, I have never had anything unexpected or remotely dangerous happen while breeding.
That said, we are breeding on uneven ground, and all it would take would be for someone to have their foot turned in a small divot, to fall down, and then you have a whole 'nuther set of “rules”.
They are horses, and you are outside - no possible way to control everything that may happen.
I’m very sorry that this happened but PO’d that everyone feels that they should sue. The nicest horses can be dangerous. If you don’t realize that horses can be dangerous you have no business being around them. I’m so sick of our sue happy society.
Then you have not bred enough 
And as the article stated, the woman who was killed was not familiar with breeding and was just helping the Stallion Owner out…which would make it incredibly easy to take one mis-step and end up in the wrong place…especially if you are scared, unsure and inexperienced. Not everyone always makes the best decision or choice in the midst of a bad situation.
Like Kathy said, I also notice my reaction time just isn’t the same as it used to be…and I just turned 40! :lol: Can’t imagine what it will be like when I’m 50! All it takes is tripping or something out of the ordinary to happen and you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time. :eek: So many things can happen when you’ve got two animals with their own brains and two handlers with their own brains.
About 15 years ago (before I honestly knew much) we live covered a young stallion, and through a split second chain of events, the stallion lunged forward suddenly and pulled the leadrope through my hand, I stumbled, the mare squealed at the stallion and the stallion double barreled out behind himself in reaction. I should have let go of the rope :rolleyes: but had planned to gather it back up and be standing beside him again. Like the idiot I was back then, I ended up being basically right behind him and slightly off to his left. As soon as heard the squeal and the start of his reaction, I lifted one arm up to cover my face, one arm in front of my chest and stepped into the kick. I don’t know how I had the brains to do that in that split second, but it was the only thing that saved my life. Winesses say I was kicked and thrown at least 10 feet back. As it was, I got one hoof right in the jaw and the other at my sternum. If I hadn’t stepped into the kick, I have no doubt I would have been within range of the end of his kick (the most powerful point for a horse) and likely dead.
Wow Daventry!!! :eek: How very fortunate you were!!!
Another “accident”. Had a mare boarded out with several other mares at a private farm run by a very nice woman with lots of horse experience, who opted to lead 2 of my mares out together each day. Let one off the lead then the other, closed the gate and life went on. She NEVER turned their heads towards her before unsnapping them - rather unsnapped them and their hind ends were facing her as they went away
This one mare was young - 3 or 4, it was a cool and windy morning, her friend had already let out a buck and took off and when she was unsnapped, she did the same and caught the woman right in her liver with her kick and the woman went down with no one around. She managed to crawl back to the house (long before cell phones) and call 911 and she was in the hospital for quite a long time, underwent different surgeries to stop the internal bleeding and was out of commission for quite some time as well
I felt awful for her but that was a cardinal error on her part - you never let them off the lead with their rear ends facing you because it might not be today or tomorrow, but sure as heck one day you will get nailed and it wont be pretty as she could attest to
Even those that know better make stupid mistakes around horses when complacency sets in …
Very sad situation, and a tragedy about the loss of life… and I understand that grief makes us do things we might otherwise not do, but I don’t really see suing in this situation. It seems to me that the deceased assumed responsibility for engaging in/taking part in this risky activity, and would - at the very least - be contributorily negligent. Hopefully this will settle fast, and everyone can put it behind them.
This is such a shame. So sorry to hear about loss of life. With time and experience, I can see how horses can hurt or kill in a myriad of circumstances in the blink of an eye and with no malice toward their humans.
I realize now that the half dozen or so times I held a mare for live cover by a friend’s stallion in the late 70s, early 80s wearing no head covering, given no real instructions, no information of how things might go south, etc. that I was risking my life without knowing it. Wow.
[QUOTE=Cartier;6506360]
Very sad situation, and a tragedy about the loss of life… and I understand that grief makes us do things we might otherwise not do.[/QUOTE]
Insurance does, too. Could be the insurance company suing in the husband & daughter’s name. One of the tradeoffs for insurance is you allow the insurance company to sue in your name to recover whatever they paid out from someone who is negligent.
Could be the insurer paid the family & is looking to get their money back.
I usually handle the mare when we breed & yeah, things happen fast. My theory is you should have enough skilled help to do all the jobs properly, plus one to dial 911. And hope the ‘dial 911 person’ has a boring day.
[Daventry, I will never see 50 again . . .I am 55 and already understanding what my mother-in-law meant when she was approaching 90 & kept saying, “Getting old isn’t for the faint of heart.”]
This is very likely the case. Insurance companies can (and do) sue under the name of the insured - even against the insured’s strong objections - if they see any hope of getting their money back. Totally sucks.
At our place, one of my boarders was riding HER OWN HORSE and came off in a freak accident that left her with some cracked ribs. She called me about a week later saying her medical insurance company was wanting to sue us over it! She said she promptly told them it was her own damned horse and that she had signed a very strong liability release at our barn and that the barn was owned by a trial lawyer who would not hesitate to put up a strong and costly (to them) defense. They dropped the matter, but I cringe to think what would have happened to a farm owner in the same situation that did not have a good release or happen to be owned by a lawyer who could defend themselves.
People do stupid things though, I was at a breeding farm/lesson facility where they did mostly pasture breeding there. They had put a new mare in with one of the stallions who decided she would rather have the stallion in the other pasture. Would not let the stallion in with her near to breed. I was 18 and never been around breeding stallions or breeding, the owner had me go in to bring the mare in decided while I was there to hold the mare for loose stallion to breed. He came in and bit the sh*t out of her on her neck and then left. They blamed me for letting him bite her! They had to hand breed the mare eventually, after schooling stallion pretty heavily.
I have since been stallion handler for over 3 years at a farm, only one stallion was truely dangerous and I left because of him. Putting him back into his stall he flipped around and went for my face. We always collected off of jump mares, they were drugged and hobbled and twitched (usually). Collected up to 9 stallions in one day. Did some natural cover, I much prefer handling a stallion that has been pasture bred, much better manners and respect for the mares.
