Lessons Learned (long)

[Amanda Perez <amandaperez@ureach.com>]

  Last Saturday I went for a ride on my TWH, Cyclone.  It was 
one of the first above-freezing days we've had since I have 
been riding him in easy boots (front only).  Don't know if it 
was mud or ice under the grass on the small slope we were 
walking up, but his feet went right out from under him and we 
went down with a crash.  Fortunately, no major damage was 
done.  He was fine, I just banged up my kneecap.

LESSON 1:  use studs in easy boots on grass/mud.

  After I got up and shook myself off, and Cy got up and shook 
himself off, Cy started to saunter off.  I followed slowly 
calling, cajolling, begging him to come, but he wasn't buying.  
Saunter turned into trot which turned into a gallop, off down 
the trail, leaving me horseless on foot.  Fortunately I had put 
a luggage tag with my name and phone number on it.  Cy ended up 
at a nearby farm, visiting their horses over the fence.  The 
lady there caught him, untacked him and called the number on 
the tag, reaching my husband.  I ran into her hsuband and son 
who had gone looking for the rider (me).

LESSON 2: make sure you have ID and phone # on your person when 
you ride AND on your horse whenever riding.  A cell phone is a 
good idea too.

When I finally found my horse, the lady who had caught and 
untacked him said he was in a lather when he arrived.  "He's 
a 'roarer', isn't he?".  I had been concrned about his 
breathing and had asked his prior owner about it.  She said he 
was just out of shape.  I did not get him scoped as part of the 
pre-purchase exam, and he was not evaluated after exertion in 
the pre-purchase exam: two mistakes I now regret.  Currently he 
is fine with the level of riding I do (my bad back limits the 
amount of canter/gallop work I can do, and that's when he has 
problems) so it's not a big problem, but it would limit his 
abilities as an endurance horse, and from what people have told 
me it may get progressively worse, and may require surgery.

LESSON 3: pre-purchase exam should include scope of pharynx 
(espec. for TWH, saddlebreds and other 'long-necked' breeds 
prone to roaring) and should include an exam of the horse after 
strenuous exercise.

Fortunately I was unhurt, and found Cy fairly quickly, but not 
before my poor husband received the dreaded 'we found a 
riderless horse' call.  My husbands response was to jump in the 
car and go to the horse.  My husbands horse knowlege ends at 
being able to tell a horse from a dog.  He does not ride, and 
does not know the trails where I ride.  What he though he was 
going to do once he got to the horse I do not know.  After Cy 
was safely tucked in at home and we agreed I would get a cell-
phone (despite lousy reception in most areas I ride) I 
explained to him that it would have been better if he had 
stayed by the phone.  I then wrote out a page-long set of 
instructions as to what he should do if this ever happens 
again.  This included questions to ask the person who finds the 
horse (Is horse oK?  If not, call vet (with vet's number).  If 
yes, ask if horse can stay there for awhile.  If not, here is 
name of friend with a trailer.  If so, leave him there and STAY 
BY THE PHONE).  It also included a list of numbers to call to 
raise a search party (people who know the trails I ride) and a 
general description of the area I ride in.

LESSON 4: make sure everyone who might answer the phone knows 
what to do, who to call, where to look, should the dread 'we 
found your horse' call comes in.  Write down phone numbers, 
mark on a map the areas you usually ride, and make sure people 
know when to stay by the phone.  Make sure the vet's number is 
on the list, as well as the numbers of any horsey friends who 
can trailer, search etc if you are the only horseman in your 
family.


Ride safely!


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