Above the hock; low on the thigh. I
always have to look up the names of the parts of the horse's legs.
Regarding wrapping around
the forearm, it's not really dangerous, it just gives you a better purchase. I
would say the greatest physical hazard here to the human is that the horse can
lose it or just get angry and go
sideways wildly and shove you into the side of the trailer door or knock you
down and trample you, or rear and come down sideways on you, although if you're ready and quick with the ropes you
can convert the rear into a slight gain in forward position. To the
horse, the greatest hazard I think would be going sideways and falling off the
ramp and getting legs in conflict with the ramp, or if a step-up, somehow
getting part of legs, particularly hinds, caught under the floor. One does have
to accept a certain level of risk when with horses, though; it's essentially a
physical activity. But you're right -- the one
requirement of this method is a horse that doesn't totally flip
out.
One of the points of the dally is that
it is easy to let out the rope either slowly or quickly as desired. In this case
you just open your hand and the horse is free.
From: Dot Wiggins
[mailto:dotwgns@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008
10:50 AM To: mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; Ridecamp Subject:
Re: [RC] Hard Headed Horses
NO NO NO!!!
See below!!!!!
This and variations will often work on many,
been there done that,
Take a very long rope and tie a big loop in one end,
big enough to go around the horse's hind quarters, draping over her back and
coming up just above the knee joint of her hinds. Do you mean
hocks? The knot will be about where
your left calf would be if you were on her back. The free end of this rope
runs along the left shoulder and past her nose, where it is appx. level with
the lead rope.
When she moves an inch, immediately take up the
slack. Keep as much tension on the ropes as possible (i.e., wrap them around
your forearm and lean hard) Never never
never wrap anything connected to a horse around any part of your
body!!! You can die this way!!! Or lose valuable parts of your
bady unless she suddenly gives and simply
walks in. However if as you say she has a tendency to back out even once on,
make sure that there is no more than an inch or three of slack at any
time.
Used carefully this or similar will work
on most, but some will come unglued.
Never tie the end to anything solid,
I've seen a horse break its neck when plunging sideways to get away from the
trailer. There must be a safety release.
