Halter Breaking... *vent*

[HeartofSteel]

So at the ranch where I work we have 3 weanlings. They are approx. 7-8 months old. Two of them have worn halters off and on since they were born, the other one I don't think has. We weaned them a few months ago and they lived in the round pen for a few weeks, the BO then moved them back to there field with no halters or anything.
Last night the BO and the BM were trying to move them to the barn... i'm honestly not sure why. The babies have a very large field and will not let you put a halter on them. Of course I have offered many many times to work with the babies and she never gives me an answer. So they had them in a small pen right outside of there field, they were using the lightweight panels that you can take with you when you trailer out. They would take a few panels off the back of the makeshift pen and put them on the front so they were gradually going to the barn (not to far away). They babies were not happy about being in that pen and not in the field so they were running around the pen in a panic. I was up catching a horse to bring in for his dinner and I had been watching them moving the babies off and on. I saw the babies running around in the pen not happy and I was like this is not good. Sure enough all three of them ran for the panels at the same time and ended up tipping the whole pen over! So now there is three un-halter broke weanlings running around the ranch like crazy! The BM boyfriend ran down the drive as fast as he could to close the gate so they wouldn't get out on the road. I just stood there with the horse because there wasn't much I could do right then. The babies ended up coming up by me and the gelding but were in a panic so they just kept running. They ran up and down the hill quite a few time because they didn't know what to do. So I would walk closer to them but they didn't care to follow another horse they were just scared. They almost ran me over a few times and luckily the gelding I had is very quiet and doesn't care about other horses so he just stood there while I squished up next to him to not get ran over. The babies would go close to the gate of the field and then go back the other way... and they wouldn't follow the horse back into there field. I finally used the horse to block the way they kept running so they went back towards the gate. One weanling went in the field and the other two didn't. They went running back and forth for quite some time and finally we got them back in.
I was not happy by that point, I knew that was going to happen.
So this morning I go out to feed the horses and was throwing some hay and I happened to look up the hill and see the babies. I noticed one of them was just standing there and he would pick up his hoof and put it down and then pick it up again. I'm like "Greaaaat". Then one of the other babies come walking over to that one and he is hardly walking on his right hind. Everytime he would take a step on it, he would hop... So I call the BM and asked her if she was planning on being out there today and she said she wasn't sure. The BO is at work until 5:30 tonight. So I tell her whats going on. So I walked up the hill to get a closer look to see if I can tell why they are lame and it was VERY apparent. I was horrified!! The first baby has a gash on his front left from his knee to his fetlock joint! It's about 4 inches across too! It is sooo deep I honestly think I could see bone!:eek:
The other baby has a cut around his fetlock joint on his back left leg, I couldn't tell how bad it actually was because it was very dirty but he wasn't wanting to walk on it at all. The third baby just had a small cut on her front fetlock but she wasn't lame and it didn't seem to bad.
I couldn't believe the others! I called the BM back and told her all the details and neither of us are very happy the BO didn't have someone halter break them. Now we have to figure out how to catch these weanlings that have extremely bad injury's and hopefully will be able to save there legs! AGGHHHH!! It makes me so mad!
Seriously were going to have find a sedative to feed them or something because they wan't nothing to do with us. They are going to need stitches if they can even find the skin to stitch to, but there legs are so swollen they can't wrap them either and the babies wouldn't let us unless they are knock out...
Sorry for the very long vent but this makes me very angry...

[Mandzanita]

Wow, that's a horrible situation! Have you called a vet out? I wonder if they do sedation darts for horses that you shoot out of a gun or something? That may sound crazy but it's the first thing I thought of, lol. What were these babies intended for? Those injuries sound pretty serious :( I hope someone learns a lesson from this though...

Praying for a good prognosis and the ability to treat without anyone getting hurt!

[WashingtonBay]

It's really too bad it turned out that way, because you're right. Now they have a much bigger problem than they would have had if they'd halter trained them from the start.

I wish them the best. The babies, and whoever has to handle them.

[alittleoffkey]

That's awful. I pray they'll be alright and that no one is hurt in caring for them. :(

[HeartofSteel]

Mandzanita: We are trying to figure out if you can use a dart gun on horses, they called the vet to see what needs to be done. They are also checking into possible feed-thru sedatives. The babies were bred for endurance racing, but who know's if that is even an option now..

Thank you WB, yes it is a much bigger problem now and I hope she realizes that.
Thanks ALOK, I just hope they can manage to save there legs...

[Dakota Sunrise]

That's terrible! I feel so bad for the babies, and the vet who gets called out to deal with them. It's not going to be good..

[AUEquine]

ooo... this stuff makes me so mad! And then they bring these animals into a clinic and expect us to deal with them! Of course we have to treat them and get all banged up in the process, and we usually have them halter broke by the time they leave! So they just got halter training at Vet clinic prices... when this all could have been avoided by spending just a little bit of time with the animals while they were younger!

grrrr.... some people are too lazy/stupid for their own good!!!!!!!!:nono:

[FatSpottedAppy]

That's horrible.. I hope all turns out well for both the foals and people. :( Please keep us updated.

[HeartofSteel]

Small update for everyone. The vet gave us one dose of a liquid sedative so we put it with some grain and were going to give it to the worst of the three but guess what.... he wanted nothing to do with it! The others did but not him. He finally took like two bites but spit most out so it was pretty much useless...
So, the vet is going to come out tomorrow I guess with a traquilizer gun....

[42many]

They could try the pen thing out in the field again except with 2 major changes:
1) Only 1 horse at a time
2) Put t-posts into the ground at each joining of the panels, deep enough to be a stabilizer and not have points over the top. Alternatively, they could buy some landscape timbers for pretty cheap and bury them a couple feet in the ground - that wouldn't take too long and should be pretty secure.

Actually, if they used landscape timbers (at panel edges and one or two in the middle of the panel) they could shore up one side of the pen strong enough to actually get in there and maybe make a panel chute to trap the horse up against the side. This is what some old race-horse trainer I used to know did with his. I HATED it for him training babies - just teach them younger! But he would wait until they were 6-12 months old then herd them into a panel chute and pen them to get a halter on.

Another scenario I've seen is the lasso from 2 sides and wrap around a tree or something to basically "reel" the horse in. It takes 2 strong people who are good at lassoing and basically seems to work mainly by exhausting the horse to the point that it is hardly up to moving. By then, you're close enough to pretty much force a halter on it.

BTW, these are things I'd only even consider in a case like you are talking about - where the horse HAS to be caught immediately for emergency vet care and no better method seems available. Not very safe, but then the horse doesn't have a lot of options available to it. If it won't take a liquid sedative and you can't get close enough for a shot...

Hopefully they can do something with a tranquilizer gun - it'd be a lot easier on everyone, I'm sure!

[HeartofSteel]

Yah it's turned into a giant mess

[zoel_222]

Oh my god those poor babies! That sounds really frustrating. I think it's senseless to wait 8 months to halter train a baby. When a horse who isn't halter broken gets an injury how is anyone expected to DEAL with it!!! Bah. I hope they'll be alright.

[HeartofSteel]

I know Zoe, it makes me angry. And to have to shoot the poor things with a dart gun!!! Seriously people what are we? Villagers!!?

[MyHorseBiggs]

Oh wow! I hope you can get them ok. They were bred to be in endurance racing?? Doesn't sound to me like they'll be able to do that now.. Although I hope they could, but who knows.

I'm hoping and praying for all who needs it over there.

[Cat]

What did they get these gashes on??? I would be going through that field with a fine tooth comb to find out what caused these and get the problem corrected ASAP. A horse doesn't get gashes like that just from running around - there has to be something sharp out there. Wire? Aluminum siding? Machinery?

The weanlings not being trained is way too common around here. A lot of farmers around here will bring in mom and baby - give baby shots and worming at weaning tiem and then toss them back out to the field to "be horses" until they are a year. No halter training until the spring of their yearling year. However, most fo the farmers around here also know how to rope a horse if they need to catch one in a hurry.

Hope you can get these babies the vet care they need. It really depends on where the gashes are - stitches may not work, you may have to get pressure bandages on them, but those have to be changed daily, but needed to prevent proud flesh.

[Horserider]

Poor babies! As usual the owners are lazy and the horses pay for it. :mad: If the other two foals ate the sedative did they get treated?

[HeartofSteel]

Cat: They weren't in their field when they got injured. There is nothing in the field to get hurt on. They got there injury's when they pushed the pen over.

UPDATE!!
The vet came out this afternoon and used the tranquilizer gun on two maybe all three. The worst of them had to get alot of sedatives so he is pretty out still. Nothings broken though just very ugly... The other one is awake and can eat and drink. They both have wraps on but I haven't got to hear if they needed stitches or anything.

[alittleoffkey]

There is nothing in the field to get hurt on.


I've said that myself about Leggy, "There's nothing in that stall for him to get hurt on, and you know it takes a lot for me to say that." Ten stitches, a tetanus and antibiotic shot later, I still have no clue how he managed it. :rolleyes: My cousin said that about the 2-acre field he put his filly in to wean her. "Oh, she's by herself and I've checked that field over, she'll be fine." One mysterious, gaping puncture wound to her shoulder later... :doh:

I'm glad they were caught and treated without incident. That's a relief. Let us know when you learn what the vet said about their future. Leg injuries are always scary. :(

[AUEquine]

UPDATE!!
The vet came out this afternoon and used the tranquilizer gun on two maybe all three. The worst of them had to get alot of sedatives so he is pretty out still. Nothings broken though just very ugly... The other one is awake and can eat and drink. They both have wraps on but I haven't got to hear if they needed stitches or anything.

So where are they now? Do they have halter's on? Are they in small containment pens to begin being worked with?
Or did the owner just chunk them back out again?

I really see this all too often at the vet clinic, and it makes it very hard for us to give the animal good care when we can't control them. Though the worst I ever had was a 4 year old Trakhaner who wasn't halter broken. The owners reasoning was they don't break them until they're 5... well that's good and fine to wait that late to ride a warmblood, but I can guarentee you that it won't hurt it to be halter broken before then!

[HeartofSteel]

AUEquine: She isn't going to chunk, I mean chuck them back out :D She is not like that at all. They are in stalls WITH halters on.

[AUEquine]

They are in stalls WITH halters on.

YAY!!! Better late than never to come to her senses!

[samicat64]

ha..my all time "FAVORITE" ranch story...NOT!!!! urghhh..things will never happen like this again, while on my watch (at least i will be around when the next babies are born) ...!!!grrrr...at least THIS time they were o.k.... very,frustrated as well..BM : )

[HeartofSteel]

You found my loverly post lol. I was so angry if you couldn't tell :p
I'm glad that your on here now too!

[samicat64]

ha ha...i am sooo not paying attention to BF because i am lost in horse land right now...aboutt...too....getttt...offffffff...thissss ssss....computer....nooooooooooo!!!! lol!!!

[HeartofSteel]

Lol it's way addicting!! I'm seriously on here all the time. You need to post in the "Welcome Thread" now missy :nono: he he