On July 2nd of last year my 4 year old daughter was in a really bad accident. We were feeding our two Mustangs same thing we did everyday, but there was a new horse that just moved in next to them, when we were leaving the corral I turned to open the gate and she was just an arm length behind me, I mean right there when i turned around to grab her hand for us to leave, my daughter my lying on the ground, the horse had kicked her, and I thought she was just messing around and then I saw the wound on her forhead and I started screaming for help but nobody was around. So I picked up my little girl and took her to the nearest barn where there people. She ended up being life flighted to the Casper Hospital in Casper, WY and went through 3 hours of surgery and 2 days in ICU. The horse had kicked her and shattered her forhead, and the tip of her left front lobe and to be removed. She now has titanum mesh until the bone grows back, and now she has a scare going acrossed her forhead and reminds me everyday that if I wouldn't had taken my eye off her for just that second, it never would of happened. But I keep trying to convince myself that maybe the new horse next to them maybe spooked them but I still blame myself. What I am saying is that no matter what kind of training your horse has had or how long your child has been around horses, it just takes a split second when you turn your head for something to happen to your child. No matter how much you trust your horse or your children, something can happen in the blink of an eye...
Hi, I'm so sorry about what happened to your little girl. When you have kids around horses there is always that chance of something happening. Thank God she is still alive, because sometimes your not that lucky. I was kicked by my horse rate on the chest and I bruised so badly for a long time. Luckly, I did not break any ribs. You sound like a loving and caring parent who only wants the best for your daughter.
hey there! Well my accident wasn't as serious as that...but I did fall off my pony, get dragged around the arena twice and down the hill to end up in the manure pile! I broke my leg and really scratched up my back but I'm SO glad I went back down to the barn for my helmet before I rode. Most of the time you can't blame the horse; in my case, she was blind and heard a dirtbike loudly shifting down as it went by our arena. And you're right... horses are unpredictable.
OH MY!!!! That is absolutely terrible and I am so glad that she is recovering. You could go crazy playing out scenarios in your mind that would have ended with a different result but that won't solve anything. Your daughter doesn't blame you and you should not blame yourself. We are at a stable with over 90 horses and I am constantly telling my daughter to be careful while trying to pet horses other than her own. While she was petting one horse it grabbed her entire ear. Luckily it let go because she hit him on the nose but it could have been much worse. Our own horse bit her under her lower jaw and split her skin open while she was feeding a bucket of supplements...now she eats them out of the bucket on the ground. Since our horse is a bit on the moody side I don't even allow her to go into the stall to get her. She got a concussion when she was thrown for something that was definitely my fault...decided to use a No Bit Bridle and it was fine until one day I decided it looked loose and tightened it. The end result was a concussion and never using that bridle again. My daughter had every right to be mad at me for her hospital trip but she wasn't and I am sure you daughter could never blame you as much as you blame yourself. Kids are pretty sturdy and bounce back fast. In a few years this will hopefully just be a memory with a scar that has a story behind it. My son has Autism and I have to watch him like a hawk because he wants to pet all the cute horsies....I try to remind them that although they are beautiful they can also kill you without even trying or meaning to. Every time my daughter rides, jumps, grooms, feeds, etc. I thank God when she has done it all without injury. You are correct....it only takes a split second and it is also nearly impossible to keep your eyes on your child every single second. There is a young woman at our stable who has a 1 yr. old philly and a 2 year old daughter. Her daughter has no fear of horses and ran right in front of mine who promptly tried to bite the top of her head but missed and all of us were standing right there so accidents can happen, even if you are watching.
Hi, I used to work for a riding stables in Northern California years back. We never knew what horse we'd be on for guides. They normally were picked by the boss. I rode a Percheron, 40 hours of training mind you. The third hour I rode him on the trails with others behind me, he blew up. On the way down, he kicked my left wrist, broke it in two places. I never got back on him again. It wasn't my doing.<br> Another time, I leased a horse from there, and he was very barn sour, on the way back he would run to the stables, trying to teach him not to, and doing circles, he reared up and came over on top of me. The stables was next to a rock corey, and my head hit a rock covered by dirt, and I was drug some, as my foot was stuck in the stirrup. I only got 11 stitches in my head. Took me a year to get on another horse, and I picked the horse I rode. But the horse I own now, she's the sweetest thing. She's 25, and doesn't act or look it. Hope your daughter will be ok. Take care.
Hi Im so sorry about what happened to your daughter. I wish best luck. This was seeerious and im so glad she is Getting better. oh and thanks for sharing because i know hat it may have been hard to write this. i have 2 mustangs of my own and they are trained but they are also pretty wild! It could happen so sudden....
Hopefully your daughter will have a full recovery and come away with a healthy respect for horses and not a fear of them. Sometimes I get a call from someone wanting me to sell them or "find" them a "bombproof" horse, I tell there is no such thing. I have been around horses my whole life and there is one thing I have learned, while a horse may be extremely well trained and experienced, you just never know what might set a horse off. It's always best to treat ALL horses with a healthy dose of respect and at times a little distance.
Boy, your story made my hair raise on my arms! I too turned for a split second. It happened nearly ten years ago but I can cry when I think about it. I had just taught a young girl how to lead our old half blind pony, Tiny. The girl asked if she could lead the horse out of the round pen. I agreed. I had my one year old daughter toddling at my side as we headed back to the pasture. Stupidly, I wasn't paying attention as my daughter and I walked ahead of the girl. In a flash out of the corner of my eye, I saw the girl quickly pass my daughter . I just assumed the horse was being led correctly and that the horse was on the other side. Tiny wasn't, she was behind the girl. When they passed, Tiny bumped my baby girl and she was knocked down under the horses traveling hooves . She fell forward and was rolled face-up from the horses movement, in an instant but frozen in time in my mind I saw the horses front hoof hit her chest , her head and then to the ground at the top of my childs head. My daughter lay there stunned, I pulled her shirt up expecting to see her delicate chest caved in. It was fine. Where I thought her skull would be crushed, She had a small scuff on her forehead. Tiny hadn't put her weight down when she was being pulled across my daughters body. I just had a taste of how things can turn on a dime and a big wake-up call to be more aware. I can only imagine the nightmare you experienced. Thank God your daughter survived! People are people and horses are horses-accidents do happen-some can be avoided and some can't-we can learn from them and do better, which I believe was the whole intent of your story. It's also important to know it's ok to forgive yourself if and when they do happen. May God bless you both and give you and your daughter strength , wisdom and peace. P.S. The day of the near deadly accident - I vowed to keep Tiny till the day she died and give her the best of care-which I did.
Hi so sorry to hear about your daughter my daughter is 3 so scary I have been showing out west since i was 3 now 35 my dad was a pro. horse trainer who taught me a lot and we had lots and lots of mustangs very loyal and strong horses owned them all my life but just like any animal any of them can be unpredictable glad to here your daughter is going to be fine just from growing up around large herds of horse sometimes 100 head I know in a split second anything can happen always keeping my hands on my 3 yr old take care and hope this doesn't make her scared of the horses
Sorry to hear about you child. We all must be aware of the surroundings when around horses. Just like this story, it only takes a split second for things to go wrong. It doesn't have to be a child, I know of many people that have had bad accidents with their "bomb-proof" horses. When you get complacent is when you are in the most danger! I've cowboyed for the past 20 years and seen some pretty nasty wrecks that could have been avoided if the rider would have just been paying attention. Not saying that you did anything wrong, just trying to remind everyone that these are large and potentially dangerous animals. Just because they act a certain way every day, doesn't mean that they always will. Happy trails.
Oh Goodness i'm so sorry, i hope shes doing better. i'm sorry. And hey dont blame yourself it wasnt your fault things happen for a reason no matter how bad it is it happend for a good reason. Maybe in yor case it showed that you need to be careful with lil kids that cant really see to many signs need to be closer to there parents, especialy lil girls like your daughter i understand how you feel cause my Brother is dead and he died a horrible way but i know in my heart it happend for a good reason hes better off now hes in Heaven with Jesus and God and hes looking after. Just thank God and Jesus your lil girl wasnt killed such a little girl like her could have been in more truble then that shes a stong lil girl. And i'm super glad shes okay. Just please dont blame your self it was not ur fault, your daughters, or your horses falut we all know how horses are very UnPredictable no lil girl like her could see anything like signs. Dont blame anyone its hard to belive but it Happend for a Good Cause. by the way johnson2843 is my mom i'm her 13 yr old daughter Brittany. I know crazy how i seem to know this but my familys life is Hecktec. God Bless!!! Brittany
Feeding time is the most dangerous time to be around horses. If your horses do not respect you, do not take you as their leader, then bad things could happen. I learned that the hard way. We had 5 horses, and the boss horse was my black mare named Midnight who had just had a foal.
I always feed midnight first (otherwise she will chase the others off anyways) then I would feed the others at a distance away. Well this time there was nothing different, I was feeding midnight when one of my other horses (a younger one) walks by, the only thing I remember is midnight ducking, and a hoof in my face. I fell to the floor in my own blood to the point of passing out. Luckly my brother was out with me and he drove me to the hospital.
Later I started working with the horse that kicked me, she seemed to be set on becoming the boss. After she realized that I am in control (as well as all the other horses) I never had a problem. If a horse pushes me when I have a bucket of feed, or does anything disrespectful, it bothers me because I can see the potential of that horse become territorial and dangerous.
If a horse does act different around food, or when I get a new horse I seperate them before feeding them. (I also seperate the boss horse) Which really is a life saver. Also I do a lot of work with the horse before I let children around them.
You shouldn't blame yourself, it is not your fault. You are right we live in a very unsure world. Anything could happen in any moment. Some of the things that happen are trials, some are for our knowledge, and some we never know why. Yet after I look back at my own experience I realize if that never happened I would never understand horses (and humans) as much as I do today. From that day on Safety has become number one too. Anyway what I am saying that nothing happens without God's will, even though we do not at that time understand what is going on. We only see one puzzle piece, while God sees the whole picture.
So sorry to hear about your daughter's accident! My son at age 19 was riding with 2 college friends at our friends place near Allentown,PA. She was away and had asked him if he would feed for her. The 3 young men had a good ride and were in the process of feeding about 20 horses in a big open area. Each had taken a bale and were in different areas breaking them apart. One Belgian cross (shod) mare kicked my son in the head while he was bending over the bale. Quite possibly she was aiming at another horse but since no one saw it we'll never know. Fortunately, the other boys heard it and ran to him. The were able to get help..he was life flighted to Lehigh Valley Trauma Center where he underwent immediate surgery for a depressed scull fracture and brain contusions. He spent Thanksgiving on a ventilator in the neuro ICU as well as the next 7 days. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. 2 weeks to the DAY later, he'd been to see his college profs and the following Saturday when deer hunting and has had no problems from this event. Unfortunately, we wear helmets while riding but not while we're working around horses on the ground...most of the time we spend with horses is on the ground, not in the saddle. I have 3 small granddaughters, 2,4,7 and I make them wear their helmets when they're around the horses. I never let them in the field where the horses are free especially if there is food around...even I don't go in among them. And these are all lovely, very tame horses...but food makes them do things toward each other that they wouldn't do to people and if we happen to be in the line of fire...I hope your daughter has recovered. Some lessons are very painful.
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