Your horse gets his foot caught in a cattle grid or hole

11 May 2011 17:08

If your horse slips into a cattle grid or gets his foot caught in a hole while out on a hack, serious injury can occur.

What to do

Provided you haven’t been thrown, dismount straight away and, if your horse’s foot is still stuck in the grid or hole, try to keep him as calm and still as possible to avoid further injury. His natural urge will be to panic and try to pull his leg free, so take care not to get injured yourself as you attempt to soothe him. If your horse is injured, phone your vet, giving clear directions as to where you are –and if you don’t think you’re going to be able to free the leg (if it’s caught in a cattle grid for instance) phone the fire and rescue service too. A horse can easily break a leg by getting it caught and may go into shock (see point seven for advice on this).