Top 5 Mistakes Horse Owners Make When Responding to Emergencies

CS.Thehorse.com - Full Article

27 January 2012

1. Assuming that they should be the animal handler
Many horse owners or horse-loving people who respond to a scene are far too emotional to be right up close and personal with the horse in these scenarios. That's why your veterinarian often has their trained technician handle the horse for exams and vaccinations, too.
The animal can read your panic, fears and frustrations, and this excites the animal even more. Then you become an obstacle to the professional emergency responders' efforts to save the animal.

When it's your horse, you may be much better off standing to the side with your veterinarian and friends for support while the professionals assist your animal. As an analogy, in the human medical world, just because you are the mom or dad does not mean you would be invited or allowed to help firefighters and paramedics working on your child.

A person that can remain calm, make rational decisions, and assist the emergency response professionals with making suggestions relevant to the scenario is to be cultivated. Focus on the problem at hand, prioritize, and coordinate with professionals such as your veterinarian to keep drama out of the scene.

2. Getting too close to the animal
Horse owners tend to overestimate how much their animal "loves them," and this anthropomorphism leads to dangerous body positioning and extrication approaches. Animals don't think in these situations; they react. Although the horse may not intend to injure you, it easily can in a struggle to save itself...

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http://cs.thehorse.com/blogs/horse-911-whats-your-emergency/archive/2012/01/27/top-five-mistakes-horse-owners-make-when-responding-to-emergencies.aspx