What If...?
It all comes down to PREVENTION and PREPAREDNESS!
As equine and livestock owners and professionals we should ALWAYS want to be a moment too soon rather than a moment too late… This can pertain to dietary needs, medical intervention, emergency preparedness and prevention, or even euthanasia.
WE SHOULD ALL PLAY THE “WHAT IF…?” GAME ON A DAILY BASIS WHEN DEALING WITH HORSES AND OTHER LIVESTOCK.
If we always ask “what if…?” and answer those questions by taking steps to prevent situations from occurring or prepare for those situations if they should happen, the overall outcome may turn out better than it would have had you not taken preventative measures or prepared to handle the situation as it played out.
EQUINE AND LIVESTOCK TRANSPORT –
What if… a tire blows?
What if… my horse goes down in the trailer during transport?
What if… we are involved in an accident?
What if… my vehicle starts smoking or catches fire?
What if… I am at a horse show and leave my horse on the trailer with the window down and my horse jumps through the window and gets stuck?
What if… I am traveling at night and all the lights on the trailer go dark?
What if… my truck / SUV breaks down during a transport and I have one or more horses on the trailer in a location I am not familiar with?
What if… I have to layover somewhere with my horses and upon my arrival the owner of the facility doesn’t review or ask to see any health records, Coggins test, or Health Certificate and there are other horses laying over a the same facility?
MEDICAL MANAGEMENT -
What if… my horse presents with a severe laceration that is bleeding profusely?
What if… my horse shows signs of colic?
What if… its 2AM and my horse impales itself with a fence post?
What if… my horse has a condition (emergency or non-emergency) that I can not physically, mentally, or financially afford to treat?
What if… my horse is really uncoordinated at the walk, falls down and has trouble getting back up, and needs somewhere safe to wait until the vet arrives?
What if… my horse is foaling and is having a difficult labor?
BARN AND FACILITY / STABLING –
What if… my horse becomes cast in its stall?
What if… my neighbors stallion gets loose and gets into the pasture with my mares?
What if… my horse tries to jump out of the stall and gets stuck on the half-door with its head and front legs on one side and its hind legs on the other?
What if… my barn catches fire?
What if… my horse reaches over the door and plays with the door latch or electrical cord?
What if… my farm begins to flood due to torrential rains from a hurricane?
What if… a nearby control burn of a hunting preserve gets out of control and is heading toward my farm?
What if… my facility is without electricity and running water for days or weeks due to a natural disaster?
What if… its 3AM and a vehicle crashes through 100ft of fence for the only pasture on my farm where all the horses reside?
EUTHANASIA / DEATH -
What if… my horse breaks his leg in the pasture and the closest vet is over an hour away?
What if… a tree lands on a section of pasture fence and my horse gets out and is hit by a vehicle and critically injured and suffering?
What if… a tornado hits the area, vets are unable to access my farm due to down trees and power lines, and I have multiple horses with life-threatening or life-ending injuries?
What if… I found my horse deceased when going to feed in the morning?
What if… I discovered a boarder’s/client’s horse with a severe injury and obviously suffering with no vet available to respond?
AND MANY MORE “WHAT IFs”!
Again, it all comes down to PREVENTION and PREPAREDNESS.
If you want to know how you should handle any of the above “what ifs” just ask or attend one of our educational presentations or training courses!
A lot of people get “lucky” and never experience an incident or “what if” moment and its those people who usually say “I’ve owned horses / livestock for over 30-years and never had that happen so why should I worry about it now”… Not everyone is going to be so “lucky” and it’s the animals that belong to those people who often pay the price for the owner (or caretaker, transporter, etc.) not having taken measures to prevent an incident from happening or being prepared to handle the situation quickly, safely, and successfully when it does occur.
It should NEVER take the occurrence of an actual (animal involved) incident to make people recognize the need to become more educated about that specific incident type or other emergency situations.
For Example: Somebody is involved in a trailer accident caused by the trailer not being properly hitched resulting in the trailer overturning and trapping injured horses then in the weeks to follow that person, their horse-owner friends, and other community horse people want to have lessons on hitching trailers, driving (forward and reverse) trailers, and trailer safety and transportation.
For Example: A local boarding facility has a barn fire caused by embers falling from a neighbors controlled burn of yard debris and they manage to evacuate 6 our of the 10 horses in the barn then in the weeks to follow that person and other horse people want to have the fire department visit and look at their barn/facility, want to have the electrician out to check the wiring (that hasn’t been updated or checked in years), calls an alarm company to check into fire alarm installation, and consults with a subject-matter expert about creating an emergency evacuation plan.
For Example: Someone’s horse falls through the ice covering a deep pond and drowns and in the weeks to follow that person and other horse and livestock owners research ways they could have rescued the horse, talk to the local fire/rescue department about their capability, equipment, and training, and fence off the area around the pond.
All the examples mentioned above could have been prevented if people would have educated themselves and taken preventative measures before the emergency incident occurred. However, some incidents are truly accidents and can’t be prevented, but the way a person (or people) respond can often be the difference between life and death so one should be prepared and know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it safely, properly, and efficiently.
Educate yourself NOW to prevent and prepare for the incidents of tomorrow… We would rather a person be proactive and get educated, participate in a safety consultation, and take action too soon than to be “that” person who says “I wish I knew what to do”, “I wish I would have known what I could have done to prevent this from happening”, or “I should have responded differently” when it's already too late to make a difference for the animals and people who were involved.
Be PROACTIVE instead of REACTIVE!
Ropes, Knots, and Mechanical Advantage
Slip Knot
Sheet Bend Knot
Overhand Knot
Slip Knot - Simple loop in rope's end, loosens when tail end is pulled.
Form a loop in the end of the rope. Prepare a bight in the short end. Tuck the bight through the loop and tighten. The knot can be used as temporary stopper knot.
Overhand Knot
Sheet Bend Knot
Overhand Knot
Overhand Knot - The simplest of single strand stopper knots.
Form a loop and pass the end through it. Tighten it to form the Overhand Knot. When pulled tight it can function as a simple stopper knot.
Sheet Bend Knot
Sheet Bend Knot
Sheet Bend Knot
Sheet Bend Knot - Joins two ropes of unequal, or similar, size.
Form a bight in the thicker rope (blue) and hold it in one hand. Pass the thinner rope (red) through the bight and behind the (blue) tail and standing ends in that order. Finally, tuck the smaller rope under itself to finish the knot.
Half Hitch
Figure 8 Knot
Sheet Bend Knot
Half Hitch - Used to tie a rope around an object and back to itself.
Form a loop around the object. Pass the end around the standing end and through the loop. Tighten into a Half Hitch which is designed to take a load (Arrow) on the standing end.
Clove Hitch
Figure 8 Knot
Figure 8 Knot
Clove Hitch - Simple "weak" hitch to attach rope to a pole or ring.
Form a loop in the working end of the rope. Place it over the post. Form a second loop identical to the first. Place it over the post and tighten.
Figure 8 Knot
Figure 8 Knot
Figure 8 Knot
Figure 8 Knot - Non-binding, quick and convenient stopper knot.
Pass the tail over itself to form a loop. Continue under and around the standing end. Complete the knot by passing the tail down through the loop.
Figure 8 Bend
Figure 8 Follow Through
Figure 8 Bend
Figure 8 Bend - Secure, simple method for joining two ropes.
The knot is dressed so that both the outermost turns are separated away from the two ropes they were crossing and tightened down inside their neighboring ropes.
Figure 8 Bend
Figure 8 Follow Through
Figure 8 Bend
Figure 8 Bend - Secure, simple method for joining two ropes.
The knot is dressed so that both the outermost turns are separated away from the two ropes they were crossing and tightened down inside their neighboring ropes.
Figure 8 Follow Through
Figure 8 Follow Through
Figure 8 Follow Through
Figure 8 Follow Through - Links to closed ring by re-threading technique.
Start by tying a loose Figure 8 knot. Pass the tail around the attachment point. Follow the original Figure 8 around the entire knot in reverse. Exit beside the standing end to complete a two stranded Figure 8 knot.
Figure 8 Double Loop
Figure 8 Double Loop
Figure 8 Follow Through
Figure 8 Double Loop - Stable double loop in the middle of a piece of rope.
With a long bight in the rope use two double loops to tie a Figure 8 knot. Then pass the end of the original bight under, up, and over the whole knot. Pull it tight to lock the two loops.
Handcuff Knot
Figure 8 Double Loop
Butterfly Loop Knot
Handcuff Knot - Can be used as a rescue chair or animal restraint.
Use the rope to form two identical loops. Overlap them as though tying a Clove Hitch. Then thread each loop through the other loop and tighten. Insert the victim's limbs into the loops, tighten, and apply traction.
Butterfly Loop Knot
Figure 8 Double Loop
Butterfly Loop Knot
Butterfly Loop Knot - Secure loop in the middle of a length of rope.
Wrap the rope around your hand twice. At the end of turn one, position the rope close to your fingertips. Continue around and complete turn two back near your thumb. Pick up the turn near your fingertips.
Wrap it around the other two turns. Slide the knot off your hand and tighten by pulling on the loop and the ends.
Double Fishermans Knot
Double Fishermans Knot
Double Fishermans Knot
Double Fishermans Knot - Securely joins two ropes of similar size.
Overlap the two ends. Wrap one end around both ropes two full turns. Then pass this end back through these turns and pull tight. Next pass the other end two full turns around both ropes. Pass this end back through and pull tight. Pull on both ropes to tighten the two knots against each other. The back view of the Double Fisherman's is extremely neat and symmetrical. When ropes of the same color are used, it appears that four identical loops encircle the junction.
Prusik Loop (Progress Capture)
Prusik Loop (Progress Capture)
Prusik Loop (Progress Capture)
Prusik Loop - Symmetrical 3-turn slide and grip (friction) knot.
Use a piece of cord formed into a loop. Pass the knot around the rope three times inside the loop. Make sure the turns lie neatly beside each other and pull the knot tight.
Square Knot
Prusik Loop (Progress Capture)
Prusik Loop (Progress Capture)
Square Knot - Simple way to join two ropes made up of two half-knots.
Take two ropes and cross them (red over blue) to form a half knot. Cross them a second time (red over blue again) and pull the ends tight to form the Square Knot.
Bowline Knot
Prusik Loop (Progress Capture)
Halter Hitch (Quick Release Knot)
Bowline Knot - Reasonably secure loop in a rope's end and easy to undo.
Form a small loop leaving enough rope for the desired loop size. Pass the end of the rope through the loop as though making an overhand knot. Continue around the standing end and then back through the small loop.
Halter Hitch (Quick Release Knot)
Halter Hitch (Quick Release Knot)
Halter Hitch (Quick Release Knot)
Halter Hitch (Quick Release Knot) - Quick release knot commonly used to secure a horse.
Start with a safety Baling-String loop. Pass the rope through the string loop, across in front, and then behind both strands to form a Rope-Loop. Pass a Bight through the Rope-Loop to make the Knot. For security pass the tailend through the Bight.
Water Knot (Webbing Only)
Halter Hitch (Quick Release Knot)
Water Knot (Webbing Only)
Water Knot - Joins two pieces of webbing strapping by re-threading.
Tie a loose overhand knot in the end of the strap. Thread the other strap in the reverse direction following the exact path of the first overhand knot. Pull the knot tight.
Girth Hitch (Webbing)
Halter Hitch (Quick Release Knot)
Water Knot (Webbing Only)
Girth Hitch - Uses a webbing loop sling to attach an item to a harness or other equipment.
Pass the loop of the strap around the harness, strap, or rope. Thread the other end of the strap through the loop. Make sure the strap lies neatly and then pull it tight.
How Much Rope Will It Take?
?-Feet Distance to Move the Animal
x (multiply by) the Number of Returns (Reeves) through the entire Pulley System
+ (add) 1 for the single Haul Line
+ (add) 4-Feet Allowance for the Hardware in System
= (equals) Total Amount of Rope (Feet) Needed to Move the Animal (raise/lower/drag) ?-Feet Distance
North Carolina Horse Council
North Carolina Horse Council
North Carolina Horse Council
The North Carolina Horse Council exists to represent and further the common interest of the entire equine industry of North Carolina. The North Carolina Horse Council is composed of volunteer individuals and groups from all breeds and types of horse activities, without bias. We are amateurs and professionals, horse hobbyist, commercial p
The North Carolina Horse Council exists to represent and further the common interest of the entire equine industry of North Carolina. The North Carolina Horse Council is composed of volunteer individuals and groups from all breeds and types of horse activities, without bias. We are amateurs and professionals, horse hobbyist, commercial producers, local riding clubs, and larger corporations.
The North Carolina Horse Council strives to maintain effective government relations by interacting with state leaders and our government representatives. We work closely with the N.C. Department of Agriculture, NC Farm Bureau and N.C. State University. Our mission is to serve as the voice of the North Carolina horse community through education, communication and representation.
NETPOSSE
North Carolina Horse Council
North Carolina Horse Council
Stolen Horse International, Inc.™, also known as NetPosse, is a broad alliance of equine lovers and organizations that have joined together searching for missing horses and to educate the horse industry about the problem of the horse theft and other types of missing horse situations such as, runaways, disaster-related, civil, missing and
Stolen Horse International, Inc.™, also known as NetPosse, is a broad alliance of equine lovers and organizations that have joined together searching for missing horses and to educate the horse industry about the problem of the horse theft and other types of missing horse situations such as, runaways, disaster-related, civil, missing and stolen. NetPosse seeks to provide information for existing and prospective supporters such as owners, horse organizations, breeders, and horse lovers regarding the responsibilities of protecting their horses, as well as focusing on the equine identification available for their horses.
USRider
North Carolina Horse Council
EQUINE 911
Transporting horses is a not-so-glamorous aspect of equestrian life - and it comes with unique challenges. But you can make the journey with peace of mind knowing that USRider is there for you no matter where the road leads. The USRider Roadside Assistance team includes more than 100,000 dedicated service professionals throughout the Uni
Transporting horses is a not-so-glamorous aspect of equestrian life - and it comes with unique challenges. But you can make the journey with peace of mind knowing that USRider is there for you no matter where the road leads. The USRider Roadside Assistance team includes more than 100,000 dedicated service professionals throughout the United States, Canada and Alaska. This means you will receive fast, efficient, 24/7 from highly trained roadside assistance professionals. The USRider Equestrian Motor Plan is truly in a class by itself. For an annual fee comparable to that of typical motor plans, you will enjoy excusive services created specifically for equestrians. Typical motor plans can leave you stranded if you are towing a trailer - especially a loaded horse trailer. Now with two levels of Membership, choose the coverage that best suits your traveling needs!
EQUINE 911
North Carolina State Extension Horse Husbandry
EQUINE 911
Finding Equine Professionals is easy by searching our trusted network of top-rated Equine Professionals.
North Carolina State Extension Horse Husbandry
North Carolina State Extension Horse Husbandry
North Carolina State Extension Horse Husbandry
Extension Horse Husbandry conducts an ongoing 4-H youth and adult educational programs through county extension agents and horse commodity groups. Cooperative Extension has offices in all 100 counties and on the Cherokee reservation.
CareCredit Credit Card for Animal Healthcare
North Carolina State Extension Horse Husbandry
North Carolina State Extension Horse Husbandry
From routine appointments to emergency situations or surgeries, the CareCredit card gives pet owners the peace of mind needed to care for pets big and small.
Unlike traditional pet financing or veterinary payment plans, the CareCredit credit card gives you the flexibility to use your card again and again for your pet's procedures.