Helping a Cast Horse
Using Rope to Free a Stuck Horse
A cast horse is one who has laid down in a stall or a paddock and has gotten himself stuck between walls or fence posts. This occurs most often in the stall when a horse tries to roll and does not give himself sufficient room. To free a stuck horse, it is important to keep one's wits and think through the situation logically.
Potential Risks with a Cast Horse
Jumping in to help a cast horse without considering one's options is likely to injure the horse further. Horses are far more fragile than they look, and pulling the neck or legs haphazardly can result in serious breaks and fractures. Gentleness is the number one factor to free a stuck horse.
It is also important to realize that a cast horse often panics. When he realizes that he cannot right himself, he might fling his head and legs without caution, and these body parts can seriously injure a human. Steer clear of the hooves and head during this process.
Freeing the Legs
To free a stuck horse, the legs are usually the most crucial part. The horse might have wedged his hooves against a wall or fence and is therefore incapable of righting himself. Moving the legs of a cast horse is inarguably the safest method.
Loop the center of a twenty-foot length of rope (or a lunge line if nothing else is available) around one of the stuck hooves. Step back outside of the stall or paddock and gently wiggle the rope, coaxing the hoof free. As soon as it moves away from the fence or stall wall, release the rope and allow the horse to stand.
In some cases, it might be necessary to free more than one hoof. If this is the case, work only one hoof at a time to free a cast horse. This minimizes the potential for injury.
Freeing the Head
In the worst-case scenario, a cast horse might have gotten his head wedged against a stall or fence and made it impossible to reach or free the hooves. If this is the case, a rope can also be used to free the front end. However, this is more sensitive and requires even greater gentleness.
Just like with the hooves of a stuck horse, loop the rope around the horse's back and up between the front legs. Never bring the rope around the neck, as the spinal cord might snap. Then gently begin pulling the ends of the rope to shift the front end away from the stall or fence.
Extreme Circumstances
There might be occasions when the above tactics are insufficient to help a cast horse. If this is the case, it will be necessary to cut away the fence or stall against which the horse is stuck. Keep in mind that this is an expensive remodeling job and can take hours, so the horse might colic in the time it takes you to complete the job.
The most important thing when trying to free a cast horse is not to panic. Even if the horse seems terrified, an owner panicking will make the situation much worse.
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