Always carry a knife

H

Houlahound

Joined
Aug 2, 2017
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Literally had to cut a length of wire tangled up in a horse's tail and around its leg out in an open field on the side of a road. About a million cars drove past but nobody spotted the problem.

I carry a Luzon a lot as it slim in the pocket with a long blade. Worked perfect for the job altho the sharp clip point was very risky if it all went bad. No tip would be safer I guess if you had a choice.

Without a knife on hand I could not have helped the horse. Also I wouldn't advise anyone try this on your own as horses are flight animals. This horse chose to completely freeze in this case.
 
H Houlahound you brought joy to my heart with this thread!

On a side note, I find that many animals respond well to a calm and soothing voice. Did you approach like that? Thinking about it reminds me of a time that I went for a hike in the woods near the local boat launch and encountered what appeared to be a hundred Canada geese on the trail, all with their little goslings. The closer I got the bigger they tried to make themselves look with their heads held high and wings extended. When they started hissing at me, I tried not to laugh. Instead, I just talked to them, and though they clearly didn't like me so close, they gave me some room to get through. I was saying in a slow, calm, deep voice, "yes, I know you have the right to be here. No, I'm not going to hurt you, but I have just as much right as you do to walk along this trail," etc. The mosquitos on the way back were a different matter. They made me run.
 
Another one: a while back on the Weather Network, before I had quit watching their videos, there was a phone vid of a man looking out into his back yard to see a bear and two cubs. But I guess he had to go across the lawn, but who could blame him for not wanting to when the bear family was there. But then he said to the bears, in a nice even voice, something like: "Okay guys, I need you to leave now. It's time to go". They looked at him only ever so briefly, then began sauntering away. And before they were completely past the tree line on his property, he called out one last "I hope you enjoyed my yard!" And the adult bear looked back again very briefly, and and then they were gone. Pretty cool.
 
David Mary said:
, I find that many animals respond well to a calm and soothing voice. Did you approach like that?
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I just took it slow and easy until the horse let me approach.

Prey animals are the masters of body language. I went back for a visit and the horse is moving around getting food and water. Leg is a bit puffy. Thinking of dropping some bute sachets in its water supply.
 
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Good thing you did for the horse, and it’s good in return that he didn’t kick you into next week. BUT: around here, using a knife on a stranger’s horse in its own pasture could get you looking down the bad end of the owner’s pistol.

Don’t mean this as a criticism, but I think I would have attempted to find the owner and introduce and notify, and offer to help in any way I could. Some people are real touchy about their horses.

Parker

P.S. please don’t put anything in his water without the owner’s permission...
 
Good advice, although I'd like to add one comment, if I may

the one time it might be advisable to leave the knife at home is when one's intoxicated

considering most people don't understand the knife thing, best be careful how we interact with the general public, and intoxication tends to make that tough enough as is

only caveat I can think of, off the top of my head at least

part of me wants to carry a knife 24/7, sleep with one (or more - hell, it'd be interesting to keep one of my axes above the door for good luck), etc. . .

it's just not practical, makes too many feel unsafe in certain not-entirely predictable situations, at least not for someone living along the city or suburban-fringe
 
Hijo de Luna said:
the one time it might be advisable to leave the knife at home is when one's intoxicated
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Reason enough right there to never get intoxicated. I carry a knife 24/7, and sleep with one clipped to my pocket. Convenience is convenience at any hour. I never have to go looking for a knife any time of the day or night when I might want or need to cut something. Probably going to swap the folder out for a neck knife, once I get my LC200N necker back from heat treatment.
 
catspa said:
Good thing you did for the horse, and it’s good in return that he didn’t kick you into next week. BUT: around here, using a knife on a stranger’s horse in its own pasture could get you looking down the bad end of the owner’s pistol.

Don’t mean this as a criticism, but I think I would have attempted to find the owner and introduce and notify, and offer to help in any way I could. Some people are real touchy about their horses.

Parker

P.S. please don’t put anything in his water without the owner’s permission...
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Good advice, still my programming is such that I will do what I will do. There are very few human beings alive that would pull a gun and shoot someone for assisting a helpless animal in pain.

I have been yelled at before and had a women sik her boyfriend on to me but I treat that shit like entertainment.
 
Hhound, the owner doesn’t know you’re saving his horse - he sees you with a open knife in his pasture approaching his horse. Can’t see the wire, only the knife in your hand. “Wrong place at the wrong time” and some bad shiite can happen before you have a chance to explain your actions. He could say in court, “I shot that guy just in time to keep him from stabbing my horse” and probably get acquitted by a jury of horse owners.

Again, I’m glad it turned out well. But you can’t get lucky every time.

Parker
 
catspa said:
Hhound, the owner doesn’t know you’re saving his horse - he sees you with a open knife in his pasture approaching his horse.
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If I had to guess, he waited until he got close and the horse was calm before presenting and opening the knife.
 
Houlahound said:
Literally had to cut a length of wire tangled up in a horse's tail and around its leg out in an open field on the side of a road....This horse chose to completely freeze in this case.
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good job!
my kind of edc knife hero ;-)
i've good reason to believe that most
domestic creatures have the ability
to read emotions through facial expressions
and body language amongst other things.
the foul tempered only need to be reassured
in a soft spoken manner..
it was a cut above and beyond
the call of duty...good show @Houlahound !
SafeGloriousIslandcanary-max-1mb.gif
 
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Cutting wire? Sounds like the perfect task for a multi-tool with wire cutters. And little risk of injuring the horse or yourself if the horse bucks. The wire cutters in my little Leatherman Squirt P4 work great. I always carry mine, and of course at least one knife.

:thumbsup: for helping out the horse.


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killgar said:
Cutting wire? Sounds like the perfect task for a multi-tool with wire cutters. And little risk of injuring the horse or yourself if the horse bucks. The wire cutters in my little Leatherman Squirt P4 work great. I always carry mine, and of course at least one knife.

:thumbsup: for helping out the horse.


.
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I was gonna suggest this. Something like a leatherman is way more practical than a knife alone. It's not 1890 anymore, there tends to be a lot of wire, screws, and other things that require more than just a blade to work on.

I really hope the owner is made aware that the horse was stuck. Even a relative minor injury can make a horse go lame, if there's any swelling they need to get it checked by a vet. I don't always make it out during daylight hours to check all of my critters all over every day, that person may not either.
 
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