Always carry a knife

[CVamberbonehead]

If I saw a guy walking towards my farm animal with a Cold Steel knife I would panic. Ive seen too many Cold Steel videos to not fear for my animal, and then you just know the guy is coming after your car hood and ammo cans when hes done chopping your livestock and all of the rope on the property. lol

Seriously though, good on you for saving the horse. Though, I have to agree with others who said get the owner first if you can (I wouldnt want someone trying to help with a pocketknife and good intentions, when the owner can get the right tools for the job that wont make the problem worse and cause an infection, plus the horse would be calmer with its owner and the owner can get a vet to treat the issue). Trespassing isnt looked on too favorably by most, especially in these troubled times. And you definitely shouldnt go put things in the animals water!!! That could get you or the horse hurt, leave that to the owner and their vet.

 

[Billy The Blade]

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.

-So, you can 'speak' goose, but not mosquito,
Lol ...Problem is, they just don't listen !!

... "a man looking out into his back yard to see a bear and two cubs."

-Now, that's My idea of a yard !!

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...

-I also agree with this viewpoint.

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

* This defeats the purpose of "Always carry a knife"
Imo. As the need is not always known, no matter what your 'condition' is at any given time.
*I believe it was a wise Knife enthusiast that said:
'It's better to have a knife, & not need it,
than need a knife, & not have one'

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. for helping out the horse.
.

*Agreed 100%!!...I was also thinking the same,
as I Always have a multi-tool on me, as well

I really hope the owner is made aware that the horse was stuck....

*Agreed!!
B.T.B.

 

[pitonyak]

My first assumption was that you cut the wire. Based on another response here, I assume that you cut the tail some. If you did cut the wire, I also hope that the knife is OK.

 

[midnight flyer]

I live in South Texas and have all my life. I've been on too many ranches to count whether it's to repair bunk houses, set up feeders, hunt, or just good off. Some of my fellow contractors run a few head of cows and keep a couple of horses.

One thing they all agree on is that livestock can be a real danger to itself, no help needed.I have seen a cow that died from eating about a 3 inch piece of barbed wire that was dropped by the fence repair guys. One of my friends had a horse that had A HEART ATTACK in a nasty rainstorm. Both will eat cactus pads if we are in a drought, then most likely die. One of my amigos sold his favorite horse and bought a 4 wheeler after it spooked for reasons unknown, tossed him off and he had to walk back to the franchise for about three miles. That horse was gone for a couple of days, then just showed back up. He was sold as soon as he was cleaned up.

So all the ranchers, cowboys, livestock owners I know recognize just how dumb these animals can be. BUT, they are still a very large investment.

So, I think H Houlahound , you did a very good thing. No doubt in my mind that horse's predicament would have only gotten a lot worse. Literally, you may have saved its life. My ranching buddies and livestock owners when finding what you did would have a beer in your hand in just a few minutes. And if the right time of day maybe a barbecue sandwich, too!

Glad you didn't overthink it and talk yourself out of doing something so helpful (and cool!). It is always easier to find reasons NOT to get involved.

Robert

 

[Basp2005]

Rule 9: Never go anywhere without a knife.

 

[SixtyLion]

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.

Thank you for sharing this and for your kindness!

 

[mwhich50]

I had a similar situation with a bird wrapped in string/fishing line.

 

[Houlahound]

I had a similar situation with a bird wrapped in string/fishing line.

Fishing line is horrific in nature, all because lazy ass-hats can't clean their own mess up.

 

[Lesknife]

Good job hula hound! For looking out and helping a horse in distress!

One comment mentioned just how dumb animals can be and while that is true they can also be very smart just as there are smart people and then there’s the dumb people.
I grew up on a farm and ranch, had my own for over 30 years and I’m still around it helping my son. We check, feed, and water them every day and usually twice a day look in on them mornings and afternoon. There’s times I’ve come across a cow with twine, wire or something they got tangled up in or some kind of trouble. We had one recently that somehow got her head stuck in a feeder. We pick stuff up all the time but stuff blows in or gets dumped off in a fence row because someone don’t want to take it to the landfill and pay a fee.
Accidents can and will happen but The one thing that is more common today than it was 30+ years ago is the amount of people who have no business owning livestock or pets of any kind. They don’t check on their stock or clean up around their pens or pasture. They just don’t have the concern or probably don’t know it is needed.

I hope that horse has a smart and caring owner that will check on him and take care of the leg. If there were any punctures, cuts or wounds it could get infected if not treated properly.