Conference noted::equitation

    You seem to know Jasper pretty well.  I've only had Pronto for a
    few months (and haven't ridden him very much).  I had one emergency
    dismount (because he bolted and was heading for a main road)
    that convinced me I'd better teach him voice commands ON
    THE GROUND FIRST!  He is learining quickly but I still wonder...
    can you EVER know why they pull stunts like that?  It's hard to
    believe that they would knowingly 'dive' down a four foot embankment,
    or gallop down the middle of a well traveled road!
    
    I'm glad to hear your OK.  That sort of episode is SCAREY!
    Sure hope Jasper is OK, too.  For such 'big' animals they sure
    can be delicate.
    
    Cheryl
    

    Well... just the other day I had a hair raising experience.
    This had to to with handling rather than riding. I was putting the
    guys in for the night. They're not lead with a halter, they just
    walk in. Chuckie likes to go into Hansum's stall so I have to close
    Hansum's stall and direct Chuckie to his own.
            I was tired and forgot to close Hans' stall and Chuckie
    walked right into it with Hans on his heels! I knew there would
    be a hoof fight if they were in one stall together so I ran past
    Hans and slammed the door shut thinking that will stop him. WRONG!
            Hans crashed right through it! I heard this tremendous 
    C-R-A-C-K !!!!. I covered my head thinking the barn was caving in
    and said my prayers.
            Hans backed up and went into Chuckie's stall. I locked him
    in and assesed (sic?) the damage. He went through the door so hard
    that he split the support beam to the door (which also holds up
    the roof) from floor to midway up the beam! 
            Now mind you, through this all, Fearless Chuckie is munching
    away on Hans' hay and taking this all in stride. After I sat down,
    had a good cry, swore, etc... I had to pry the door that swings
    out only (and was pushed in ) so I could get Chuckie out. I had
    to use a crowbar to open the door.
            How do you replace a beam that supports the roof and goes
    2 feet into the ground? Kids, I tell you! Luckily none of us were
    hurt.
    
    Tina_wno_should_have_known_better_!
    
         

    Had a real bad accident a number of years ago on a very well trained
    horse.  We were riding on a road in the evening, on the side we
    should be on.  My girlfriend was in front on her mare.  We saw a
    car approaching and started to move ourselves into the three foot
    ditch at the roadside.  Her mare made it before the driver put on
    her high beams; mine didn't as he was blinded with the lights and
    couldn't move.  She hit him in the hind quarter and flipped both
    he and myself over the car into the ditch.  Smashed his hind leg
    with the result that he had to be put down the next day.
    
    The officer who arrived at the scene estimated her speed at 60 miles
    an hour on the old road and in addition she was intoxicated.  By
    the way no skid marks were found.
    
    This was one of the unfortunate accidents that happen.
    

    A number of years ago while working for stable we went for a ride.
     I was riding the owners stallion.  I was a very good rider and
    handled stallions many times.  Another rider was riding a stallion
    also, but we were all good riders.  their were a few other peolpe
    on the ride with us riding gelding or mares.  we stopped for minute
    on the trail in a clearing.  we were still mounted when the stallion
    i was riding attacked the other stallion.  He reared up jumped the
    other stallion biting and pawing.  The stallion I weas riding (Romper)
    bit the other rider in the butt and picked him up off the his horse
    then he fell to the ground .  All this happened in a split second.
    I got control and everything calmed down.  the other rider had a
    bruise on his butt for 6 months.

    About 6 years ago I kept my "old" arabian/welsh mare at a close
    friends farm.  One summer night about 10:30pm, after a session of
    delevoping black and white photos in the attic, I prepared to take
    my leave.  The friends daughter went ahead to open the gate (this
    farm was enclosed in a perimeter fence as well as having separate
    paddocks.  My mare, Delight and another mare were loose inside the
    farm property (lawn duty) but unknowlingly to us were hiding by
    the gate.  When it opened they left pell mell down the dirt drive
    road with the daughter in hot pursuit on foot and me in my car.
    I will never know how 1. I did not hit the daughter in the dark,
    2. the horses were not killed on the highway at the end of the dirt
    road. 3. that my friends blue doberman who also ran with the horses
    did not get it either.  The mares were caught when they fortunately
    ran down a side street (only after crossing and recrossing rt.139
    at least twice.  When they went to eat on a lawn I pulled over and
    grabbed the nearest anatomy available - Jewel's ear!
    
    

    
    This isn't my accident, but I"m sure someone else out there
    was sweating it out.......
    
    On the way to Gloucester the other day for a whale watch, a few
    friends almost drove into a horse running down the middle of 128,
    heading INTO traffic. They said the horse was absolutely terrified.
    I didn't see it, and no signs of an ill fated animal around so I
    really can't say what happened but I got there after the incident
    had occured.  Does anyone know anything about it?
    
    Marianne
    

    RE.3    Your reply brought up a good point worth mentioning!
    
    We requested, from the town in which we are located, "CAUTION-HORSES
    CROSSING" signs. I can't keep track of how many times I've been
    rudly passed by moterists who thought they bought the road and show
    no curticy what so ever. There are even thoughs who yell at you
    to get out of the road. This would be a case were as if they had
    to retake there driving test, they would fail, and I would feal
    no pitty-they deserve it. If something should happen with these
    signs posted, they have been warned and are therefore guilty as
    charged.
                                 
             *************   HANG'UM   **************
    
    ps There are a few that will stop and wait for your signal to
       pass...the sad thing is though to watch the impatient line
       behind them cursing up and down, even pass the one in front!!!
       This is were guns should be a replacement for officers of the
       law/were are they when you need them.
    

	My accident luckily caused only emotional scars and gave me the nickname
of the Electric Horseman.

	My wife and I were riding thru fields near the stable where we keep our
horses.  After coming up a rise we discovered that there was an electric fence
in front of us.  I turned to the right, becaues it looked like there was a
path there.
	After a few yards I discovered that the path was getting narrow and that
we would not be able to get thru, so I started to turn around.
	Well, at the time I was new to riding, and didn't realize that I should
turn toward the electric fence.  About half way around Skip's butt touched the
electric fence, BOY did he jump.
	We proceeded to move forward, toward the woods, then back to the fence,
then jump and repeat the same thing again.  I keep trying to turn Skip and get
him away from the fence.  After a few seconds my wife told me to get off and
get clear.
	I slid off Skip's back and tried to calm him down, from a distance.  He
managed to knock the fence down and go running to a herd of horses inside.  Once
with them he started to settle down and luckily they didn't act up.
	After getting ahold of Skip, I went to find the owner of the land.  He
turned out to be a friend of my trainer's.  We went back out and he put the
fence back saying that it happens a lot and that he was glad we didn't get hurt 
and that we came to tell him about it.
	After fixing the fence, he and his daughter came with us to show us some
more trails in the area.
	Now this accident is funny, even to me, but at the time laughter was not
on my mind.

					Dave.

    
    I had a couple of scary accidents on the same horse when I was young
    and foolish.  They were both from the horse running away with me
    (you would thing I would have learned the first time).
    The first time he turned and headed home at top speed, and we had
    to cross a relatively busy road, with speed limits of 45mph.  I
    remember sitting on him and hoping that there were no cars coming,
    cause I had no way of stopping.  Luckily there were no cars.
    
    The second time, he had turned around and ran home, and we were
    walking back to meet my friend and her horse from where we had
    left them. My friend made the mistake of cantering up to us.  Well,
    we turned around and took off again.  We made a 90 degree and from
    a dirt road onto a paved road, and he lost his footing.  He slid
    across 1/2 the road, with my leg under him.  My girlfriend was
    cantering behind me and her horse tripped and threw her off.
    I ended up with a borken ankle and several big scrape, my girlfriend
    ended up with a permanently damaged knee.  
    
    This was not fun...but it was due to our own ignorance I think.
    
    

    I had real freak accident happen to me on April 23, 1987 (yes I do
    remember the date well)  I was scheduled to have a lesson at my
    trainers after work that day and I went to the barn to load my
    horse and go.  But, when I attempted to load my horse he refused.
    I had only had the horse for 5 months and had trailered him to a lesson
    the week before with only minimal problems.  On this day he made every
    effort to fight me and I tried ALL methods of loading a horse.  Well
    after 2 hrs.(realizing I would be missing my lesson, but not wanting
    to let the horse win) the horse (16.3H 1200lbs) was pulling backwards and
    I was standing in the trailer holding the lead shank. The snap on the shank
    finally gave way and snapped like an elastic and hit me in the eye.
    I gave up my fight and went to the hospital to find that my eye was
    hemoraging.  I was bed ridden on my back at a 45' angle for a week.
    I made daily trips to the doctors to check my progress. Alot of things
    can go through your mind when you have so much thinking time on your
    hands.  But luckily I was riding within two weeks and back to most 
    normal light activity.  It seems that all is fine now, but it was
    a scarry experience.  I only use brass chained shanks now.  I heard
    that the cheaper metal ones snap under stress, and the brass would 
    bend??  I don't know if thats true but I feel better staying away
    from the metal ones.
    
    Needless to say I found out that my horse had some trailering problems.
    It was a long hard road over these two years working with him and his
    problems, but he now walks right on the trailer for me.  I heard later
    that he had been in some kind of accident or something, so no wonder
    why he had some problems.   
    
                                                          

    Though I have been riding for 20 years, I consider myself very
    lucky in the accident department.  I had a part quarter horse when
    I was 15, and at the time didn't know it but the horse had a brain
    tumor.  I was talking to some friends in a small field, sitting
    on my horse with my feet out of the stirrups(mistake #1).  Something
    scared the horse and she started running towards the road, and I
    was completely out of control.  My first reaction was to jump off
    and try to get control by just holding the reins.  In the process
    of jumping off, I fell on the ground underneath the horse, and in
    her rush to get out of my way, she kicked me in the back of the
    head.  I ended up with a 4 inch incision in my head, and talk about
    blood!!  The poor panic stricken horse ran about 4 miles home on
    trails she had only been on once.  Just goes to show you that
    everything having to do with horses should be geared to SAFETY!!
    

    Well, my story is more current. I just back to my first full day
    of work since my accident on Aug 10th. I was in a lesson, doing
    flat work with my 18 year old quarter horse mare. According to my
    instructor (I don't remember anything) I was leaning slightly left,
    Moccasin took one bad step and our momentum carried us right to
    the ground. (No doctor, I wasn't thrown, my horse fell down) Result,
    I was unconsicous for an hour - Ambulance ride to the hospital and
    everything. So, one sever concussion and a cracked rib for me. One
    gash from my spur, sore shoulder and sore hindend for Moc. Thank
    goodness for my hard hat, which did stay on for the first bounce.
    
    I am now the proud owner of a Saratoga helmet with harness. I've
    also ridden adn taken a lesson since then but I do still get headaches
    and I hate to sneeze - the rib still hurts then. Controlled environment
    and all, horse back riding is a dangerous sport.
    
    Nancy
    

    I would like to relate an accident that was not the fault of the
    horse but got me a broken jaw 2 yrs. ago. My 20 yr old gelding was
    in the pasture calmly munching on oats in a bucket and I was preparing
    to put a halter on him. Unknown to us my neice descided to come
    into the field behind us, as she ducked under the electric fence she twanged
    the wire startling the gelding causing him to hit me in the jaw
    with his forehead. I came too, four hours later in the hospital. I
    don't think I will ever forgive her for breaking the cardinal
    rule:NEVER SNEAK UP BEHIND A HORSE UNANNOUNCED! I also stay out
    of the path of horses heads though it does make it harder to hug
    them that way!
    

    well, after a debate with myself on whether i want to re-live this
    experience, i've decided to put it in this note.  if nothing else
    it'll serve as a 'heads up' to other beginners out there.  
    
    about a year ago, i got a wild hair to start riding.  i'd never
    been on a horse other than pony rides at the fair, but i'd always
    loved their grace and style.  what better hobby than riding and
    now that i could possibly afford it, i decided to make a childhood
    dream come true.  so i let my fingers do the walking in the yellow
    pages and voila i've got a trainer (she was english so i figured
    that was credentials enough - wrongo!).  
    
    well, i should've known something was not right when she would let
    an entire hour lesson go by without saying very much.  however,
    not knowing what to expect i just assumed that was the way it was.
    things progressed over the next two months and she had me riding
    a green-broke horse (unknown to me at the time - i was green broke
    myself) that had a relatively decent personality, but was not really
    up for a beginner like me.  i'd leased the poor thing and was
    trying my best to become a good care-taker (with no help from
    the trainer i might add).  anyway, after a while with this horse
    she has me cantering, but i'm so unsteady (no confidence as well)
    that she feels that putting stirrup leather around his neck and
    letting me bridge the reigns to hold on will help.  only problem
    with that was that i had no control (legs are developed i'm finding).
    
    now that i've leased the horse, i'm doing some unsupervised riding.
    since the stirrup leather worked in the lessons, i assumed it would
    work all the time.  off we go.  we were cantering around an arena
    that had a rail fence that topped out at about shoulder high on
    the horse.  since i'm not stearing too well i managed to lead him
    too close to the fence.  my stirrup iron bumped the fence and scared
    the horse.  instead of moving away from the fence he pushed into
    it and fell over it.  after this i dont remember anything, but have
    been told he rolled over me and kicked my head at an angle that
    knocked my hard-hat off (its one of the pony club approved kind).
    he must've rolled over because the tree of my saddle was cracked
    after that.  i spent the night in the hospital and was out of work
    for a week.  the horse was still having trouble with a stiff shoulder
    a month after.
    
    needless to say, i began to question heartily what i was doing after
    this fall.  i found another trainer and she concentrated heavily
    on the safety aspect of riding and gave me some help with control.
    it was over a month before she even broached the subject of canter.
    now i own my own horse and although i'm still a *very* cautious
    rider, i'm really coming along (won my first blue ribbon in a show
    this week).
    
    riding is wonderful, but if you're a beginner i strongly advise
    you to connect with someone that you trust that knows horses.  
    i think my experience was uncommon, but even still it helps to have
    a knowledgeable person assist.           
    
    jan
    

	Oh geeze, this is like true confessions. I've had two semi-major
       accidents, both the result of being stupid.

       When I was 16 my sister (age 13) had just gotten a new mare. We
       were out riding with me on the mare I'd had for 2 years. I
       started the way home on a trail that ended with a sharp turn
       to avoid the road and turn into the barnyard. I did this at a
       canter and my mare who knew the way made the turn no problem, but
       my sister's horse didn't pay attention to the reins and went
       straight onto the road. To make a long story short she hit the
       road flying and landed on my sister's ankle which was broken. I
       was grounded for weeks.

       Later, at age 23, when I should have known better, I let my
       (ex)husband talk me into getting on bareback behind him on a
       horse he was riding with just a halter. We were going out to get
       our horses and he'd just grabbed this new one of his Dad's. The
       horse didn't like it and I went flying into the dirt head first.
       I spent 3 days in the hospital with a concussion, at first I didn't
       even know what year it was and kept blacking out. Before taking
       me to the hospital my husband made me get back on the horse (he
       didn't realize I was in the ozone at first) so I wouldn't be
       afraid to ride again. When I started talking nonsense he realized
       there was a problem and took me to the hospital. liesl

    I imagine everyone who gets on a horse/pony on a regular basis has
    an accident story to tell, yet most of us get back on - masochists
    one and all!  Anyway, something happened to a friend which really
    confirmed this view.  At a show she cleared a large double on her
    mare and there was a sharp turn as she landed, the pony slipped
    a little on the bend and tried to recover it's footing. Meanwhile
    my friend had totally lost her balance and decided a swift dismount
    was the best course to avoid disaster. However, she like so many
    other riders, has this determination to hang grimly onto the reins
    not matter what, despite the fact she was in an enclosed ring and
    the animal would take good care of itself thank you. The outcome
    was that despite the smart mobile dismount at speed, her need to
    hang onto the reins from the ground caused her to get a little in
    front of the pony coming out of the bend and she ended up flat on
    her face with pony tying itself in knots trying not to stamp all
    over her back and head. Luckily she was just bruised and winded.
    But to this day I do not understand why people insist on keeping
    hold of the reins no matter what. Ok, if your beloved beast is
    thundering towards a main road you want to stop IT getting hurt,
    but end up with broken bones or worse yourself.
    
    Horses are not as stupid as they are made out to be and will usually
    get themselves out of trouble if they are not being hindered by
    their rider hanging onto the reins for dear life. I have seen a
    horse badly hurt when the rider fell, kept hold of the reins and
    as a result the horse's head whipped round and it lost it's balance
    and fell. How many times have you seen a horse or pony nonchalontly 
    grazing after unseating it's rider, you can almost hear them thinking
    ...So you think you're in charge???...
    
    Yes, I am guilty too, will we never learn?
    
    K
    
    

.                    HAD A SINKING FEELING
              ONE DAY IN OCTOBER MY WIFE AND I WERE OUT RIDING
      ON A TRAIL A FEW MILES FROM OUR HOME. EARLIER IN THE SPRING THERE
      WAS A NEW SEWER SYSTEM PUT IN ON THIS TRAIL.
              THEY REDID THE LANDSCAPE TO MAKE IT LOOK VERY NICE.
      SO WE WERE RIDING DOWN THE TRAIL AND THE GOUND STARTED TO
      TO BECOME UNEVEN. MY WIFE WAS WALKING UP ON THE HIGH SIDE
      OF THE HILL, AND I WAS ON THE LOW SIDE. NOW THE GROUND HAVE A
      NICE LAYER OF GRASS. SO IT LOOKED SAFE. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY
      APPY K.C. SUNK UP TO HER BELLY IN THE MUD. I JUMPED OFF AS SHE
      WAS TRYING TO GET OUT. I TRYED TO CALIM HER DOWN AND TRY TO FIGURE
      OUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO GET HER OUT OF THERE. LUCKILY THE GROUND
      SLOPED DOWNWARD. SHE STARTED SWAY SIDE TOSIDE IN THE MUD, AFTER
      ABOUT A HALF A DOZENS SHE FINALLY ROLLED OUT OF THE MUD.
              TALK ABOUT BEING SCARED!  I THOUGTH SHE WOULDENT GET OUT
      OF THERE. IT WAS LAST IN THE AFTER NOON AND COLD. I WAS ALL WET
      FROM ROLLING OFF OF HER AND TRYING TO HELP HER. SHE CAME OUT 
      WITH NO INJURYS.  
    
    
    
                                                 
    

    re.17
    
    The same thing happened to me and to this day my horse panics in mud!
    
    I was trail riding with two other girls and we came across a new trail
    that was formed by bulldozers (they were starting to develop our
    trails) it was like a dirt road.  So we went down it (it would have
    been a short cut).  Everything seemed until all of a sudden my horse
    SUNK belly deep in mud. I was leading the pack and yelled back for them
    to turn around!  I dismounted (my feet were touching the ground while
    mounted) and got on solid ground (it was about 2 feet wide) and took
    the reins over her head and pulled and pulled and pulled then she
    managed to get her front legs out of the mud onto this thin solid area
    and then she pulled the rest of herself out.
    
    Come to find what we were riding on what use to be, A SWAMP!!!! The
    developers were draining it and I guess making it into a rode.
    It was the scarest feeling I have ever had.  The mud was just like
    quick sand and I feared my horse was going to go under and die!
    
    But, ever since this she is sooooo learey or mud.  Her pasture has
    muddy areas and she will avoid them at all costs.  If I do walk her
    through them she rushes to get out!
    
    MORAL OF THE STORY... never ventured on unventured territory!!!!! 

    re .18
    
    ...and particularly not alone. If you do ride alone, tell someone
    where you are going and for how long, and stick to it! I torn the
    ligements in my left knee and sprained my left shoulder about 1.5
    years ago when my mare slipped in mud. The mud was not deep, but
    she slipped and went down on her left side with me landing underneath
    her. She hopped up right away and was fine, not a scratch on her...she
    just wandered off a few feet and waited for me. Myself, I was jolted
    between the ground and 1000lbs of horse. I was riding alone in a
    state forest, and was about a mile from the barn on a trail that
    went deep into the woods. Thank God my mare did not take off! I
    was able to climb on a big rock that was nearby and get myself
    back on (there was no way I could walk, my knee was too messed up)
    and ride back to the barn, where a fellow boarders took care of
    my horse and drove me to the hospital. It could have been a lot
    worse, the horse hurt or myself knocked unconcious (although I
    do always ride with a helmet). Before that I had ridden out there
    alone thousands of time, and my mare is as bomb-proof as a horse
    can be, she did not shy at anything she just simply slipped. You never
    know what can happen even under the best of circumstances...
    

    This past weekend I had one of the worst horse related accidents I've
    ever had.  We sold a horse and were trucking her to her new home on
    saturday, this is a mare who has ridden thousands of miles in the
    trailer but tends to be somewhat flighty.  As we were unloading her
    she charged back out of the trailer and swung around enough to get
    her hind foot caught between the spring and the tailgate and in the
    process fell down.  We steadied her head enough to get her back on her
    feet to see if she could free the foot herself.  By the time she stood
    she was able to pull her foot out, though it took a big chunk of skin
    off her pastern.  She was definitly sore and wouldn't put weight
    on the foot for about 20 minutes, but has come out of it fine.  This 
    could have been much worse than it was, had that foot been wedged in
    enough so that she couldn't get it out and she is the type of horse
    to panic.  Please let this be a lesson, I've heard of horses breaking
    their legs doing just this, but I guess I never thought it would happen
    to me.  From now on I will carry a piece of wood or something to stick
    between the spring and the tailgate so it will never happen again!!
    
    Linda
    
    

    re .20
    
    I am so glad they finally invented the "spring loaded" ramps with the
    spring in middle of the ramp (underneath).  A) The ramp goes up and
    down like a dream. B) Your horse could never-ever get its foot(leg)
    stuck because there is nothing on either side of the ramp.
    
    I think you can get an old version ramp revamped into the new "spring
    loaded".  You may want to look into this option it might not be that
    expensive to do.
    
    Just a quick thought...Kerry :)

    Maybe it was the full moon?  I had a near catatrosphe this weekend, but
    fortunately nodoby got hurt.  I've been lunging Algiers in full tack
    for a couple of months now.  Saturday I had him completed tacked up and
    had stepped back a couple of feet to re-loop my lunge line (I like very
    even, short loops when I'm leading him out to the ring).  He turned his
    head, presumably to itch himself.  Although I had a watchful eye on
    him, what I didn't see was that instead of scratching, he pulled his
    stirrup leather out of the stirrup (when lunging, I run the stirrups up
    the leather, than wrap the excess leather around and under the stirrup
    to keep everything neatly tucked up and out of the way).  Anyway, with
    the leather hanging down, he grabbed the loop and managed to get it
    looped in his mouth.  It slid past his teeth to underneath the bit,
    where he found himself stuck, with his head tied to the saddle (all
    this in about 3 seconds, no less!).  I realized something was wrong
    when he started lunging around his stall trying to free himself. 
    Initially I found myself pinned in the corner by his butt, although
    that didn't last long.  After a bizarre dance, with him lunging about
    and me dodging about trying to keep from being squished as I tried to
    catch his head while calling whoa-whoa like a demented Santa Claus, I
    managed to get hold of him.  Interestingly, as long as he though I was
    holding his head to the side he was willing to stand still.  I tried
    desparately to free him, but everything was pulled too tight.  When he
    realized I wasn't getting anywhere, he panicked and we started our
    dance all over again.  After Round 2, he stayed still long enough for
    me to unbuckle his girth and pull his saddle up to his ears, at which
    point he was able to spit out the leather!
    
    To be honest, I've never heard of anything quite like this before!
    
    Mary

    RE: .19 &.20
    
    When we bought our trailer (used) it was a step up with two doors.
    We wanted a ramp with no side springs so PACKARD cut the doors off
    and installed a Kingston ramp and outfitted it with a single center
    spring. Works great - no question....
    
    It is a modification that can be easily done and you ought to go
    do it rather than mess around with bringing "a piece of wood" and
    Mickey Mousing the problem.
    
    There are so many horror stories about ramp springs - I am surprised
    there are still manufacturers who install them.

    
    I have a friend who was waiting outside the ring to go in for her 
    hunter round.  Her horse reached around to get a fly, hooked the tip of
    her full check snaffled (with keepers) on the stirrup.  World War III 
    broke out and my friend ended up with a broken arm.

    
    I had a similar experience with a full cheek snaffle, too. Have
    to be extra cautious using them! My mare hooked her's in her
    breastplate just seconds after I had dismounted once...and gave
    me this wild-eyed look as if to say "You have about 5 seconds to fix
    this before I start to panic Ma!". I just pulled the whole bridle
    off over her head without even bothering to try unhooking the bit,
    it was kind of funny, she let out this huge sigh of relief and started
    grazing while waiting for me to untangle the mess and rebridle her....
    I consider myself lucky that she is not the panicky type 'cause
    she sure can get herself into some precarious situations sometimes!
    :-)
    

    That is a good idea about getting the trailer modified.  I don't own
    this trailer, we borrowed it to move the horses, but when I do get
    one I will get rid of those springs!!

    When I was a kid I had an older very reliable mare.  We were crossing
    some railroad tracks in the same place as we ussually did.  She
    suddenly jerked to a stop.  I got off and found that one of the
    railroad spikes got wedged under her shoe right on the track. She just
    stood quietly while I prayed that no train would come. I had to take a
    rock and tap her foot to get it off the nail.
     
    That was wierd!