Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Pond Boss Dead Horse, Close Call

My wife decided to go for a run last night so I took the little one for a ride down to the grocery store just to kill some time. On the way home it was dark, I caught a glimpse of something running toward me from the right side of the road. I hit the brakes and ending up hitting the back legs of a horse, with the drivers side left bumper, knocking it into the oncoming lane where immediately a tractor-trailer carrying coils of steel smacked it square at full speed (55mph posted) which I viewed from less than 8' away. I watched the semi roll down the road in my rearview mirror as I pulled off the road. The semi ended up on it's top on my side of the road in someone's front yard. The driver was trapped but he was alive. The little one and I are both fine. My wife's car has relatively light damage to the front end and horse manure sprayed down the driver's side from the semi impacting the horse...gross...but shows how close it was. If I'd been 1 second sooner the horse would have been in my lap, 1 second later and the semi would have rolled over us. Someone was looking out for us yesterday.

It turned out there were 3 horses out running around. The lady in front of me nearly hit a white horse a second or two after I hit the brown one. Neighbors were saying it was the third time in recent months the horses had gotten out. They people responsible for the horses only have the white tape style electric fence and the property is very close to a busy road.

Yikes Ryan! I would'a sprayed a little manure in the driver's seat.
Glad to hear that you and tyke are OK.

Oh my gosh! I'm so glad you're OK. That's a horrifying story!

Not nearly as terrifying as the call to the wife telling her I hit a horse with her car.

I called my buddy Bob and he said "at least it wasn't an ostrich" I had forgotten that he totalled a truck a few years ago when he hit an ostrich, in Ohio of all places. He was of course happy everyone was OK. Good friends have a way of finding humor in difficult situations.

Ryan, you need to go buy a lottery ticket.

Glad you're OK Ryan.

Growing up, before the lose stock laws, we used to get a lot of horse and cow strikes on our road. One girl I went to HS with was actually killed when her new Mustang hit a horse. It's amazing how many cows would get hit, all but destroy the car, then run away seemingly unhurt.

Glad you're all right, Ryan.

"Good fences make good neighbors", especially if there's livestock that should be contained.

Trust me, the horse was hurt. In my immediate area there have been several instances of livestock getting out over the years and I never thought much of how dangerous it is, just part of rural life. Accidents happen but I do feel it could have been avoided in this case, since the fence had failed at least twice before.

Wow!

That scares me. About 4 years ago, I got a call at 1:00 in the morning. The caller, a neighbor, had just gotten in from work and found cows in the road. He said that he thought they were mine. I got up and headed that way, 70 miles, on frozen highways. I was afraid somebody would get hurt. After 3 hours on the road, I found the cows. They weren't mine. However, I chased them up onto my place and thje owner came and got them the next day. My cows had gotten out in the past and I had made this trip several times.

I started thinking and sold my cows. The cattle market started going up and really hasn't stopped. But, I sleep better at night.

Glad you and the girl are OK, Ryan.

Ryan,

Glad you are ok. Third time in recent months...sounds like someone needs to have a serious talk with the horse owners. Most rural folks understand the importance of good fencing and the "golden rule"...unfortunately, not all however.

DD1...cattle prices may have gone up, but so has everything associated with raising them. I'd love to have you as a neighbor.

dittos that yer OK ryan, and its humbling to contemplate the significance of a couple seconds in time.

ML, the hay guys have an interesting year in this area. During the drought, prices were very high but they got very few cuttings. However, this year, plentiful rains have kept them from getting it in. And, the costs of diesel are making profits hard to come by.

Wow Ryan, that is a terrifying story. I am so glad that you and the "little one" are unhurt.

I'm not an attorney but given that the horses had escaped the fenced in area three times in the recent past, and that the property boarders a busy road, I would imagine that the neighbors that owned the horses are looking at some significant liability.

I've haven't thought of this in a few years but when I was 19 I worked in a grocery store in a rural area of San Diego. One of the guys I worked with (he was on the same night stocking crew as me) didn't show up one night for work. We called his house, no answer (long before cell phones). We found out the next day (photo in the newspaper) that on his way to work he hit a horse. He was driving one of the original (very small) Honda Civics. The horse came through the windshield and killed him.

As I mentioned before my wife was injured a little over a year ago in a car accident. An inattentive young driver changed our lives in an instant.

Your story should be a reminder to us all to count your blessings and take the time to enjoy your life and your loved ones.

No doubt. Glad all is well.

Sure glad you're OK Ryan!
Have you checked to see if your state has a definition for a "legal fence"? A poorly made fence for livestock can be as lethal as an untrained gun owner.

OMG!!! How horrible! I am so glad it wasn't worse for you and your little one. I hope the truck driver is ok.
I have horses and it has always worried me about them getting out, we are not on a major highway but its busy enough. We check the fences every week just to be sure everything is closed. I can't imagine what the people were thinking that own them, JHAP is right I am sure they will have to pay not only for your repairs but any other damage done. Don't let them get off scott free, for the horses sake alone, they SHOULD pay.