Truthful Tuesday: Braiding hazards

 

There are a lot of obvious hazards when braiding horses. Standing on a ladder next to a large animal is an obvious risk. 

Some larger than others... this horse is well over 18 hands. 
Thankfully 18 hands of perfect gentleman!

I once had to braid a 17 hand two year old (he was close to three, regardless, he was enormous) who was very much a baby. He tried to pull my ladder out from under me and repeatedly kept trying to bite my legs. 

Pulling manes can also be pretty dangerous if you have a horse that's sensitive about it. Years ago I was pulling a mane on another large horse (17.1 ish). All was going well until the moment it wasn't. The horse very suddenly decided mane pulling was done for the day, and he reared up hitting me in the face with his head. I fell off my ladder onto a concrete barn floor, knocked the wind out of myself upon landing, and cut my finger with the mane comb. I had an actual buckle print on my head. Since it happened at my college barn, I had to go to the ER to make sure I didn't have a concussion. Unfortunately, once I got there the doctor noted my sore neck (I had whiplash) and strapped me to a board to await x-rays. Fortunately, nothing was terribly wrong, other than a possible mild concussion. I missed the window to get my finger stitched up but it healed fine so that worked out. 

When braiding tails, you are standing directly behind a horse. DIRECTLY. For an extended period of time. There are lots of risks there. Especially during fly season. The obvious of course is potentially getting kicked. I've had a few horses that threatened. You also run the risk of methane poisoning from all the gas they pass (lol, okay not really but trust me, you get farted on A LOT). Also you'll be pooped on at some point. It happens. Not so dangerous, but certainly icky. 

Those are some of the obvious risks. But you know what no one really talks about? The fact that your standing in an open barn on a ladder near a light in the middle of the summer. What does that mean you ask? Have you ever seen what a light looks like in the middle of the summer at night? No? Bugs my friends. That is very much a bug magnet. This weekend I got eaten alive all over my head. As it happens, if I have any kind of skin wound in the summertime, I will react there to my own sweat and get kind of hivy. You can imagine what happens when I shove my sweaty helmet over said open bug bite. GIANT bug bite welts. Super attractive. 

I'm trying very hard not to scratch and make it bigger. But OMG IT IS SOOOOO ITCHY! 

So there you have it. Some of the hazards you mights encounter while braiding horses. So next time you wonder why braiding is so expensive, remember this post! (You know, these reasons, plus all the years it takes to get good at it.)