Back in the 1970s, there was a feller in my home town who was acknowledged as being a dozen cards or so short of a full deck. He was quirky and socially strange, wore nothing but camouflage clothing (back when hunters barely wore camo) and was definitely an odd duck. He was a “powder monkey” and was maybe the most dangerous guy in the whole county. Why? Well, he had a little hatchback car, maybe a Gremlin or something that size, and in the back of it, rattling around in a box together, was dynamite and blasting caps. Yes, together. Enough to make a crater the size of a township if it ever detonated. A collision with that car would have been epic. Why do I tell you about this guy and what can this possibly have to do with horses or our industry? Here’s why: I see people doing something in videos and photos on different media sites that is at least as dangerous, in my book, as hauling dynamite and blasting caps together in a box in a car. Picture this: a person is leading a horse, usually a stallion, either to the breeding barn or the hotwalker, and this horse is just busting out of his skin. He’s on the muscle and pumped up with testosterone until his feet can barely touch the ground. Any little thing could cause him to explode into action. He’s trotting sideways, slinging his head, eyes sparkling, and ready for action. Meanwhile, the person leading him has their right hand holding the shank either at the halter or just below it, and their left hand free to hold a cell phone or air. It’s not holding the other end of the lead shank. So where’s the lead shank? It’s draped over the person’s left shoulder. Over the shoulder! Next to their neck! I have to wonder if they, or God forbid, the photographer, thinks this looks really cool or something? “The casual, nonchalant handler leads the magnificent stallion” could be the caption. What could go wrong? Where do I start. The horse suddenly explodes into action, even a big frolic, and before that free hand can locate the end of the shank, they are jerked off the ground by the thrust of the rocket booster that just sent the horse into orbit. Control has been lost, as this 1200 pound horse leaves the ground and the person only has one hand on the shank. Many things can happen immediately. First of all, losing control of a jacked up stallion in an open area is dangerous for the horse, other horses, and all concerned. The possibilities of disaster are nearly endless. Secondly, if that loose end of the lead shank whips around, the person could get it wrapped around their neck and suddenly, they are being dragged by the horse that is already out of their control. Just picture the outcome of a stallion, already high and hot, and now maybe in panic mode, dragging that person all over the premises, around buildings and fence corners, over rocks, etc…, until something finally gives. It probably won’t be the stallion, so it has to be the person, who at maybe 15% of the horse’s body mass, has become a jellied sack of flesh and bones, and the neck a twig to be snapped. Graphic, I know, but just imagine it if you will. Early on, I was taught to never, ever drape or hang a halter rope or a bridle rein over my shoulder or around my neck. It was further drilled into me in 4-H and later by seeing others do really ignorant things and getting hurt. Until one is in a wreck with a horse, it’s nearly impossible to imagine how fast it can go from bad to worse. They are, no matter how they are handled and bred, still a fight or flight animal, and long on flight. So how, you’re clamoring to know, should that halter shank be handled? The right hand near or at the horse’s head is fine, no complaints there. The left hand should have a hold of that shank with little slack between the hands at about the center of the waist on the handler. There is more leverage with the arm bent, and with both hands on the lead, the right hand can be used to direct the horse. If the shank is long, fold it back through the left hand, not in a coil, and hold it so it doesn’t drag. Never, ever wrap a lead shank around your hand. Maintaining control of a horse is much easier than reestablishing it. Hot horses that are fed up and maybe hormonally charged up, will require more attention than a quiet saddle horse or broodmare, for sure. But, even then, don’t hang the end of the shank anywhere but in your hands. Wrecks happen fast, and none of us want you to get hurt. Just remember the dynamite and blasting caps you are handling and proceed accordingly.
Jan was raised on a ranch in far western South Dakota. She grew up horseback working all descriptions of cattle, plus sheep and horses. After leaving home she pursued a post-graduate study of cowboying and dayworking in Nebraska, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota....
