Horses look beautiful in pastures and they’re easy to admire as they lean over a stall door to greet us. We admire them as they work in farm fields or clearing brush, stand sedately on streets to control crowds or in the show ring. But there are a few places we probably don’t want to see horses.
In a Dumpster
A recent new story told of a horse rescued from a dumpster. We’ve all heard of puppies and kittens found abandoned in dumpsters. But the horse seems to have put itself into the dumpster. Apparently it got into the dumpster by climbing onto a platform beside the dumpster and falling in. Thanks to the ingenuity of the Orange Country Fire Authority's heavy rescue team the horse was safely lifted out with and came away from its accident unharmed. But why the horse decided to go dumpster diving in the first place still isn’t clear.
In a Pool
Swimming pools for horses are a thing, and they are very good for therapy when a horse is recovering from an injury. But sometimes horses end up in pools when they shouldn’t. During the devastating fires in California, one mule ended up in a swimming pool as it fled the inferno. Whether it did so by intent or accident we’ll never know, but the move might have saved its life. By the time the horse was found, it was starting to suffer from hypothermia, and it was lucky the pool cover held it up and kept if from drowning. The horse was pulled from the pool by a group of rescuers and seemed unharmed.
Other horses seem to enjoy pool life. Duke the horse clearly loved getting in an inflatable kiddie pool while others find less bliss in going for a dip. In general, horses and pools aren’t a great mix and thank goodness for emergency rescue teams that know how to help large animals in difficult situations.
In a Coffee Shop
Last fall, a video of a bucking race horse barging through a coffee shop went viral. The horse had escaped from a nearby track after dumping its jockey. Luckily the horse was caught before it or bystanders were hurt.
A Police Station
Cheshire police station in Winsford, UK had an unexpected visitor in October 2018 when a small black and white pinto draft type pony strolled through the front doors. It entered the lobby and waited a moment for the automatic doors to open before entering the station. It didn’t take the person ‘shooing’ it back out very seriously as it sauntered on by. The horse then ambled out, with a pat from the man attending the door.
In a Car Wash
Your horse needs a bath, it doesn’t fit in the clothes washing machine, it won’t get in the tub and the laundromat forbids anything that hairy in its machines. Where do you go? Have you tried the car wash? Horses have been spotted in car washes across the continent, with and without harness. High pressure sprayers, harsh soap and the wax rinse make the garden hose are probably a much better idea though.
In the House
Okay, so my sister got her first pony presented to her in the kitchen a long time ago, and since then there’s been a parade of other animals, including small equids that have followed. But, for the most part horses shouldn’t be in the house. That’s what Western Isles Council told Stephanie Nobel and Grey Lady Too. And, those 911 dispatchers hear just about everything, including someone calling because a horse appeared, uninvited in her living room.
In a Tree
When you’re looking in your fields for your horse, you probably don’t think of looking up. But maybe you should. Having a horse stuck in a tree may sound funny, but it’s probably not. Back in 1910, a live horse was found in a tree in New South Wales. The tree was cut down, and the horse apparently walked away unscathed. The horse appears to have been caught up about twenty feet above the ground. No one knows how it got there.
In a Hospital
We’ve all enjoyed and perhaps teared up at photos and videos of horses visiting patients into hospitals. Of all the places horses shouldn’t be, this one is the best.
In a Train Station
If you want to get your horse out, and want to save money on the commute, you probably won't be able to take the train. That’s what a man in Wales discovered, when despite buying a ticket, station staff forbade him from taking his pony on the train. Maybe next time he’ll call an Uber.
In a Pub
The old joke starts out with “a horse went into a bar”. But apparently, it really did. Whether being brought in, or just wandering in off the street, seems that it’s not all that unheard of for a horse or pony to enter a bar or pub. In September 2018, a pony sauntered into the Oak Inn were diners were enjoying a Sunday meal. What do you serve a pony at a bar? Carrot juice?
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