A few days ago a very well bred cutting horse mare died a horrific death. She drowned in a stock tank.
She was very heavy bred, due to foal any day. The tank was about 3 feet deep, and was about the size of a medium sized kiddie pool, buried in the earth about 6 inches to keep it stable. We had a rainy day that made the ground around the tank slick, and apparently the mare slipped into the tank when she was trying to get a drink. Because she was so heavy bred, she could not right herself after falling into the tank, she was upside down, and she drowned. It was a terrible loss to the owners, and a horrific sight when diving past the crew trying to get her out with a crane. Had the owners kept the mare up closer to their home, she might have been found fast enough to help her. Where she was is more than 1/4 mile from the main house, she had no one watching out for her and was helpless to save herself.
Rather than moving the other 3 very heavy bred mares to a safer location, the owners left them in the same pasture the mare drowned in. I hope the same fate does not befall any of the other girls.
I understand the large kiddie pool type stock tanks, but danged if I'm going to use them on my place.
She was very heavy bred, due to foal any day. The tank was about 3 feet deep, and was about the size of a medium sized kiddie pool, buried in the earth about 6 inches to keep it stable. We had a rainy day that made the ground around the tank slick, and apparently the mare slipped into the tank when she was trying to get a drink. Because she was so heavy bred, she could not right herself after falling into the tank, she was upside down, and she drowned. It was a terrible loss to the owners, and a horrific sight when diving past the crew trying to get her out with a crane. Had the owners kept the mare up closer to their home, she might have been found fast enough to help her. Where she was is more than 1/4 mile from the main house, she had no one watching out for her and was helpless to save herself.
Rather than moving the other 3 very heavy bred mares to a safer location, the owners left them in the same pasture the mare drowned in. I hope the same fate does not befall any of the other girls.
I understand the large kiddie pool type stock tanks, but danged if I'm going to use them on my place.