Race Against Time: Helping a Fallen Horse Gain Traction on Ice!

In this educational video, we document a challenging situation where a horse unfortunately fell on ice and couldn't get up. You'll see our team's practical approach as we quickly head to the scene to assist. Our focus is on providing the horse with the necessary traction to stand safely, using materials like salt and sand. This scenario underscores the importance of being prepared for equine emergencies, especially in icy conditions. The video aims to inform horse owners and animal lovers about effective methods to help horses in similar situations. We discuss safety precautions, the importance of timely action, and practical tips for aiding animals in distress. Your engagement with this video helps in sharing valuable knowledge for animal care and safety. Please like, share, and subscribe for more insightful content on animal welfare.
Patreon: / ryanrosehorsemanship
Equipment Ryan Uses: qualityhorseman.net
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#HorseRescue, #AnimalCare, #IceSafety, #EquineWelfare, #HorseLovers, #AnimalRescue, #EmergencyResponse, #WinterSafety, #AnimalSafety, #EquineCare

[@ryanrosehorsemanship]

If you would like me to help guide you on your horsemanship journey I can do that on my patreon page. Go to www.patreon.com/ryanrosehorsemanship

[@atsavvy6.0]

Another good thing to use for traction if you don't have sand is wet bedding . It sticks to the ice right away . Great job everyone , glad the horsies are safe .😊😊

[@ryanrosehorsemanship]

Good idea

[@michellemontini9642]

Grat Job - so I have a question. Do the horses eat the Salt-Sand mixture? The salt for street ist not healthy for animals - I just wonder - I have foals in that area and I do not want the to eat it. Thanks

[@tagadaki]

@@michellemontini9642 I intuitively would say that they might not eat it because animals have better senses than us, so I think they know if it's dangerous for them, but maybe Im wrong because they have been domesticated for a long time. And when I see my cats I realise they are dumb as a stick and could choke eating some plastic XD So I would advise to just keep an eye on them and remove as possible to reduce the risk. Somebody with better knowledge than me should answer you :p

[@blackbird3847]

@@michellemontini9642there’s definitely a possibility, but unlike animals in the wild, a properly cared for horse has a mineral block in the pen with them. They know when they need salt to go to that, so there isn’t a lot of motivation to go lick salt somewhere else with dangerous footing when they have an easier option right in front of them

[@blackbird3847]

I just realized you didn’t actually mention wildlife but I made the comparison because I see a lot of bighorn sheep licking road salt where I live

[@My1775-movies]

Neighbors helping neighbors. Well done, Ryan Rose. 👍

[@abbykoop5363]

If there are any horses stalled or sheltered on shavings, you can also take some peed on shavings to throw on the ice. The moisture from the pee makes the shavings stick to the ice. Dry shavings won't stick.

[@kathryn6855]

So glad Ryan able to help. I'm a woman in S Cal and would have gotten the horse up on my own. People these days have no common sense and don't think logically how to solve problems. So simple to provide traction for the horse and rough up the ice around the hooves. I know because I was stranded alone in boonies in a rainstorm w truck 4 tires stuck deep in mud. Quite a story how that happened. Had to dig by hand, get weeds, small shrubs, anything to provide traction. Took hours but got out without any help!

[@marks7502]

YAY! nice job. good natured horse black horse sees a food bucket, lol

[@irisheyessouth9269]

Bless her heart and bless all who helped her. So nice to have a happy ending! Stay safe out there

[@ryanrosehorsemanship]

Thanks

[@cindyrissal3628]

Non-scooping kitty litter also works great...& it's cheap!

[@imagineifyouwereaworm]

Non-clumping**

[@daniellebissonnette3304]

And it is also safer for animals than salt!

[@TheSweezer]

If a horse had life alert. HELP ME I HAVE FALLEN AND CANT GET UP!! .

[@margueritewade3728]

Up In Nova Scotia by the coast where we deal with a lot of ice in winter we use a tractor with blade to scrape the slush away before deep freeze .If unable to do that mix sand with some cold wood ashes and or crusher dust gravel .The ashes will melt ice and keeps working on it when the sun comes out,while sand or crusher dust gives them traction .Our two little ones are locked in when ice storms or freezing temps are on the way 😊.So Glad it ended well ,Ryan very kind of you to help these ladies out .😊

[@vlweb3d]

WELL DONE RYAN. You just helped that horse from suffering some major health complications. 🐴🐎🐴

[@cindyjcooke77able]

I had this happen once and the horse was so weak from trying to get up my husband thought of this and it really worked you nail two by fours or any sort of boards on each side of the horse and nail it the big nails into the ice then when the horse tries to get up, it’s feet hits those boards and it can get up

[@OnceUponaTimeline]

That is very smart thanx. Most people will have some kind of wood around, worst case, you can yank some trim off the house for the job and then put it back up on the house later.

[@Patty747]

I had to put my horse down because I couldn't get him up when he slipped on ice. He was very old and I should have put him down in the summer prior. He had trouble getting up in good weather. Very sad when this happens.

[@marilynbowe650]

In Alaska, during the winter we always put shoes with cleats and rim pads on our horses. Often we would have nothing but glare ice everywhere and if they fell it could be catastrophic. Many horses fell in paddocks and got cast or broke hips. Made the price of winter shoes seem pretty cheap, even at 200 bucks per horse.

[@Doktracy]

It’s not real common for them to get this weather,not enough to shoe for it.

[@SocialShires]

Im very surprised how good my horses got on ice. They walk differently, set hooves softly on the ice and keep head to the ground. Very impressive

[@asvuorenmaki]

why don't they sand the stable area, pasture gate area or the horses' roads .There finland (nort european) it's not enough for us just to wear winter horseshoes ., there have sand all too 🤔. There is icy and Alaska is so same.

[@OnceUponaTimeline]

I think it depends on the sense and experience of the horse. We got one quarter horse in that spent most of his life in a stall before us and he is such a stumble dork, he never watches his step, just assumes the ground will always be flat I guess. We let him go in a turn out with a slight incline and he tripped and fell and needed 10 stitches. Sigh.... But the only way to learn is to do, here's praying he figures it out soon, right now he's on stall rest until the stitches come out, LOL! @@SocialShires

[@SocialShires]

@@OnceUponaTimeline there's at least 2 videos showing just how careful my horses are on ice. It always amazed me but im always shitting my pants. Of course the size 6 hooves help, as well as the much higher weight. Still makes me pucker

[@janethein7740]

Barn lime helps a lot too with ice .

[@Tam-Solo70]

Ive had friends lose horses this way…so sad. Great Job Guys!!!

[@ryanrosehorsemanship]

Thanks

[@sherryw-ponyluv-er2394]

Great job Ryan. Glad that went pretty well! Mare was pretty patient allowing you to help.

[@OneMeanArtist]

The ineptitude of these ppl is beyond aggravating. If you don't have the knowledge or common sense even to properly care for horses in a variety of situations, don't own them. Same goes for any other animal owner. How many times did he have to ask for a shovel, salt and an area with sand? Too many. There was a shovel on the fence at 0:40 and she walks right past it TWICE after he asked for one. And then to not have the sense to remove the horse from the area or put her in a stall after finally getting her on her feet... These ppl are idiots. Glad Ryan was able to help, but good lord these ppl.... smh.

[@charlottecrookham]

@OneMeanArtist Yes, Ryan was their blessing. I grew up in North Texas with horses and county roads that iced. Both women gave clues on their inexperience real quick. This could of gone bad, but they made a right call.

[@casdragon_5939]

I was a bit surprised too, having something for traction is barn 101 where I live. BUT in Texas they don't get this weather often

[@OliveDeuce]

I was personally shocked at the fact that it seemed like they were going to just keep her in that same pasture..

[@colleengosselin4154]

@@charlottecrookhamI agree no common sense what so ever…have to call someone idiots🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

[@OnceUponaTimeline]

He mentioned they were not used to that kind of weather. We never get that kind of ice where I live either so i was watching intently. I'd have probably tried wacking the ice with the claw side of a hammer but beyond that, not sure, maybe with multiple people, try to slide pull the horse with ropes to a better spot if it was mellow enough but most of ours are not that mellow (it's a horse rescue so a lot of the horses are difficult when they come and then if we get them better, they don't stay that long).

[@simpinainteasyRHEC]

Mr. Rose, you sir, have the patience of a saint! I mean no disrespect to the folks you're helping, but I feel like it is urgent, when someone shows up to your rescue ld be moving like roaches in the dark to get everyone on track and moving to help this be successful quickly. Youre amazing!

[@meghanbrown9108]

Right!!?? I'm feeling a little extra cynical about people in general this week and my very first thought was that they had intended to see a more tragic ending. If that had been me driving out in the cold and dark to save their animal, I would have ensured every horse was on dry, safe ground, with fresh hay and liquid water. Then I would read them such a riot act as to be heard in Mexico!

[@KingsMom831]

Ryan saves the day, again😊

[@cindybrygman4350]

Great job for everyone involved. Our Canadian winters can be harsh but I’ve learned that horses get their traction from their own poop. Just spread that around on the paths.

[@sidilicious11]

I had this happen with an elderly horse and it didn’t end well. He was pretty cold and exhausted by the time I found him. I had to call a vet and have him put down he was 35. That was 50 years ago in Wisconsin.

[@gunnerman5764]

get a bag of chicken grit, found at any feed mill, relatively cheap. Throw it out and you can immediately walk on it just as if you are walking on concrete. It will sink into the ground as the ice melts, and come back up to the surface as the ground refreezes. I managed a horse farm in PA. They had an area, a low spot, that became an ice rink, right in front of the barn. One application lasted the winter.

[@OnceUponaTimeline]

Good idea, prob was these women were there having a prob probably after the stores all closes, makes it harder...

[@nicolecermak238]

Good video to post for these icy times. This video was a good wake up call for preparedness.

[@phoenixrising323susanburnl8]

Poor thing !!! Breaks my heart. One of my horses fell twice yesterday. Thought he was going to break his leg. Trying to mitigate their environment

[@skr8674]

Maybe keep them in during bad weather…

[@casdragon_5939]

Pretty common for horses to live outside 24/7, sometimes things just happen@@skr8674

[@APromisedFriend]

Thank you, thank you Ryan! I just let the horses out in the paddock today just for stall cleaning and one was scrambling on the ice within a few minutes of opening the door! She never went down, thank God, but I finished and promptly brought them back in. The information you shared in this video may save the life of someone's beloved animal! You have no idea how grateful I am that you took the time to video and share! I have already forwarded this to many of my horse friends!!!

[@fion1flatout]

Huh! Livingin England we have those freeze-thaw conditions most of the winter.. there's a big yellow plastic container of salt n sand on the end of most streets, for people to help themselves Never thought of it as useful wisdom before!

[@loridorii]

Warmer water can help too when it's -40°. My boys won't drink water at night when it's this cold, but they'll drink in the day, so I'll bring them warm water throughout the day

[@nelltaylor8171]

Great rescue, so pleased you were able to help. ❤

[@tracyjohnson5023]

Cat litter works well too. Experienced horse people should think about taking a large animal rescue course. These courses teach safe techniques to extract large animals from many situations. Check with your state ag agency or disaster response agency.

[@juliehagan3853]

Thank heavens you were close by. This could have ended terribly for that horse.

[@virginiamoss7045]

You can also use kitty litter. I keep it in my garage for when my driveway is iced over. Salt isn't good for my plant life. It seems throwing down hay or straw or other bedding would work in a pinch.

[@shepherds.pie.youtube]

Nightmare.... I'm so glad you got her up.

[@debrarichter3416]

Thank goodness she was able to get up!!!

[@skr8674]

Maybe having some large pieces of rubber matting around would be helpful in the event of some thing like this.

[@arribaficationwineho32]

Love the horse attracted to your bucket! I was surprised to learn that horses colic more in cold weather. Thank you for your help

[@kellythyben3984]

Must be freezing up there hearing your voice wow…. I’ve heard horses falling in ice and breaking legs so I pray that all is well here.

[@bombardier3qtrlbpsi]

What works great is a shag carpet. . Sawdust.

[@katydidnt3906]

Soaked hay cubes are a great way to get water into your horse, of course.

[@BrianPeloso-ln4ry]

I just assumed that everyone who deals with horses or stock of any kind were experts ... The experts are awesome and teach truth...thanks for the video.👍🙏🇨🇦

[@lindysmith13]

I'm glad you could help.

[@jeanmm2996]

A fortunate rescue.

[@SG-vu4qy]

thank you Ryan for saving their horse and educating them to prepare. I told a friend of mine to get the old style kitty litter, put it by every exterior door with a feed scoop and toss a path to her car, so she would quit slipping and falling on ice.

[@topcatwarrior]

Thankfully where I live I don’t have to worry about a situation such as this for my livestock. I’m glad to add this to my knowledge base in case I’m ever faced with it. Thanks for posting and I’m glad all is well with that horse and owner.👏

[@mariagillinson8527]

Always carry a large bag of Cat Litter works great to get horses up and traction for horses

[@Gem-Ex]

Also, some people are not cognitively designed to own horses.

[@meghanbrown9108]

Honestly! If you are so intellectually disabled that you cannot recognize the substance known as ice and that it is slippery, you are not capable of caring for another life.

[@xxlpony831]

Thanks for helping the mare and taking the time to make this video, Ryan! This may help to prepare others who have not encountered such conditions before. In my experience, salt is not the best means because it will freeze over again if the cold gets more intense and also because it damages the vegetation. The best thing is really fresh manure with straw, I have seen that stick reliably to absolutely slick ice over cobblestones down an incline in front of a stable, providing enough traction for people and horses walking up and down there. Once the weather gets warmer and the ice thaws, you have the mess to get rid of, but that is a small price to pay for keeping everyone safe. It also makes a difference if your horses are familiar with such conditions (which these probably weren't). They make small careful steps routinely and quickly regain their balance if one foot slips. At least on level ground and if they are healthy and either unshod or shod with tiny spikes in their shoes, they can usually manage... I hope that you and your animals will all be lucky and have no accidents with the "interesting" weather we are getting! 🍀

[@OnceUponaTimeline]

In my area, we only have mud if it rains hard, I do find stomping old hay into the mud helps keep the slip factor down for everyone. Our rescue has a barn but there's not enough slots for every horse so the fit young ones are not going to get to stay in the barn.

[@Cwgrlup]

You are a great gift to horses everywhere ❤

[@Velcro1997]

Manure works extremely well as well for pathways / walkways and icy sections in paddocks.

[@OnceUponaTimeline]

SOmeone said wet hay, you wet it and throw it down and it freezes down but is also bumpy.

[@childcrone]

SO good they have you to call! 💖

[@user-mb1hg4qu9f]

You're a good man, Charlie Brown!! 😊👍

[@ginn1994]

Awwww Sweet baby. 😮‍💨

[@suzanneyorkville]

I now live in a hot climate but I remember the black ice when we lived in Alberta. nasty stuff.

[@casdragon_5939]

I was really confused at first as why they didn't have anything for this until I realized it was Texas haha . . . I'm in the midwest and probably deal with this a few times a year. We've made improvements to our pastures to minimize build up but of course one or two always find an ice spot!

[@mettler54]

Let’s face it - she had a hard time coming up with a bucket and a shovel.

[@meghanbrown9108]

WTF, your horse is down on ice and I could have whittled a shovel and mailed it Texas faster than they were moving to help!!! I have to believe that they were in some kind of shock or something. But 😮😮😮😮 any human being that has seen a single episode of sesame street knows that water freezes and ice is slippery.

[@bethjune8650]

Never a fun experience! Good job team :)

[@vkmccable]

We are from Wisconsin too. We have some mixed precipitation coming our way this weekend, after the deep freeze...going to get salt and sand mixed for our boys pasture. Will be checking them frequently and keep an eye on the forecast. Thanks for this video.

[@annefreye1350]

Use barn lime or wood ash.

[@lindahinson8468]

That's fantastic, Ryan. I'm glad you were there to help.

[@My1775-movies]

Great job, guys. You're a nice person, Ryan Rose. Wow, I can hear how cold you are.

[@michelleford7392]

What a sweet horse!

[@moondazed5451]

Construction sand is very coarse. I'm so relieved she got up!

[@archangel807]

Glad they saw her down and called Ryan..

[@annab4796]

This one hit too close to home; I didn't lose her but I'd rank it up there as a NDE, if horses have such a thing... Thank you for sharing this tip with us. I'm in Canada, so, yeah, there's that. ✨️

[@user-md8ie5cs8m]

I stumbled upon your channel and I love it. I don’t own a horse, but I do volunteer for a horse rescue. I just subscribed I love your channel.❤

[@KM-lu7nh]

Very educational. Thank you, Ryan!

[@sharonsandoval2142]

I appreciate that you go help people like this. I also love watching your training videos. Especially the Jypsy Vanner. I'm gonna be helping a young girl with some of the same issues I've seen you handling. I'm not a trainer but love working things out till we see a good outcome. So thank you for helping me along the way. I think you're awesome.

[@OnceUponaTimeline]

If the horse is not dangerous then it can be great fun to use these methods, I love how fast horses learn.

[@cassiemoore5978]

That’s so sweet you trying to help them!

[@rgould4196]

Good job Ryan!! 😊 thank you for explaining WHAT YOU NEED...in case of cold wintry weather!!! From salt, to being sure you have a PLAN on where & how to shelter the horse when bad weather starts! I'm in Michigan, we dealing with constant sub-zero & single digits now & going into third day! Ugh🥶 And yes, they slow on the water intake! What was the name of the product you mentioned that you use to get them to drink more?

[@jameswyatt2662]

im from ontario canada ....hey buddy good job, we get winter , michigan brothers

[@klospike]

Thanks! Good advice.

[@therosejewelrailroad489]

Ryan you looked like you were froze yourself lending a hand. I’m not that far from you in Wisconsin. I don’t visit my horses at all without my coveralls this time of year. I keep barn lime on hand when it gets icy. So glad you were able to help those folks.

[@susanmatthews5901]

Even here in Florida it gets cold enough that the horses don't drink as much as they should. Colic is always a concern when it gets cold, so we soak their hay. They have slow feed hay nets from Hay Chixs. When feeding extra hay and the horse is drinking less water that is a recipe for colic. Hay soaks up alot of water! If you don't believe me, try lifting hay nets with 15 lbs of soaked hay. They weigh about 40-50 pounds!

[@janetcameron4743]

So glad you posted this, Ryan, because there's probably other fair weather horse owners that don't have any 'common sense' in this regard. I'm also curious to know if there's special horse shoes (like cleats?) for these conditions. For instance, the Amish horses probably have to navigate icy roads every winter...

[@kmsch986]

There are studded shoes you can use but I think they do better barefoot when it’s icy. I pull shoes when it’s icy or snowy. The cleats work but if they try to run they can catch and cause tendon issues

[@leanneadams2549]

Kitty litter ! That’s what hat we use in Wisconsin as traction

[@elainematiasiewich7292]

Wood ash is good traction.

[@DakotaLily]

😢. Glad everyone is okay.

[@erinhayes8552]

Steady grating will help too. Coming from Alaska, we try our best to keep the outdoor areas really well grated during the freeze up and thaw out seasons(spring and fall for those who aren't familiar).

[@louisejackson8595]

Good job. Ice is always a worry. Horses can fall and break a leg or hip or also do the splits which is all devastating. Same as humans. Be careful out there. 😊

[@angelayoung7986]

Here in Wis, every January we seem to get a day or two of freezing rain!! Thankful for an indoor arena full of sand with MAG flakes in it! Fill the UTV wagon and spread away! Good job Ryan!

[@rebeccamitchell6689]

Colorado is good for this kind of environment. Glad we know how to function with it. But I do wish we had an indoor barn or stalls to give the horses an option.

[@jeffrose1144]

Awesome job Ryan !!!

[@juliehambrook4006]

Wood ash rinse repeat. I live in northern BC Canada. It snows the wind blows the ice forms then it’s here for months. Wood ash works on pathways, driveways, around stock waterers and any problem areas.

[@meghanbrown9108]

Can you use the stuff straight from our wood stove or is that not the same thing.

[@juliemcbride8722]

Great job ❤

[@adrianaaguirre5605]

Yay I’m so glad she was helped!! 😭💖

[@chrisp7548]

Good job!

[@angelaandfriends5835]

Good job Ryan! 😊

[@K8-BB8]

You are a hero! Thanks for the reminder to be prepared!

[@PatriciaMarie100]

Love this guy

[@judithmesservy7336]

I just saw your show now lm really enjoying them thank you for sharing

[@mdoubt9963]

We had a horse go down after freezing rain and found a patch that pooled up. luckily we were able to spin and pull him so his legs ended up in a better area where he could get traction and get back up.

[@Frecklesunkissed]

Nice job

[@Doktracy]

Rugs,kitty litter,even a horse cooler can help but sand is the best.

[@ralphturner3798]

When he asks if there is a shovel there is one right in front of him.

[@Shanngella]

Canadian here, we have ice everywhere right now. It's too thick to melt with salt/sand outside the paddock.... we are praying for a good thick and heavy snow dump so we can take the horses the pasture :( I unshoe for winter...but with this icy winter i'm considering putting the shoes back on with spikes.

[@lindahollister5530]

Oh no. 😢😢😢😢

[@stephannewenhisen6439]

Awesome

[@valeriehudson7276]

Great job, I use large wood chip around Icey areas it makes a ruff surface - great little horse too.

[@azaradog1804]

For those mentioning Cat Litter, try asking at a produce store for Dolomite. In Australia I had a friend on a cotton farm use Dolomite for his Persian cats' litter trays ans also to use in his farm dams. It is a bit heavier than the cat litter stuff, which is also Dolomite, but cheap. Now Dolomite may be called something else or not available overseas, but worth checking it out.

[@nancydonckers5373]

Great advice and also great help for the horse! to the folks who expect horse owners to be experts with extra deep pockets, I must reply: you are expecting way more than is reasonable. the climate change is presenting new challenges to everyone and horse people are not setup for every unexpected situation. What most horse people are is, ready to learn and keep learning how to best care for the horses they are fortunate enough to know.

[@meghanbrown9108]

I'm sorry but I disagree. My pockets are so shallow that I don't actually have pockets. I have no information about these owners other than they reside in Texas and keep multiple horses. The video starts, one of their horses had fallen on ice and is unable to stand back up by itself. They might not have two pennies to rub together, it makes no difference AT ALL. I don't care if they thought the horse was slipping on magical goo from the mountains of darkest Africa. Your horse falls, you get it up. If they truly and without malice had no idea what was happening, then every horse should have been seized as soon as humanly possible. What I believe is that they were hoping it would die and what's worse I bet they planned to capilize on this channel in order to drum up enough pity to get something out of it too.

[@nsc217]

This happened with my horse. We had snow on the banks of the road so we were able to shovel snow to make him a path. He just stood there calm and great. After that we put studs on his shoes

[@YouGenie]

Products containing volcanic rock are being advertised as eco and pet friendly and good for immediate traction. EcoTraction is one brand but there are others. Might be good to have on hand for icy situations involving pets. Might be a good idea to check quantity of this product type required 2:22 to facilitate traction with large vehicle. The suggestion is that a little of this product goes a long way.