Before the lights Equine Consulting

08/29/2025

Spotting the Signs👁️ Part 3: What to Look For - Signs Your Horse Has Thoracic Sling Issues

Final post in this series! Here's how to spot when your horse's hind end problems might actually be stemming from thoracic sling dysfunction:

Static Postural Analysis:
"Camped under": Hind limbs positioned forward of vertical - horses instinctively trying to shift weight off the overloaded forehand
"Camped out": Hind limbs positioned behind vertical - compensation for sacroiliac joint strain from altered pelvic mechanics
Dropped chest: Visible "V" shape between the front legs when viewed from behind
Prominent sternum: Chest appears to hang between the legs rather than being lifted

Dynamic Movement Assessment:
Reduced joint flexion: Goniometric studies show 20-30% decrease in hock and stifle flexion angles during swing phase
Altered swing-to-stance ratios: Normal 60:40 becomes 45:55 or worse
Tracking deficits: Hind hoofprints land 6-12 inches behind front prints instead of tracking up or over tracking
Flight arc changes: Hoof flight paths become flattened rather than following normal parabolic curves

Compensatory Muscle Development:
Hypertrophied ventral neck: Brachiocephalicus and sternomandibularis overdevelop from "pulling" the horse along
Atrophied topline: Particularly longissimus dorsi and multifidus showing visible muscle wasting
Overdeveloped hamstrings: Biceps femoris and semitendinosus become disproportionately large from compensatory "pushing"

Performance Indicators:
Transition difficulties: Particularly upward transitions requiring increased engagement
Collection resistance: Physical inability rather than training issues
Lateral work struggles: Requires functional thoracic sling for proper weight shifting

Long-term Pathological Changes:
Research indicates horses with chronic thoracic sling dysfunction show increased incidence of:
Distal hock arthritis (bone spavin) - 340% higher prevalence
Stifle osteochondritis dissecans - 280% higher rate
Sacroiliac joint dysfunction - 450% increased occurrence

The Kinetic Chain Reality: Remember, the horse functions as an integrated kinetic chain. When the thoracic sling - the crucial link between propulsion and steering - fails, compensatory patterns cascade throughout the entire system. That "lazy" horse behind might be demonstrating brilliant biomechanical adaptation to a structural deficit.
Understanding this connection completely changed how I approached movement dysfunction - looking at the whole horse, not just the symptoms.

Has anyone else noticed this pattern with their horses? I'd love to hear your experiences! 💭

08/25/2025

The Chain Reaction to the Hind End🔗 Part 2: How a Dropped Thoracic Sling Wreaks Havoc on the Hindquarters

Previously I shared how the thoracic sling works - today let's dive into the biomechanical cascade when it fails.

The Physics of Failure: When the thoracic sling drops, the horse's center of mass shifts cranially (forward), creating what biomechanists call "positive pitch moment" - essentially falling onto the forehand. To maintain balance and prevent stumbling, horses compensate by:

Rotating the pelvis more vertically (reducing the lumbosacral angle from ~15° to

08/21/2025

Understanding the Thoracic Sling
🐴 The Hidden Connection: Why Your Horse's Hind End Problems Might Start in the Front
After working through countless issues with an appaloosa, I discovered something eye-opening: many seemingly unrelated hind leg problems actually originated from one source - thoracic sling dysfunction.

The Anatomy: Horses don't have collarbones (clavicles)! Their front legs literally "hang" from the body, suspended by a complex muscular sling between the shoulder blades and ribcage. This thoracic sling consists of:

Serratus ventralis: The primary "elevator" muscle, lifting the thorax between the forelimbs
Pectorals: Stabilize and adduct the forelimbs while supporting the chest
Subclavius: Assists in thoracic suspension and prevents medial collapse
Trapezius: Elevates and stabilizes the shoulder blade
Rhomboids: Retract and stabilize the scapula against the ribcage

Biomechanical Function: When functioning optimally, this sling creates what researchers call "thoracic elevation" - lifting the chest between the shoulders and providing spinal extension through the thoracolumbar junction. This creates a stable kinetic chain, allowing efficient force transmission from the hindquarters through the axial skeleton to the forehand.
The serratus ventralis, in particular, acts as a "muscular collarbone," with studies showing it can generate forces exceeding 40% of body weight during movement. When healthy, it maintains the horse's center of mass in optimal position relative to the base of support.

When this sling weakens or drops, the thorax descends between the forelimbs, shifting the center of gravity forward and disrupting the entire kinetic chain - creating that crucial "collapsed bridge" between engine and steering.
More on how this affects the hind end next! 👇

06/09/2025

**Muscle Monday!!**

Let’s explore how horses build muscle!
The process relies on three key ingredients: consistent training, good nutrition, and proper recovery.

Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts—muscle building requires time and effort. When a horse exercises, its muscles experience small amounts of stress, which signals the body to repair and strengthen them through a process called muscle protein synthesis.

Regular exercise is crucial; without it, the body does not receive the message to build muscle.

Nutrition is also vital. High-quality protein and essential amino acids, like lysine and methionine, are necessary for muscle repair.

Additionally, balanced and digestible energy sources are important. While muscle is built from protein, dietary fat helps meet the energy needs of working horses. Vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium and vitamin E, support recovery, and hydration is essential since muscles are primarily composed of water.

After workouts, horses require time to recover for muscle growth to occur. This is when real progress is made! Providing calm environments and ample rest is crucial for effective recovery. In summary, building muscle takes patience, consistency, and a solid foundation; no quick fixes or miracle products will suffice! Feeding a horse for muscle development without training is like expecting a house to build itself—it just doesn't work that way!

06/03/2025

We all understand the importance of training, but neglecting recovery is a guaranteed path to breakdowns. Recovery is the crucial time when strength, coordination, and resilience are built; it is when the body repairs, adapts, and enhances itself. Ignore this phase, and you’re asking for injury.

An essential component of recovery is relaxation therapy, which plays a significant role in helping horses and riders alike recover effectively. Techniques such as massage, stretching, and even mindful breathing can promote relaxation, reduce muscle tension, and accelerate the healing process. By integrating relaxation therapy into your recovery plan, you support not only physical recovery but also mental well-being, which is just as important for performance.

Two types of recovery are vital to consider:

**Short-Term Recovery** - This occurs right after exertion. It’s not just a simple cool-down; it's a deliberate process that facilitates tissue repair, clears out metabolic waste, and starts the restoration of the body. If you’re engaged in a multi-day event, this is absolutely essential. Keep in mind that every tissue—whether fascia, muscle, joint, or nervous system—recovers at its own pace. Know what you’re working with.

**Long-Term Recovery** - This should be integrated into your annual training regimen. Think about weeks off rather than just days. This aspect is where many equine programs fail. Horses are often pushed from one season to the next and from show to show without any well-planned downtime, leading to chronic dysfunction.

Now for the hard truth: Most horses do not receive sufficient short-term or long-term recovery. This perilous combination is one of the main reasons we witness so many physical breakdowns.

Recovery is just as intricate as training! Understanding how tissues heal is just as vital as knowing how to navigate a course, make a barrel turn, or control pace. Adding relaxation therapy to the mix enhances recovery by promoting a peaceful state that aids the body’s natural healing processes.

So why isn’t this topic getting the attention it deserves? In our drive to push harder, grow stronger, and move faster, are we overlooking this crucial aspect of performance?

You cannot cultivate a resilient athlete while disregarding recovery, including the important benefits of relaxation therapy!

05/28/2025

The Hidden Web: How Your Horse's Fascia Impacts Everything They Do

For high-performance horses, fascial health is absolutely critical and can be the difference between peak athletic achievement and underperformance or injury.

Performance Enhancement
Optimal Power Transfer: Healthy, well-hydrated fascia allows for efficient force transmission throughout the horse's body. This means the energy generated in one area (like the powerful hindquarters) transfers effectively through the fascial network to create fluid, coordinated movement.
Elasticity and Energy Storage: Fascia acts like a biological spring system. In jumpers, dressage horses, and racehorses, properly functioning fascia stores kinetic energy during one phase of movement and releases it in the next, significantly enhancing efficiency and reducing muscular fatigue.
Proprioceptive Advantage: High-performance horses with healthy fascia have superior proprioception—awareness of body position in space. This translates to better balance, more precise footwork, and finer response to subtle aids from the rider.
Injury Prevention
Structural Integrity: Well-maintained fascia provides crucial structural support that helps high-performance horses withstand the extreme physical demands of competition.
Even Distribution of Forces: Healthy fascial networks distribute impact forces across the body rather than concentrating them in vulnerable areas. This is particularly important for:
• Jumpers absorbing landing impact
• Dressage horses performing collected movements
• Racehorses handling repetitive concussive forces
• Western performance horses handling hard stops, turns, impact forces
• Show horses using repetitive controlled movement
• Performance horses such as jouster or ropers who are involved in impact sports

Early Warning System: The rich nerve supply in fascia serves as an early detection system for potential problems before they develop into serious injuries.

Recovery Benefits
Faster Healing: Well-hydrated, mobile fascia promotes more efficient circulation of nutrients and removal of metabolic waste products, speeding recovery between training sessions or competitions.

Reduced Compensation Patterns: When fascial restrictions occur in one area, high-performance horses develop compensatory movements that can lead to secondary issues. Maintaining fascial health prevents this cascade of problems.

Practical Implications for Trainers and Owners
For those working with high-performance equine athletes, this means:
1. Integrated Training Approaches: Training should address fascial health alongside muscular development.
2. Strategic Warm-ups: Proper warm-up routines that gradually engage the fascial system before intense work.
3. Recovery Protocols: Implementing fascial release techniques, appropriate cooling down, and adequate hydration to maintain fascial health.
4. Movement Variety: Incorporating varied movement patterns in training to ensure all fascial planes remain adaptable and responsive.

The difference between good and great performance in elite equine athletes often comes down to these subtleties of biomechanics and tissue health that fascial integrity directly influences.

05/27/2025

Out working at the Texas Junior High Rodeo Association Finals! Having a blast watching these young athletes and keeping their months in tip top shape for the week!

05/21/2025

The Hidden Web: How Your Horse's Fascia Impacts Everything They Do
Pt2

Exceptional Strength
Equine fascia demonstrates remarkable tensile strength, particularly in high-stress areas like the thoracolumbar fascia that supports the back and the deep fascia surrounding major muscle groups in the hindquarters. This strength allows horses to:

-Maintain their athletic capacity while carrying riders
-Perform explosive movements like jumping or acceleration
-Withstand tremendous forces during galloping (where limbs absorb impact forces multiple times the horse's body weight)

Research has revealed that properly maintained fascial structures in horses can withstand greater mechanical stress than previously thought possible, challenging traditional views of how load is distributed throughout equine anatomy.

Surprising Adaptability
Equine fascia demonstrates remarkable adaptability to different movement patterns and stressors:

-It can remodel itself in response to specific training regimens
-It adapts its properties based on hydration levels and movement variety
-It can become more elastic or more rigid depending on the demands placed upon it

This adaptability is particularly evident in performance horses whose fascial networks reorganize over time to support their specialized disciplines—whether it's the extensive fascial sheets supporting the back in dressage horses or the fascial elasticity needed in the distal limbs of jumpers.

Sensory Richness
Perhaps most surprising is how densely innervated equine fascia is:
Contains up to six times more sensory nerve endings than muscle tissue in some areas
Functions as a vast proprioceptive organ that helps horses maintain their remarkable awareness of body position
Plays a crucial role in pain perception and protection against injury

This sensory function explains why fascial restrictions can create disproportionate discomfort and behavior changes in horses—the tissue is literally designed to monitor and respond to mechanical changes throughout the body.

Systemic Influence Beyond Mechanics
Current research shows equine fascia does far more than provide structural support:

Biochemical Communication
Fascia functions as a body-wide communication network in horses:
Transports signaling molecules through ground substance (the gel-like component of fascia)
Participates in inflammatory responses and healing processes
Influences the horse's overall systemic health through these chemical pathways

Fluid Dynamics
Equine fascia plays a significant role in whole-body fluid mechanics:
Acts as a pressure management system, helping distribute forces and fluids
Contains thixotropic properties that allow it to change from gel-like to more fluid states with movement
Creates a "secondary circulatory system" that complements the cardiovascular system

Integration with Other Systems
Fascia interconnects with virtually every other body system in horses:

Forms a continuous network with tendons and ligaments
Connects directly to joint capsules, influencing range of motion
Interacts with the nervous system, affecting both sensory input and motor control
Influences respiratory capacity through its connection to the thoracic structures

By respecting the complexity and importance of the equine fascial system, we can develop more effective approaches to training, preventing injuries, and optimizing performance in horses across all disciplines.
Coming up Pt3

05/18/2025

New studies come out all the time backing what us body workers have been using and proving time and again! So excited to see more places studying these methods!

05/16/2025

Beyond Surgery: Alternative Approaches to Managing OCD in Your Performance Horse!

Kinesiology Taping for Osteochondritis Dissecans in Horses
Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) is a significant joint condition in horses where cartilage and bone in the joint separate, causing pain, inflammation, and potential lameness. Kinesiology taping offers a non-invasive supportive therapy that can complement traditional veterinary treatment for this condition.
How Kinesiology Taping Helps OCD in Horses
Reduces Swelling and Inflammation
• The elastic properties of kinesiology tape create a gentle lifting effect on the skin, which improves lymphatic drainage and blood circulation around the affected joint
• This improved circulation helps remove inflammatory byproducts from the OCD-affected area
• The reduced inflammation can decrease pain and allow for improved range of motion in the affected joint
Accelerates Healing and Recovery
• By improving blood flow to the affected area, kinesiology tape helps deliver oxygen and nutrients essential for healing the damaged cartilage and bone
• The improved circulation also helps remove waste products that can impede the healing process
• This enhanced metabolic environment supports the joint's natural healing mechanisms, potentially shortening recovery time
Provides Joint Stabilization
• Kinesiology tape helps reset proprioception and muscle memory around the affected joint
• The gentle tension from the tape provides constant sensory feedback to the surrounding muscles
• This feedback encourages proper muscle engagement patterns during movement, providing dynamic stability to the OCD-affected joint
Promotes Proper Alignment
• The tape guides muscles and joints toward correct biomechanical positioning
• This proper alignment reduces abnormal stress on the affected joint structures
• By maintaining optimal alignment, the tape helps prevent further damage to the compromised cartilage and bone
Supports Long-Term Recovery
• The proprioceptive feedback from the tape helps retrain movement patterns over time
• These improved movement patterns persist even after the tape is removed
• The horse gradually develops healthier movement habits that support joint function
When used as part of a comprehensive treatment approach supervised by an equine veterinarian, kinesiology taping can be a valuable tool in managing OCD in horses, potentially improving outcomes and helping maintain athletic function.

05/14/2025

The Hidden Web: How Your Horse's Fascia Impacts Everything They Do
Pt1 of 3

Understanding Fascia and Its Impact on Equine Health!
Fascia underpins the entire structure of the body, meaning that no muscle, no movement, and no body part exists in isolation. The whole body is fascially continuous, which explains why an issue in a horse's hoof or fetlock can affect the hip, knee, or spine—not just on a muscular or neurological level.

What Happens When Fascia Is Compromised?
When your horse's fascia becomes restrictive or their muscles lack full range of motion (note: "tightness" is an experience, not a technical movement term), adhesions can form against the fibers. These adhesions cause discomfort and restrict movement in the affected area.

Many equine injuries actually begin with the health of the fascia, specifically:
-The hydration level of the tissue
-The ability of myofascial layers to slide and glide against each other

When fascia becomes dried out or brittle, horses experience:
-Higher risk of injury
-Diminished proprioception (bodily awareness)

Why This Matters for Your Horse
As equine caretakers, we should recognize that proprioception is crucial for:

-Movement quality
-Movement efficiency
-Increased performance

These factors impact everything from daily activities to athletic performance in your horse. Most importantly, your horse's movement patterns—or lack thereof—affect their fascia profoundly!

Stay tuned for Pt2!

05/07/2025

In Texas we get HOT and things can happen so fast! Have a plan and know what to use when!

This picture has been making the rounds on Facebook this week. So I am reposting Duane Russell’s article on horses and fire extinguishers. Please take the time to read and understand the different types of extinguishers and where you should or shouldn't use them.

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Maybe we take it for granted, maybe we just don’t think it will ever happen to us, but the fact is that our truck and horse trailers carry flammable liquids, that under the right conditions, can burn your entire truck and trailer down in just minutes!

If we consider the sources of these flammable items we can to some extent, try to minimize the loss of our equipment and protect our horses. But only if you understand what to do and act quickly!

Before we get into specific types of fires that can occur on your truck and horse trailer let’s do a quick review of the common fire extinguisher types and which fires they are suitable to be utilized upon.

“A” – Type A – Hay, wood, paper, fabrics, plastics, rubber - (Never use Water on oil, gas or grease)

“B” – Type B – Flammable liquids, gasoline, diesel, grease

“C” – Type C – Electrically charged sources such as fuse panels, appliances, circuit breakers

A type “A” extinguisher will be typically water based, but foam and dry chemical are also options. Type “B” extinguishers can utilize foam, CO2 gas or dry chemical. Type C extinguishers are either C02 gas or dry chemical. (Aka Halon gas was used in computer rooms and was replaced by C02 gas). C02 is ideal for electronics.

When dealing with a fire on a truck and horse trailer you will need to understand this because you will require different types of extinguishers at different locations on your rig. Most of you will only need to carry a Type “ABC” Dry Chemical extinguisher for your vehicles and a type “A” WATER based in the horse compartment. Got it? Ok . . . let's get into the minutia.

Engine Fires!

Despite the automotive companies’ best efforts, their vehicles do sometimes catch on fire. Whenever you are pumping fuel under pressure to an engine there is always the possibility of a leak occurring and a subsequent fire engulfing the engine. An engine fire is a full-blown emergency and you have to act fast! My suggestion is to immediately stop on the pavement wherever you are and use a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. The last thing you want to do is pull to the shoulder and set the grass on fire around you.

If you have someone with you, work together, while one is trying to put out the fire the other person should be unloading the horses. If you are alone you need to make a judgement call as to whether you think you have time to attempt to put out the fire and save your rig or go straight for the horses and let it burn. This is a decision only you can make.

Just keep in mind with an engine fire there is a good chance as the fire burns through the electrical components, the engine will stop running. If you bail out and try to put the jacks down on your trailer and then try to pull the truck away you may not have time before the engine quits. It all depends on how quickly you recognize the situation.

My personal priority is to try to extinguish the flames as quickly as possible and keep it from spreading from the truck to the trailer. If I am unable to open the hood and or my extinguisher fails to put out the fire, then the decision is easy. I am on my way to my horses!

In an engine fire you have a very small window to get the fire out. One word of caution on opening the hood as it will likely be hot and by opening the hood you add more air to the fire. Don’t be surprised if the flames jump up or right towards you. The best option in this situation is to keep as large a Class “ABC” Fire Extinguisher behind the truck seat along with a set of leather gloves. The ABC class of fire extinguisher utilizes a dry chemical called monoammonium phosphate. This chemical adheres to the fuel source and thus prevents it from gaining the oxygen needed to continue burning.

These ABC fire extinguishers are very effective on fuel-based fires. The only downside is the vehicle sized extinguishers only last a short time before they fully dispensed. So be sure to get as large an extinguisher size as you can store in your tow vehicle. Mine sits in a storage tray behind the rear seat of my crew cab.

LQ Trailer Related Fires

If you are running a living quarters trailer, then you likely have two propane tanks located under the gooseneck structure. These tanks are exposed and in the event of a vehicle fire that engulfs the tow vehicle and spreads to the trailer these tanks will be in the direct path of the fire. Given enough heat and a long enough burn time and these tanks will explode. If you made the decision to grab the horses and “Let it Burn”, then take the horses and get as far away from the rig as possible. When the fire department arrives, be sure to tell them there are propane tanks on the trailer and where they are located. If you have a generator, inform the fire department where the fuel tank is located and the fuel type (Gasoline, Diesel, Propane).

Kitchen Fires

Kitchen fires can be very serious, especially if there is only one way out of your living quarters and the fire is between you and the exit. Stop and think about this for a moment! Everything in an LQ trailer is flammable! Curtains, shades, cabinetry, tables, bedding, towels, clothes. It’s all a huge source of fuel for a fire! With a virtually unlimited fuel source, an LQ fire usually results in complete loss of the trailer.

Is there a way to prevent losing your trailer? Absolutely! Here are a couple of things you should know. One, ALWAYS have a Fire Blanket and a type “ABC” fire extinguisher in the LQ Trailer, preferably near the kitchen. If a grease fire flames up use the fire banket to put the fire out. If the flames catch the blinds or cabinets on fire, you should use your “ABC” extinguisher to put out the fire and minimize any damage / repairs. The reason you would use and ABC extinguisher is the likelihood of a multi-fuel source. Aka hitting a grease fire with water (Class A) would spread the fire. A type A or B extinguisher might also act as a conduit for shock if you spray the kitchen with an active microwave or electrical outlet. So ALWAYS use a type “ABC” extinguisher in a kitchen fire. The emphasis on the C portion of the rating if anything electrical is involved.

My first line of defense would always be to use the fire blanket first and then the extinguisher. Barring that this fails to fully extinguish the fire in the kitchen, my next step is turn off the propane tanks. Turning off the propane tanks will eliminate the pressure from the tanks and stalls the feeding of the propane to the fire. If your horses are safely away from the trailer and you cannot stop the fire, then you will have to use your best judgement if you have time to remove the propane tanks carry them away from the trailer. This will protect Fire and EMS personnel arriving on scene from having to worry about exploding tanks.

Electrical Fires

Living Quarters trailers are a marvel of both AC and DC engineering. Many have 30 or even 50 AMP external shore cords as well as DC battery banks to provide power when not plugged in. These two different power systems are tied into a fused control panel in the LQ to protect the appliances in the trailer. Electrical fires are fairly rare, but they can occur. Again, what type of extinguisher do we use for an electrical fire? . . . . . . . Type “ABC” so we don’t get electrocuted!

Brake Fires

Brake fires are serious issue in that the fire is located immediately under your horses’ feet and if they burn through the fender well your horses are in IMMEDIATE danger! Rubber tires, pour-in flooring and matted walls are the perfect source of fuel and when they burn, they can produce toxic gases. Because brakes have a multi-fuel source (Brake Lining, Rubber Tires, Hydraulic Fluid and or Electrical Brake magnets we again use a LARGE Type “ABC” extinguisher. The reason I say LARGE is because you could very well be fighting fire on both sides of the axles.

Tire Fires

Tire fires are difficult to extinguish. Partly because of the compounds used and partly due to the fact that a tire would have to reach a temperature of approximately 750 degrees for several minutes before they would burn freely. A burning tire is actually a very serious situation as the thick black smoke that comes off them contain some very dangerous chemicals including carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide and even cyanide.

Worse if you are successful at extinguishing the fire and then attempt to drive to a nearby tire place you easily run the risk of the tires reigniting. The reason for this is it takes times sometimes as much as 3 days for tires to fully cool down after reaching fire ignition temperatures. If you experience a tire fire, be very careful driving your rig, especially with horses inside. Leave them with someone if you can. Again, a type “ABC” dry chemical extinguisher is suitable for tire fires.

Generator Fires

Generators on living quarters rigs are usually located in two places. A common installation location on older trailers was to install the generator in the rear manger door. This brought with it a lot of problems. The feed pan was hot whenever the generator was in use and the exhaust found its way into the horse compartment. Today most generators are roof mounted. Both are bad situations at best. You have electrical current, fuel and combustion occurring all in the same place, and it’s between you and your horses. Worse it requires a type “ABC” type extinguisher to put out the flames. The chemicals used in these extinguishers are the last thing I would want coming into to contact with my horses’ eyes, lungs and skin. In this case I would probably reverse my thinking and get the horses out and then fight the fire.

Hay Fire

Any type of fire that breaks out in your hay, be it in a feed manger, hay bag, hay rack or hay pod should be extinguished with a type "A" water-based fire extinguisher. If you were to use an "ABC" dry chemical extinguisher you would contaminate all of the hay with chemical that renders you hay unsafe to feed to your horses. With a water-based extinguisher you can feed any hay that you saved from the fire.

Horse Compartment Fires

Let me first say GOD forbid a horse compartment fire ever happens to you!

This is where my program changes. I specifically carry a 2.5 Gallon WATER based pressurized fire extinguisher in the rear tack of my horse trailer. The take away here is that I am using a WATER based fire extinguisher. The last thing you want to do is spray a horse with an ABC dry chemical extinguisher. The chemical in these extinguisher’s should never be sprayed into the eyes of a horse or on burned skin. You will only complicate the extraction of your horses if they can’t see and make recovery painful as they have to scrub the chemical out of their burns. Correspondingly if burning fuel has leaked from the generator on the roof into the horse compartment do not EVER hit it with a WATER extinguisher. This will quickly spread the fire. Use and ABC extinguisher on any fuel sources first and then protect your horses with the water extinguisher.

Running into a burning trailer takes a lot of courage, but there isn’t a horse person alive that wouldn’t do so to get their horses out. So, before you do, consider what you are about to encounter. As you enter the trailer you may very catch on fire yourself. By using the WATER based extinguisher to spray a small amount of water on your hair, face and clothes you reduce the risk of catching fire and increase the amount of time you can spend inside under highly adverse conditions. Wrap yourself in the Kitchen Fire Blanket if time allows. Keep in mind that nylon clothing and tennis shoes will easily melt at even at low temperatures. When they do, they will have to be scraped or cut off your skin. Wet cotton shirts, jeans and leather riding boots are your best bet short of wearing a fire suit.

I use an Amerex 2.5-gallon water-based extinguisher for this purpose. This oversized metal extinguisher is loaded with clean water and pressurized using a standard tire inflation fitting. If you don’t have a compressor to fill one you can always stop at a gas station. Mine is mounted in the rear tack for quick access to horse compartment. Another good location would be inside the manager storage area if you have this type of trailer.

This subject is not an easy subject to write about. Nobody wants to lose a rig or their horses and every situation is different. You will have to exercise your best judgment when the time comes. If you took anything away from this article, I hope that it motivates you to carry the right kind of fire extinguisher in the right places on your rig. I also pray that you NEVER need to use them. If you do . . always remember to point the extinguisher at the base of the flames and fan to the left and right!

Be safe out there!

(Dwayne Russell)