Horse bites off boy's arm

Trinidad Express ^ | February 21, 2004 | Richard Charan

[kerosene]

Seven-year-old David Sinanan reached out to touch the face of a "friendly looking" horse, and the stallion ripped his left arm off from his shoulder yesterday.

Doctors at the Mt Hope Hospital tried, but failed in their attempt last night to reattach the hand.

Sinanan's life was saved because of the efforts of horse farm worker Deonanan Sankar, 30, who stopped the attack, rescued the boy and kept him alive until paramedics came.

Sinanan had stayed away from classes because he did not want to take part in his school's Carnival celebrations.

The incident happened just before 11 a.m. yesterday at the horse farm at Williams Trace, Ragoonanan Road, Enterprise. The farm is owned by noted race horse owner and trainer Maniram "Boboy" Maharaj.

Sinanan's weeping grandfather, Sinanan Toolsie, said the boy stayed home yesterday because he did not want to take part in the Carnival celebrations at school.

Instead, Sinanan, his two brothers and a friend travelled on their bicycles to the farm a quarter mile from their home.

Sankar was tending the horses when he saw the boy.

He said: "I saw this little fella riding his bike near the fence with the horse Java In Flight running up and down. He put down the bike and jump the drain.

"He reach his arm and before I could bawl out, he put out his hand and touch the horse nose."

Sankar said that from about 100 feet away, he saw the horse "snatch and raise the boy off the ground.

"The boy held on the bar of the fence, but Java In Flight raised him over the railing and high the the air and start to shake him, swinging him like a kite."

Sankar said he screamed to the horse "and Java In Flight drop the boy and run away with the hand in his mouth."

Sankar said he covered the boy in towels and tried to stop the blood.

"He would have died if I didn't help. He said he not moving his hand. I told him don't worry, the doctors would fix him up."

Sinanan was said to be in critical condition at hospital.

Cunupia Police are investigating.

[Khurkris]

I have never trusted horses.

[Fiddlstix]

An old saying about horses:

Both ends can be very dangerous
&
The middle can be very uncomfortable.

[piasa]

I knew an 87 year old man that was in the habit of feeding his horses carrots. One day he took a leak in the corral and one of them bit his clinton off. :(

Perhaps it was karma, or just deserts for making one too stallions into geldings?

[gg188]

I have never in my life heard of such a thing. Are there any equestrians here who can suggest how common or how rare this is?

[martin_fierro]

Must've been a Pit Pony.

[Free Trapper]

Could be.His 60+ year old son was a friend when I was in my early 20s.We cut a lot of bulls together.

We "fixed" a tomcat one day in their backyard.The cat wouldn't stay home to do it's job as the barn cat and we thought we'd fix it so it wouldn't roam.

Old Tom didn't care for the neutering and left home.He was gone for about half a year but once he came back he stayed home for good. :}

[ovrtaxt]

I would have left and come back with a gun!

[Free Trapper]

HeHe!But you couldn't go somewhere and lick your wounds like Tom did.

Could you???

[ovrtaxt]

LOL!!

[henderson field]

The muslims yelled and waved their machetes?
But I was told islam is a religion of peace.
Could those who told me have been mistaken?

[gg188]

Was this an Arabian stallion or is someone trying to cover-up another act of Arab terrorism?

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

*sigh*

I just HAD to click on the link, didn't I...

[NRA2BFree]

Stallions can be very vicious...We had a Shetland and kept (rented a stall for) a Strawberry Roan, could not turn your back on them.

Yep, Shetland stallions can be very vicious. We had one on our ranch and he was mean. He bit my brother on the leg and he had to have surgery. My dad got rid of him after that. He always kept the quarter horse stallion in the corral but for some reason, he thought the Shetland wouldn't be dangerous.

[NRA2BFree]

pound for pound, shetlands are some of the most ill tempered critters out there.

Yes, Indeed they are. I will never own another Shetland.

[NRA2BFree]

I have never in my life heard of such a thing. Are there any equestrians here who can suggest how common or how rare this is?

I don't know how common it is for one to bite an arm off, but they can be real mean and will definitely bite you. I'll never own another Shetland.

[NRA2BFree]

I just HAD to click on the link, didn't I...

LOL, so did I. That was pretty terrible. :)

[lowbridge]

Hello, I'm Mr. Ed.

And I'm gonna rip your $#5%$#ing arm off.

[hedgetrimmer]

I once saw a horse lunge and a young boy, and bite his shoulder so hard when he tossed his head the little boy went flying.

The kid cried pretty hard and had a pretty decent set of black and blue teethmarks on him when it was over.

You have to have a healty respect for animals that size and I am afraid our schools along with the help of Pixar and Disney, only teach kids to relate to fish in aquariums or friendly whales and dophins.

[Happy2BMe]

This same incident happened in West-Central Oklahoma in 2003.

Child was a toddler (3, I think) and was crushed by the horse after biting his arm off.

The Humane Society didn't say a word.

[Edgewood Pilot]

Our 19 year old daughter is a Level 2 CHA (Certified Horsemanship Association) instructor who owns her own horse. From her I come away with a healthy appreciation of the dangers of horses.

As a hired hand in Utah years ago, I was bucked head over heels and landed on my back.