23888 STATE LINE RD,
BEAVER TOWNSHIP, CRAWFORD COUNTY, PA

On June 10, 2007, and at about 1720 hrs, the PSP-Meadville contacted the Large Animal Coordinator of Crawford County CART, David Allman. He was informed of a situation at the above address. It was related that there was a stallion in a 10 acre pasture owned by the complainant that had showed up and was unwanted. PSP asked us to respond.
David Allman informed the County Coordinator, Dawn Smith, of the situation. A response and call out was authorized.
Responding to and for the incident was David Allman, Regina Martin/Allman, Dawn Smith and Lisa Culbertson.
It was determined that the recently granted Porta-Corral might be needed. At about 1830, after equipment and Porta-Corral was loaded and hooked up and the team was assembled, we headed to the incident site and arrived at 1901.

SCENARIO;
We were met at the site by the landowner who related the following;
On Friday the 9th of June, the landowners were moving their 2 horses from a 10 acre pasture to the barn when a 14hh, approx 2yo stallion had showed up and got into their pasture. It was further stated that this horse had been roaming the area for about 4-5 months and when and if we were able to capture him, he needed us to find a place for him. The landowner was advised that we would capture him only and he would have to relocate him. He made that arrangement and we then proceeded to access the situation.

PROBLEM;
We had a feral stallion on 10 acres where it was obvious that we weren’t going to be able to use the usual “cutesy horsy” tricks. By his very body language, it was apparent that he had been “chased” before and he would follow our every movement with a fright and flight posture.

SOLUTION;
After consideration, it was determined that the only way to get him was to erect the Porta-Corral and lure him into it and then contain him. We would do this by using the stallions 2 most insatiable “primal” instincts, that of reproducing and that of needing to be in a herd! The corral was erected in such a manner that its animal gate was facing the pasture gate and the number of panels used was minimized as to allow a short area for the stallion to “escape” to when we captured him. The landowner was directed to hook up and back his horse trailer to the corral. We then connected the corral to the opened doors of the horse trailer. The pasture gates were opened to the corral and the corral gate was then opened, disallowing any escape for the stallion.
The landowner’s were directed to get their 2 horses, a mare and a gelding and graze them in such a manner as to enable the stallion to view them from the field and through the gates in a straight line.
At about 1920, the CART/LART commenced recovery operations of the stallion. We sat and chewed on some pasture grass and waited for the “primal instincts” to actuate. The stallion took all of 8 minutes to enter, rather cautiously, the trap! The corral gate was closed as he was attempting to hook up with the mare. Regina Martin/Allman was appointed as the horse handler. She entered the corral with a “shoosher” (a buggy whip with a Wal-Mart bag attached to it). Regina ran the stallion a little until he recognized that the back of the trailer was her appointed safety zone for him. She got the stallion to face the inside of the trailer and kept his head inside with the aid and expert use of the “shoosher”. One of the doors came loose from the corral and spooked the stallion and sent him into flight when he attempted to jump out of the corral 3 times, but without avail. Regina immediately took charge of him and ‘pushed” his head back into the trailer. The stallion started to dance and gave the impression that perhaps the trailer was a better place for him to be. At this point, more pressure was put on him, and he kicked out at the horse handler but she was out of the danger zone. Regina punished him in that she ran him a few times around the pen and when he stopped at the backed of the trailer, she put hard pressure on and the stallion jumped into the trap, and the doors were secured.
The incident was secured at 2007!
We packed up and notified the PSP/Meadville that the incident was in our control and handled without incident at 2020.

SHORTCOMINGS;
None!

CONCLUSIONS;
Horses are very predictable in their un-predictableness and when we utilized that, we were very successful. We could have chased the stallion all night and all that we would have accomplished would be that of him using his abilities to his advantage instead of us using his to ours. Training Training and Training is the key! We could not have pulled this off without the Port-Corral.

David R Allman
Large Animal Coordinator
Crawford County Cart