Pete that is a REAL horseshoe. Let's start by clarifying what a horseshoe malfunction is. A horseshoe malfunction is basically when any part of your main parachute is still attached to you by anything other than the risers. There are different kinds of horseshoes, and they can be the scareist mals there are. The one in that video shows one caused by a premature container opening. Most likely caused by a loose closing loop or a worn out one that just snapped, or the jumper bumped his rig in the plane or on exit. Whatever caused it his container came open before he wanted to deploy. The d-bag and lines are out of the container bouncing around but are still connected to him by the risers and the pilot chute which is still in his BOC pouch. He just exited and had plenty of altitude. In that scenario the jumper did exactly the right thing. By throwing the pilot chute he is giving his main a chance to deploy. Now it may not deploy, it may deploy severely F'd up and require a cutaway, or it may just open with some wicked line twist that he can clear. Bottom line is to think about what would happen if he just did standard emergency procedures. There is a chance the main would not "cutaway" because it would still be connected to the jumper by his pilot chute. The reserve would then deploy and have a significant chance of getting all tangled up with that mess of a main that could be still connected to that jumper. That could wind up making your reserve a useless ball of mess too. If that happens well.......The important thing to remember is to ALWAYS! ALWAYS! be altitude aware. If you are too low you may not have time to throw a pilot chute, cutaway, and get you reserve open. If that is the case you have to take the chance and go to EP's anyway. You need something, anything above your head before it is too late.
This video shows a horseshoe as well. Fortunately, for the jumper, the video link you posted shows the type that usually is noticed up high, and cleared by doing exactly what the jumper did. This video shows another type.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRAHfbbn ... re=relatedThis occurs at a lower altitude, probably 3 to 4 thousand. The problem starts when the jumper's main deploys, some of the lines (on his left side) tangle with his container flaps somehow. The jumper attempts to cutaway but the main stays attached to him because it is still tangled with the container. His reserve deploys into that mess that is still attached to him and it is fouled too. Notice how he pulls in the reserve freebag by the lines until his reserve finally partially deploys. This guy fought it all the way to the ground which is all he could do. I guess Monday morning quarterbacking you could say he could have used a hook knife to try to cut the lines that were tangled with him before initiating EP's to free himself from the main, but it isn't like he had a lot of time. Hell he might not have even noticed those lines were attached to him before attempting the cutaway.
Keep asking questions Pete. Educate yourself, because in this sport you never stop learning. I know I am not a real experienced guy with only 100 jumps, but I have tried to educate myself the best I can and I ask a ton of questions. Part of the reason I pursued my coach rating was so that I can help other jumpers with questions just like this, because I had them too. I hope I helped clarify horseshoes a little for you. They can be a scary thing and I pray I never have to deal with one, but I want to be prepared if I do.
Blue ones
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