The things a horse can get hurt on, bad wound pic

[J&T Farm]

I thought this would be a good time to remind everyone just what a horse can get into. My sisters barrel horse went over the back of the square baler. We try to keep everything picked up because we know the things a horse can get hurt on, but we never thought of this. He went completly over the back of it. We have a mare that is a bully we think she caused the whole thing.

This is how swollen it was this morning.

This is the 2 puncture wounds under his belly,

and this is what he did it on.
It did not get into his stomach lining, the 2 holes are clean about 2 inches deep, and we are keeping them washed out and packed with furizone. He is getting penicillin and phenylbutazone for the pain and swelling. Just praying it don't get infected. It really could have been alot worse.

 

[msscamp]

We have a mare that is a bully we think she caused the whole thing.

My first question is why, since you obviously know you have a mare that is a bully, you put this horse with her to begin with? My second questiion is why, since you obviously know you have a mare that is a bully, you failed to monitor the situation to make sure this horse was in a safe environment?

It really could have been alot worse.

Yes, it could have been - the horse in the pictures could be dead.

 

[J&T Farm]

Well our horses have always ran together and she had chased him when we first got him but we thought they were getting along now, they have been together for 4 months now. She has never done anything like this to any of the other horses. And of course we have moved him and he will not be in there with her again. It just got so dry and that was the only field that had much grass in it we had just put them in there the day before. Lesson learned the hard way.

 

[flaboy?]

Up on my soapbox. NEVER, and mean never leave equipment in with horses. They will find a way to hurt themselves on it.

Glad it wasn't worse.

 

[J&T Farm]

Yeah we should have known better that baler has been in there about 5 years, nothing ever happened. It had been there so long we just didn't pay no mind to it. One of those out of site out of mind things. Been meaning to build bays in that side shed with gates on them to use it to store equipment, I think now would be a good time to do that. Keep the horses completly out of the area. They have a 6 stall horse barn with plenty of room to get in they have always liked the sideshed better, when they are in that field.
Yeah the vet said today that he thought he was going to be ok it would just be really swollen and sore for a while. Hopefully we can keep infection out of it. we are keeping it washed out and packed with furizone 2 times a day.

 

[msscamp]

It sounds like you are simply lacking experience, and I'm very sorry that that experience came through this horse getting hurt. I truly hope your horse comes out of this ok. Having a horse get hurt is a helluva way to learn.

 

[J&T Farm]

I have been around horses my whole life and so has my husband, he is a horseshoer and use to break horses, I barrel raced for 10 years and have had horses that always run together. And yes I hate it that this happened but we do take care of our animals very well. This is the worst accident that has ever happened to a horse that we have owned, and horses get hurt, they run through barb wire fences, things just happen sometimes and it is not anyones fault. I hate to see a horse hurt, but anyone around here can tell you that we love and take care of our animals. I was simply useing this as an example of what can happen to any horse. And yes I will agree that if I had thought for a minute that this would happen we would have done anything to prevent it. Hindsite is 20-20 . And all you can do is learn from it. And there will be some changes made around our horse pastures. When we got this horse the mare did chase him but we thought they had there pecking order figured out. The vet thinks the horse will be ok. He is eating and getting around pretty good.

 

[msscamp]

I have been around horses my whole life and so has my husband, he is a horseshoer and use to break horses, I barrel raced for 10 years and have had horses that always run together. And yes I hate it that this happened but we do take care of our animals very well.

Given the experience you've cited, it looks to me like you should have had the foresight to prevent this accident from ever happening.

This is the worst accident that has ever happened to a horse that we have owned, and horses get hurt, they run through barb wire fences, things just happen sometimes and it is not anyones fault.

I tend to disagree with this statement. While it is true that some horses will run through a barbed wire fence - even when pastured alone - a lot of "accidents" can be prevented by the owners being aware of the different horses temperament/tendency to bully other horses, as well as the owners continued monitoring of the situation and taking steps to correct/prevent a dominant horse picking on a subordinate horse.

I was simply useing this as an example of what can happen to any horse.

I disagree. This happened to your horse because you dropped the ball - and I think we've all been guilty of that at one point or another. The chances of it happening to anyone who continually monitors their horses is greatly reduced, because they know what is going on, and they keep an eye out for the signs/indications of trouble and take steps to correct the situation.

The vet thinks the horse will be ok. He is eating and getting around pretty good.

I'm glad to hear that, in fact - you've made my day!

 

[J&T Farm]

Our horse pasture is right beside the house they are checked twice a day and my sister rides about everyday. When we first got him we were very careful about letting them all get use to each other. Then they seemed to get along ok so for the past month or so we have felt pretty comfortable with the situation. I hadn't seen any reason to think they weren't getting along. But I will be watching them all closer. I think the mare was in heat ( she is one that it is hard to tell) and this may have caused her to be more agressive all the sudden. And from now on he will be in a different pasture than her. Right now I have him in with a 22 yr old mare that I know will not do anything. And it helped that we got 5 inches of rain, and have plenty of grass now. It looks much better this morning the swelling is going down and he trotted across the field to me. I am going to call the vet and give him an update today. He has not even seen the horse he said that if there was no guts punctured and it was just skin and muscle that we could take care of him as good as he could . Since stitches were not an option. But he said that if it started looking slimly or he started running fever to call him and he would come out. But he hasn't had any fever and the wounds are clean and healing like he said they would.

 

[msscamp]

Our horse pasture is right beside the house they are checked twice a day and my sister rides about everyday. When we first got him we were very careful about letting them all get use to each other. Then they seemed to get along ok so for the past month or so we have felt pretty comfortable with the situation. I hadn't seen any reason to think they weren't getting along. But I will be watching them all closer.

Good for you! I know from experience that, when one thinks there is nothing wrong, a lot of indications can be very easily overlooked. Unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20.

I think the mare was in heat ( she is one that it is hard to tell) and this may have caused her to be more agressive all the sudden.

Yes, I would absolutely agree that some mares can be way more aggressive when in heat - I've seen it happen.

And from now on he will be in a different pasture than her. Right now I have him in with a 22 yr old mare that I know will not do anything. And it helped that we got 5 inches of rain, and have plenty of grass now. It looks much better this morning the swelling is going down and he trotted across the field to me. I am going to call the vet and give him an update today. He has not even seen the horse he said that if there was no guts punctured and it was just skin and muscle that we could take care of him as good as he could . Since stitches were not an option. But he said that if it started looking slimly or he started running fever to call him and he would come out. But he hasn't had any fever and the wounds are clean and healing like he said they would.

I wish you the best with this horse, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed (and saying several prayers) that he makes a full recovery - that would be wonderful!

 

[Kelly]

The vet hasn't looked at it at all?? Did your vet suggest a Tetnus shot? Can you cold hose it for the swelling? I personally would try Banamine for a few days because I think it seems to work better then Bute for certain things.
Are the fly's staying away from the injury? If not, ask your vet if you can spray Catron on it to keep them out of the wounds.

 

[J&T Farm]

We gave him a tetnus shot, and we are hosing it down twice a day. we gave him Banamine and stopped the bute yesterday, I think it works better for some things also, after we pack it with furizone we have been spraying it with Blue spray lotion for the flys and it seems to be working. The swelling is much better, about 1/2 as swollen as it was. He was running this morning. I think he will make a full recovery. We are so happy. Thanks for all the advice and ideas. And the old square baler is being removed. :lol: never to return to the horse pastures.

 

[ArrowHBrand]

It has been my experiences that horses can hurt themselves on almost anything. We had our stallion get a 2 inch gash on his throat in August, can't imagine what he did it on, but he did. It has healed nicely to just a pucker of skin, but it really had us worrying for a while. Good luck with your critter!

 

[J&T Farm]

Just wanted to let ya'll know the horse is fine. The swelling is completly gone and the wounds are looking good and healing. He is running and bucking. I thought it would take months for the swelling to go down but I was wrong. I talked to the vet again yesterday and he said I told you so when I told him how much better it looked. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Alan]

You have had plenty of scolding, but they are all right on the money. If you give any horse the chance they will hurt themselves every time. I personally hate barbed wire and horses, it is an accident waiting to happen, a good hot fence is the only way to go. Not meaning to pile on, but with the experience you and your husband have, this should not have happened. But it's water under the bridge now and can only be chalked up as a live and learn. Nuff said on my part.

JMO,
Alan