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What is happening??????????
Hi everyone
On Wednesday I found my horse stuck on a fence. Her 2 back legs were over the fence and onto the neighbours land she was stuck. The fence post was under her flank and she was very sore. We got her out but we still don't know what happened. Like how did she get like that and why does she have scratches all over the place. Oh yer I forgot to mention she had scratches on her legs. The other horse we have (gelding) had scratches too which was really weird. First we thought they must of had a fight but then we thought maybe dogs or something like that herded them and were attacking them.
Anyways she has been very sore and the vet said we had to give her antibiotics and some powder just in case she had a cut on her flank. Her flank had swollen up and ha some fluied. she was in alot of pain on that day and on Thursday but on Friday she has been walking around and being herself again which is good but the reason why I am doing this disscussion is because the fluid and her swollen flank has gone towards her belly she has been itchying where her flank was and trying to tell me which I don't know what.
Could someone please tell me WHAT IS HAPPENING?????? IS IT AN EMERGENCY????? SHOULD I RING THE VET??????
PLS help I don't know if I should be worrying or what?????
Views: 280
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on
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My advice is to call the vet. I think that the fluid from the swelling is migrating down to her belly. I do not suspect an emergency, but you want to get the fluid amount down quickly and check out the itchiness so that the mare can return to normal as quickly as possible. It is so easy for a horse to re-injure itself trying to get rid of an itch.
If your fence posts are the metal T-posts you need to get a cap on each fence post (they are made and available) to prevent the top of the T-post from cutting or severely bruising the skin of the horse in such an emergency.
I suspect that you already knew that you should call the vet, that is why you are asking. If this is so it just shows that you are developing as a horseman (woman) and that your horsie instincts are growing. I have called the vet several times when I just had a hunch that something was wrong (the horse was not acting "right", and I never regretted calling the vet.) You may be getting a message from your horse that something is still wrong and that it needs seeing to.
May she and you other horse heal quickly.
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Permalink Reply by A_Sassy_Temptation on
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I agree with Jackie, its always best to get a vet involved. AS for the horses getting caught up I would string electric wire in the exterior and interior of the pen, the exterior low enough to zap dogs, and the interior making the horses aware to stay away from the fence. If they aint your dogs I would be talking to their owners and saying you will transfer the next vet bills over to them if they won't keep the dogs away, and if they are your dogs you need to develop some ground rules.
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Permalink Reply by Barnmice Admin on
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Call the vet right away and get her/him out right away.
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Permalink Reply by Ginah on
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I had a horse do this and the fluid just disperses itself through the underlying skin, however its hard to tell, if you feel the need to have the vet out than its always good to be safe than sorry. The vet you used should be able to answer your question I would definately call them back.
& If it was from neighbors dogs dont wait "till the next time" My filly was ripped apart by pit bulls, you may not get so lucky next time. Make it a firm point "this time" by handing them the bill for the damages. Sorry, I have no patience for people who let their dogs run loose to get themselves killed and kill my horses. It really sucks having to shoot a dog and loose a rare filly because of a dog owners negligence!
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Permalink Reply by Krystal.b on
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I definetly agree. We have called the vet and they said to hose the stuff that is near where the fence was on. They said if it wasn't good by Thursday they would come out. They are a bit worried about the swelling which has gone to her breast because something holds all her insides in or something (my mum was talking to the vet on phone cause we sent the pics) and they are definetly worried about the stuff (don't know what it is called) what I was talking about before because they are worried about her insides comin out. Which is really scary and I DEFINETLY don't want that to happen :( Thanx everyone for the advice :)
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Ginah
I am really sorry about your filly. The horse that did this is a filly as well. I also hate people that don't take care of there dogs and just let them wonder. We have neighbours like that just across the road and their dog killed our chicken and possibly nearly our dog. If it was him that did this he better watch out every time I see him I tell him to go away and throw rocks at him RRRRR it makes me soo made because he is a sheep dog and they live on 2 acres and are hardly there with him :I
anyways better go bye :)
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as a livestock owner, you have the "upper" edge to this. I would talk to the owners, show them the vet bills, mention the dead chicken, and say it all points to their dog, honestly I believe around where I live a dog that harasses livestock can be shot, and every person we have had that has a dog issue, we tell them we will sue if my show horse gets even the slightest injury or mental/emotional strain and believe me it will be a pretty penny (about 10 000.00). If that doesn't work we mention the laws, and show them recent vet bills and say the next ones will be transfered along with the police. We live in a subdivsion and dogs will pack up, killing a cat of mine, and injurying my dog, thank fully both my horses have been taught that kicking a dog is good, and my dog doesn't go in the pasture because we have trained him. Even on a trail ride, if I see some men (usually) letting their dogs out who start barking and running to my horses, I look at the man and say "my horse will kick your dog, no questions asked, and I'll send you a vet bill if your dog gets him first" usually they reel there dogs in fast. Anyways let the owners know your concern, nicely show them the vet bill, and mention that if things don't change you will make them, and see if anything changes.
FYI this is also why horses should be classified as livestock, not pets, we benefit from old laws. (the antislaughter commitee is trying to get horses classified as pets so the slaughter ceases to exist, which is what happened in the states)
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Im wondering how you teach them kicking a dog is good? My imagination is running wild here lol!
Yes all situations & state, country laws are not the same & if one sees dogs running loose, learn how you can protect your animals the legal way, or suffer the consequences. In my situation the dogs were caught red handed in my pen, on my land, eating my horse, so no gettin out of that one! It must be proven, I had witnesses etc. so yes do things the right way!
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easy, I don't repremand my horses from kicking dogs, they respect humans, but I don't give them any repremand for chasing or kicking dogs. Now I have to take the resposibility that if I am riding in the ditches and my horse chases the dog into their yard and hurts the dog, yeah my bad (which has never happened). But if a dog owner feels that there dog can travel where ever it wants, and chase what ever it wants, then no. I am being a responsible owner by having my horses penned up, checking the fence line, spending money on the safest fence for them, etc etc, I don't need somebodies "Fifi" hurting my animals when I AM IN THE RIGHT, so I allow my horse to chase dogs and kick dogs in there pen, and if the dog is nipping at their heels, yep they can kick then too. I don't ride in that persons yard, and I don't let my horses crap and pee in their yard either, how is it any different? If Fifi was running into a fence and needing medical attention believe me they would be looking for the "culprit". I am coming from a negative point of view, evena s a kid I ahve watched these neighbours purchase more and more dogs, not neuter/spay them, and so we have wild/feral dogs in gangs here with stupid neighbours, I ahve watched my neighbours whole famr minus the horses be slaughtered on a winter day with white snow contrasted with gee goat, chickens, and duck blood (ages 3-15 year old kids found it out). All my horses have been bothered by dogs, my dog was almost killed on our front step (thankfully my dad took the day off and "dealt" with it), and I see dogs hit by cars in my subdivison everyday. I live near farmers with chickens and I ALWAYS hear gun shots, its just how it is around here. If they aren't being resposible for their animals, I need to be responsible to make sure my animals can deal with them, whether its a confrontation from the owners (which does nothing here), shooting them, or my horse kicking them. My neighbour actually has to clean up his yard of coyotes and dogs during the spring because his mare would chase them down and kill them, even when she was 22 years old she couldn't be ridden by beginners because if she saw a dog you had to hold her back.
I do agree that my laws could be different then any one elses, and I mean these dogs are feral, no "owners". I would just keep an eye on that dog.
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Permalink Reply by Jan Jollymour on
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Be careful with some of this advice, Krystal.
Sassy lives in Alberta, in Canada, where the laws may be quite different from your part of Australia. In BC, (still in Canada, like Alberta) you yourself would be liable in a lawsuit if you shot someone's dog, even if it was harassing your horses. From the sound of things, you cannot prove that the neighbours' dogs were the culprits, so you cannot demand that the neighbours pay your veterinary bills. Unless you saw the dogs chase the horses into the fence, and can positively identify the dogs, you don't have a leg to stand on. For all you know for sure someone else's dogs, or some kind of wildlife, created the problem. Besides that, horses can and do get into difficulty with fences all on their own.
It's very upsetting to have horses injured. I have had horses run through fences because a moose came through our pastures, and believe me, there's no recourse in that situation. The only time I could do anything was when several neighbours' dogs were chasing our horses, and I saw them and could identify them. I had witnesses, and then went to the dog owners and explained that it would be my equine insurance company who would be suing them, not me, as my insurance would pay for injuries/mortality, but the insuring company would certainly be after compensation. That stopped the dog problem immediately. We have problems with bears, moose, cougars, and sometimes even wolves. It doesn't take a lot to get most horses spooked and running, so it could have been all sorts of things which created your problem. Australia's not exactly devoid of the weird and wonderful!
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