Should I take an injured horse?????

[Peaches Lee]

Well, if you do decide to go down the path of saving him, it wont be easy. I think it's human nature to not want to give up, especially when it comes to our animals. I have two stories for you. Both I have personally experienced.

The first story is about a horse that broke his back leg. He was found standing on his fetlock joint instead of his hoof. Many people's natural response was euthanasia. But the owner, not wanting to give up, sought out ways to fix this magnificent horse. He had surgery, underwater treadmill treatments and a year of rehab. The horse recovered to be ridden on trails, and eventually went back to performance exhibitions. He did have a hitch in his get-along, but was very happy being ridden.

The next one is about one of my personal horses. When I went to look at him all signs pointed to NO. He was horribly underweight, rain rot infested, and had large osslets on his front fetlocks. He also had an incredibly nervous and anxious personality. I took him anyway. A lot of people scoffed at him, and I asked why I didn't buy another horse instead. It took me about 6 mos to get him fit enough to even carry a rider. Then he had so many issues with trust, I had my work cut out for me. Due to his osslets he was unable to canter to the left, but I didn't care. He ended up being my favorite horse to ride.

This colt sounds like he will need extensive vet care. If it is something you feel you would like to help, then I say help. Without being there, and giving him time to heal, I feel it is unknown if he will ever be sound. If you go into this project of saving him, definitley view him as a lifetime horse.

Best of luck.

 

[Avalon1984]

Peaches has some great stories there. I was given a horse as a gift from a fairly nice looking facility- until you looked deeper and saw sick horses all over the place drinking out of mud puddles and eating weeds to survive. The owner “didn’t have time” to care for the horse and treat its severe skin conditions. It got so bad that all vets suggested to put it down. The horse still had spunk in her so I decided against it. 3 years of treatment and a lot of money later she is my lesson horse that everybody can ride and everybody loves. But I will not lie to you, it was a lot of work that got her there and a lot of frustration and moments in which I thought I should give up on her. Situations like that can be greatly inspiring but you don’t always see the outcome right away so you will be taking quite a risk with that colt. I cannot tell you what the best action would be. Going by your description you will have some work on your hands but talk to a vet first. If you have the time and capability to keep him (and I certainly would keep any special needs horse that I’d put much money, work and love into) and the vet thinks there is a chance then go for it.

 

[violetsky]

I did not want to start an ethical discussion, I just wanted to know if it was possible to save him. I
hate that these kind of decisions revolve around money. If I had unlimited resources I would try no
matter what the odds were just because he came across my path in life. I pick up worms off the pavement
too, not because I like worms I hate touching them I just can't stand doing nothing when there seems to be no hope and a
living thing is struggling to survive. I'm pretty sure if given a choice the colt would want to live, when animals
give up they don't eat. My family keeps their critters going a long time, my mom even has plants over 50
years old. Personally I broke my ankle in four places and had the anchor tendon pull out with a chunk of bone
and my right hand in another accident had all the lifting tendons severed. Both injuries healed reasonably well
after surgery. The foot actually took two years to feel strong again. At no point did I want to euthanized I was
thinking perhaps the colt could heal up too with an extended rest period which I could give him. I don't know
horse physiology that well and it does seem to be the consensus that he is indeed hopeless. I also want to add a good
vet is priceless but they are not always infallible and spending $6,000 a year on caring for the colt should not be
litmus test whether you are a good caretaker of injured livestock. The key is knowing when to call the vet. The difference
between going to an auction and saving a more, "deserving horse" verses this one, is indeed an ethical question. I do feel unethical
not doing anything but apparently if I try to help I will be commiting animal cruelty so I will leave him to another fate.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Quote:
I think it is important for you to do what you feel is best. If you are feeling this terrible about the horse, call a vet and have them look at the colt. However, I do agree with the others that if you are not experienced with horses it is probably best to pass on this guy. Horses with injuries can be very difficult to deal with for even experienced people and since horses rely on their legs, any injury that does not heal properly can cause lifelong problems.

We had a mare who got into a freak accident while trail riding with a road sign and severed the tendons in two of her legs. We rushed her to a specialized horse clinic and they said they could operate, but it would be a long and painful road, and she would never be sound again. We decided to put her down instead. I'm not saying this is the best route for this youngster, but if he is having that much trouble with his front legs, there is probably something else going on.

As far as training and rehoming, if you were to take him, I would make sure you would be able to keep him for his entire life. While there is a small chance you may eventually be able to rehome him, I would not bet on the fact that he will be sound enough for use. That is probably the main issue I would focus on in this situation: Whether or not I am prepared to take an injured animal and care for it for 25-30 years without any garauntee of it ever being sound. If the answer is yes then you can certainly consider taking on this animal. However, even though you mentioned you don't want it to be about money, horses without injuries are expensive on their own and I think the pther posters are just preparing you for the fact that this guy will probably cost much more in monthly expenses. I know at this time in my life, I would not be able to afford a horse on my own if it were not for parents who keep them on their property. As much as it would ail me to see a suffering horse like the guy you described, I would not take him just because I wouldn't want to be stuck with a horse that costs hundreds a month to maintain and could not be used.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Peaches Lee, the horses you took on were nothing like the one violetsky is talking about.

Sorry, violetsky, but based on what you have posted, not one decent horseperson would fail to see about a half a dozen red flags. It's got 'Rescuer' written all over it.

Sure you are to be commended for wanting to help - BUT. 'Helping' is the most difficult, complicated, and heartbreaking thing in the world that anyone can do. It is not easy, it is not cheap, and it is not something that is going to make one smile every day. Horses are not like dogs and cats. When their legs are damaged beyond a certain point, they must be euthenized - if you like I will show you the horrific suffering that results when people refuse to 'do the right thing' for a suffering horse.

You cannot come here and ask anyone here if there is 'hope' for this horse, because no matter how knowledgeable they are, they cannot answer your question. Because no one here can tell. Only an in person lameness expert veterinarian can tell that, and only if you allow him or her to do the necessary diagnostics, and that is going to be expensive. Xrays, ultrasounds, flexion tests, blood tests, this isn't a simple matter. They would also need all the animal's medical records and history of the injury.

Sure some rescues take horses and then don't get adequate care for them. SO? Does that make it right?

We got our pony out of a bad situation, we PAID for him, he wasn't even a freebie. His hooves were so deformed and mangled by repeated bouts of laminitis (something ELSE the horse you're considering is extremely vulnerable to), that we did not even think he would make it to his new home. Three years and about ten thousand dollars later, we have a permanent pet that will NEVER be able to be worked and whom I would NEVER let anyone else touch, let alone HAVE!

He will DIE HERE...hopefully of extreme old age, though so much damage has been done that we simply cherish every day and don't think about tomorrow. Whatever he needs, he gets, and that WILL include euthenasia on the day his quality of life deteriorates due to pain or inability to get around.

He MAY recover. He MAY. But we are not EXPECTING him to recover. We are operating as if he is a member of the family. I wouldn't kick my son out of the house if he was a parapalegic, either. He would also have someone to care for him and do whatever he needed, whatever that was, for the rest of his life.

I make career decisions, vacation decisions(we do not go on vacation together because we have learned by experience that we can't count on anyone to follow the detailed care instructions he requires), even make my own doctor and dentist appointments, with his needs in mind. I gave up a LOT of other things, to do this. It was an informed, and most importantly, an able decision.

Most people could not and should not be in such a situation. Most people cannot honestly say, 'I can provide better than someone else'.

Yes, frankly, I am financially well enough off that he will NEVER want for any treatment, care, ANYTHING.

Should money be the 'measure of an owner'? By God, YES. Horses are expensive animals. Their veterinary care is expensive. Most people cannot afford horses OR their veterinary care.

He can't be allowed to eat even one blade of grass, he will NEVER be able to go out in pasture, he requires special feed, special hay, special farriery work every six weeks, he must be prevented from being put under any stress, he required a special paddock and fencing, we even had an excavator prepare his paddock with special footing. We hope that a new Fructan vaccine will offer him some hope some day, and when the time comes, we will make a decision, NOT based on cost, as to whether he will get that vaccine every spring and fall.

I have fifty years of experience with horses. I worked at breeding farms for years. I have trained horses, cleaned stalls, worked for a vet, competed, and I STILL respect and listen to my veterinarian - and I work with a great one. Expensive, and worth it. And I knew fully well what I was getting into - unknowns, risks, possibilities. I had money set aside - 10 grand, as his 'special fund' for all the care he would need. That money is never used for anything else but him.

Only a very indepth veterinary exam by a lameness expert vet can yield useful information on which to make a decision. The decision is NOT 'will this horse be sellable in a year', or 'when can i show him' or anything like that - it will be 'is it fair to the animal to keep him alive' and 'is there anything we can do to improve his quality of life' and 'can I afford to do it'.

Money WILL be 'a factor'. A huge factor. SO WILL SUFFERING BE. Do you know how agonizing it is to remove proud flesh where it interferes with movement? Have you ever even seen a horse go through that agony? How about the necessary confinement for healing? Do you have that? Or will the vet be 'wrong' about confinement to allow healing, too, and the animal left to stumble and lurch around a field while other horses pick on him, his bandages get filthy and wet (causing infection and MORE proud flesh) and he falls and injures himself even more?

if I try to help I will be commiting animal cruelty so I will leave him to another fate

You are unfairly and in a very cruel and deeply personally insulting fashion, misrepresenting what I wrote. In addition, I am extremely upset by your implying that 'vets aren't always right' and 'having six thousand a year for care is not the measure of being a good owner'.

I find it deeply disturbing what that implies, that an owner without the means to get the proper treatment for a severely crippled, suffering animal, will 'wuv him all up' and he'll be fine. Routinely and out of hand disregarding veterinary advice because 'it might be wrong' is a lot more like not listening to what you don't want to hear than anything else.

You're so emotionally wrought up and defensive and 'la la la I can't hear you unless you say what I want to hea' about this animal that you don't even plan on keeping for more than a year!!

The fact is, vets very often ARE right, and when they are wrong, it is VERY often because the owner did not allow the vet to do a proper diagnostic with xrays and ultrasound and tests, and the vet is forced to simply guess based on a brief observation and hearing a few words about the animal!!

Most of the OTHER times vets are wrong, it's because the owner refused to bring in an appropriate vet for the given problem - a lameness expert for a mysterious lameness, usually is NOT sought, and a junior vet who mostly gives vaccines, is being asked to diagnose something he has no special experience or training in - AGAIN, without doing any tests, xrays or anything else usually!!!!

If you exclude THOSE incidents, vets, are, yes, occasionally 'wrong'. But they are extremely UN-likely to be 'wrong' about something as obvious and disturbing as what is wrong with THIS animal!!!

The MOST disturbing thing, OP, is that you appear to be completely unwilling to even entertain the possibility of putting this animal to sleep! I've BOUGHT horses that were suffering just so the vet could put them down on the spot!!!! Sometimes euthenasia is the only ETHICAL AND FAIR thing to be done for a horse!!!

Number one, if the owners really are ethical, they would not pass such a severely injured horse on to you - as more posters than I have already noted. They would 1.) care for it themselves lifelong, regardless of the cost, the animal would receive the care it needed! 2.) IF IT WERE MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE they would euthenize the horse.

Based on your description of the severity of the gait abnormality, euthenasia is the only fair option for this animal. What you are describing is a degree of disability that is NOT matching ANY standards of quality of life!!!

Could it get better with time or more treatment? That depends on what is wrong. If the owners are as good as you say, they have been providing all care necessary to help the horse recover - AND HE HAS NOT RECOVERED.

 

[patandchickens]

It boils down to: nobody, not even a vet, can possibly make any sort of half-intelligent guess as to the horse's prospects just from your description.

It would require a very experienced horseman, or a vet, to inspect the horse in person.

If you want to pursue this, that would be the first thing to do.

Then you would have some sense of what the odds and prospects are, to guide you.

Nobody LIKES having decisions on the care of injured animals come down to money, but quite often they simply do. That's life. A lot of kinds of treatment don't come cheap, especially if you need to hire someone to do 'em if you're not experienced enough with horses to do it yourself.

And while I have seen some really gruesome injuries turn out ok, I have also seen some really gruesome injuries coddled along for months or literally years of Serious Pain for the animal and then it dies or is euthanized anyhow. So don't assume that just by wanting it enough, you can *necessarily* pull any given horse out of the woods. And even if you do, then what. Well bred means NOTHING, here. Seriously.

I am not telling you what to do because unlike some other posters I think there are enough different interpretations of your description of the horse that I very seriously don't think ANY of us can tell you what his state is. GET A VET TO LOOK. Then evaluate your finances and long-term financial commitment.

THEN you can decide what to do.

Pat

 

[chickbea]

BARBED WIRE AT AN EQUINE BREEDING FACILITY? Ack! Egads! OMG!
Sorry, I had to get that out!
OK: My humble opinion is that if you do end up with this animal, you are looking at a pasture pet and nothing more. I would not consider him a breeding prospect because he will never be able to perform at a level that shows what his breeding might have been capable of had he not been injured.
Taking that into consideration, and if you are wanting him just as a pet, I would have an equine veterinarian (this would be the time to pay for a specialist) look at him. Have a frank discussion about the long term prospects - will the horse be pain and discomfort free, will there be expensive ongoing maintenance, etc.


EDIT - Oops! I just saw it was a neighbor's fence, not theirs. Never mind!

 

[Avalon1984]

I think we need to all calm down and take a deep breath for a second?

This is a great topic and I’d hate to have it closed because of a heated discussion. Ultimately it will be the OP’s decision on what she wants to do and we can only advice her based on our experiences. I also feel that without seeing the animal and really knowing what is going on it will be hard to make a judgment call at this point. I for one hope that the OP makes the decision that feels right to her and is in the best interest of the animal. Consult a specialist and see what can or cannot be done about the colt. Good luck!

 

[Elite Silkies]

I didn't read all the post, but I use to rescue emaciated horses. Just getting them back into condition was extremely costly even in my small town where Vet Bills are relatively cheap compared to some of the vet bills I have seen on this forum. I don't think I would personally get myself into a situation if I thought for a moment that the colt had tendon or ligament damage. You could be asking for a lifelong Vet bill.

 

[genuck]

I had a young colt years ago get in a tangle with a fence. The cuts were down to the bone and unstitchable. I wrapped and cleaned then twice a day, granulation tissue (proud flesh) was a normal part of the healing. Not out of control, but filling in the injured area so that it could be rebuilt. The ligament on one leg ripped a few days after the injury, he was a little off on that leg. Eventually after many months it all healed and he moved perfectly with just a small scar on one leg.

It wasn't an easy decision for me when I first saw the injury. I had a trusted vet come out and give me his opinion. We basically decided so long as he was somewhat comfortable and there was no extensive cost we would keep treating him. When he came out I had it in my mind that if it was going to cost over X amount of dollars he would just be put down. I've spent thousands of dollars treating a horse that just had to be put down in the end before, nothing like having a huge vet bill AND a dead horse.

We also has a mare (even longer ago) that was leased out and had an accident where she lost 1/2 her hoof, the pastern was smashed and the cannon bone broken. My aunt (the owner) refused to put her down. By some miracle and lots of wrapping and soaking she was able to lay down and rest then get up. The 1/2 of her hoof grew back kind of weird and eventually she was able to gallop around. Wet days she would get a little stiff, but basically she was just a pasture buddy for the rest of her life.

So if you would be ok if he ended up just a pasture buddy or, that he may need to be put down for his own good, get a good vets opinion and possibly go for it. Good luck.