Advice needed on dangerous behavior from injured pony

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lisastanding

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I need some advice on how to deal with my pony. I had not had him but a couple weeks and was just starting his schooling when he managed to get a rather serious injury to his foot. It is not known how or what caused it, but a thick chunk had become detached, too thick to stitch. I called the vet immediately and he was examined but only after 4 attempts at injecting sedative (she couldn't find the correct place!) and many attempts at a local anesthetic into the wound and then she bandaged and decided to try again the next day. When the vet returned, she came with the Chief practitioner who was more experienced (and charged accordingly) who did the whole process again, this time more successfully and removing the 'chunk'. With both vets and me at his head it was still a struggle but just possible. In order to keep the costs down, I was left instructions to change his bandages every other day and apply manuka honey.
I had not put insurance in place and was still getting quotes from insurers when this happened so all the cost has been from our own pockets.
I was happy to continue this however, the pony has become very distressed and it has become impossible to touch his legs let alone his injured foot. Even with an oral sedative, he gets aggressive with us and it is becoming very dangerous. My partner has told me we need to decide what to do next, as he has decided he will not risk serious injury and is not happy for me to do this anymore. Today, I was bitten by him (broke my skin) and he slams his foot down trying to stamp on us. Then he will kick out to the side if we are trying to take hold of his feet. Tonight, we decided it was too dangerous for us to try to get a bandage back on and I have had to leave it off.
The wound is now healing and 10 days old but the Vet specified keeping it covered for 6 weeks. I cannot do it and even the vet was not prepared to get hurt in trying hoping my pony's trust in me would give me an advantage. The pony may not even make a full recovery anyway, so this is all just a trial.
Now his is becoming too difficult to handle and the lovely pony I bought is turning into a dangerous monster. My partner has told me we may need to think about what is best for him....If we cannot help heal it and he is in pain I have to think about destroying him!!!!
If anyone has any suggestions I could try I would be so grateful. I want to give him a chance and I need to know I have done all I can for a successful outcome. Thank you.
 
Give it a chance to heal before you pts. If it can heal without the bandage and you can control his pain with pain killers in his feed, I'd be inclined to give it a chance. What do you have to lose! If it won't heal then you can decide then. Once it has healed you can regain his trust around that foot.
 
Can we see a photo of the injury? I'd be inclined to turn him away for three months and see what happens, but that depends on just how bad it is.
 
Well I would tie him up and spray with a squirty bottle from a safe distance to clean. Oral antibiotics in his food and hope for the best really. If he is dangerous there is not much else you can do. Have you got any experienced help on hand?
 
Most injuries will heal without being covered as long as they received correct early treatment and infection has not taken hold, you may risk proud flesh forming but that may not happen if you can get some honey on each day, it may be worth trying different ways of dealing with it so you dont actually have to touch his foot, mixing the honey with something to make it liquid possibly simply saline solution and putting it in a spray bottle so you can squirt it on may make it easier as long as some gets in the wound it will do the job.
Do you know anyone experienced to come out to help you, often horses are better with people they do not know if the person has the right attitude and approach, will he let you twitch him?

It is a shame the first vet couldn't inject him as it is probably that bad experience that has set him off, usually once properly sedated you can do anything with them including surgery so I am surprised he could still fight on the second day, poor chap deserves a chance to get over this, I assume he was fine before it happened so he should come round once he is no longer in pain, my horse went through a bad stage following veterinary treatment, he bit and kicked acting totally out of character but has got over it with care and time.
 
Thanks to all replies so far: ycbm - I will try to get a photo tomorrow and post it on thread. He has had all his oral antibiotics but I will ask the Vet for more. FfionWinnie - great idea about the bottle. There is a lady on our yard who has lots of experience but she is only around a couple of times a week. Alainax - I am certainly not ready to give up yet until I have exhausted everything x
 
possibley worth sticking a bridle on so you have a bit more control, and give the pony a groom and just touch his leg not his foot, so he doesnt think your going for the area every time you go near him, when you do have a bridle on, turn his head/neck to the opposite side (this will naturally take his weight off the affected side a bit) and get that foot up and dressing changed asap.
 
I'd echo what everyone has said really... Keep trying to do what you can to keep the area clean without risking your own safety and just see what happens. Keep the box very clean as well. If it doesn't get infected, the pony should recover just fine and hopefully then will relax. Any residual behavioural issues should be very easy to fix - you may just need someone experienced on hand for any little challenges you don't quite know how to deal with but usually with things like this, they make a full recovery physically and the mental follows.
 
I would ask the vet back out for advice, so they can see if it would be OK without a bandage, or if it really does need one then it may be better to book into a yard specialising in rehab etc, as they will probable have stalls/crush to keep him still and be experienced in treating legs that a horse does not want touching.

Until that was organised I would certainly cold hose, as the water can be dribbled down the leg. I would only do this from right on the leg, not squirt it from a distance as distance squirting would also probably feel like an attack to the leg.

If none of that then all equine hospitals would be able to dress, again with a crush to control and a sedative, and maybe it could be every two days for another 2 weeks or so.
 
Hi

Just a thought but when my youngster got mud fever he was a nightmare to treat.
He would fling himself and me around & it was so dangerous as it was on his back leg.
I got oral antibiotics from the vet for his feed as I was worried about infection.
I kept him in on just clean rubber matting with in hand walks in a bridle on Tarmac.
My husband then made me a very useful tool! It was a sponge on a long broom handle - so slowly every day with my horse tied I would groom him & then slowly work down his leg with the sponge all while I was up by his head. It took about a week but by the end I was applying the cream & he healed up lovely.
He always have a barrier cream on now in winter & is absolutely fine for me to put it on as you normally would.
I love honey & would definately use that but just be aware it really really stings when you put it on! I used it on a cut I had and couldn't believe how much it hurt ! Your horse is already sore & he doesn't realise your trying to help as far as he's aware you putting honey on makes it hurt more.
I hope this helps sorry for the essay! Xx
 
My friends mare suffered a degloving injury to her back cannon, it was cold hosed and sprayed with an aloe solution, but saline would work too, twice daily it kept clean and healed well, you cannot bandage the leg but other than that she is fine to handle now. Sedative wouldn't touch her either, if you can create as clean a enviroment as possible I would give it the chance to heal alone
 
If you really really cannot get anywhere near this pony without danger of injuring yourself; or can only get close enough for a quick treatment, then TBH I think your only option is going to be to turn away for a month say, and see what it looks like at the end of that time. Is tetanus jab up to date? Like the idea of the sponge on the broom handle Fazzie!!

In saying this, I'm not trying to be critical OP, but I think the best thing you could do for your pony would be to ditch your vet ASAP!! They haven't done either you or this pony any favours at all and yes whilst I realise that dressing a leg-wound on half a ton of willful horse (or pony) isn't the easiest situation in the world, FFS that is what you are paying for (and they are supposedly trained?) to do??? I would be simply appalled if anyone had bungled a job like that on any horse of mine. Your pony has unfortunately now been left traumatised by these vets' inefficiency; personally I think you have every justification to demand some redress for this incident, it is simply unbelievable.

So awful that you're in this situation. Hope everything goes OK for you; remember that nature is a great healer and at least at this time of the year you shouldn't have the flies around a wound that you'd get in the summer.

Sorry (edited) meant to add that when you can see the woods for the trees and have an idea of how the wound is doing; it might be an idea to get an expert in to help you when you start handling this pony again as it sounds like you will have to re-gain his confidence, I would suggest an IH practitioner would have the best approach as the last thing needed would be to go in mob-handed.

Good luck anyway.
 
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Our Connie cut his fetlock badly about a month after buying him so like yours hadn't built up trust. He reacted in a similar fashion to your pony though not quite so extreme. We solved it by using intrasite gel which can be left untouched for at least 5 days if the wound isn't infected. We managed to cold hose and redress twice before he became too explosive to do then left exposed, kept bedding spotless and gave prophylactic antibiotics and it healed beautifully.
 
Is he on box rest, is this why he is getting wound up?

I would be tempted to get what I can on the wound, and turn him out. I am sure he would calm down and be more co-operative.

Vets are awfully quick to prescribe box rest, ime it is better to get them out as soon as possible or else their is a viscous cycle of them doing too much in the stable farting around.
 
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