Are horses being 'babied'?

[Aoibhinn]

Looking through a lot of posts here and one thing struck me in particular. Peoples first impulse seems to be to call the vet out. Whether it be for a cough or a filled leg, the vet is the first port of call.

Now I haven't been dealing with horses for years or anything, but being from a farming background with a father that is able to resolve most problems that arise with the cattle, my head would be saying to hold off for a few days and see how things play out. Obviously I would call a vet for something serious eg. a colic, synovial joint injury, deep wound etc.

Surely this is making horses 'soft', or am I just too harsh on the animals and should be calling the vet out more often 😂

 

[wench]

I don't think calling a vet out makes a horse soft.

 

[MileAMinute]

I would rather someone called the vet for advice or to come and look at it, than assume they can cope themselves and fail, potentially risking the horse further.
I also don't think it makes a horse 'soft'.

That said, basic first aid and horse health should be instilled into anyone who owns a horse.

 

[HorsesandParrots]

As above. Over rugging or feeding then yes maybe, but calling the vet out, even if there happens to be nothing wrong, surely can't cause any harm or make them soft.

 

[Moomin1]

How on earth would calling a vet out make a horse soft?? Do they turn into hypochondriacs or something?

 

[Nudibranch]

*shakes head and leaves thread*

 

[Lyle]

Horses aren't, for the most part, managed like livestock though, are they? Cattle can still perform their intended use even if they aren't 100% sound. A horse can't! Calling an experienced person in the area of animal health for advice is not going to make a horse soft.... you have to bring in several factors as to why you would call a vet, emotional attachment (ie wanting to make sure our 'friend' is comfortable) monetary value of the horse, impact of training due to time off, etc.

 

[Illusion100]

Really depends on your experience and even then that can take you by surprise. For an example when I worked with vets we had a 2/10 lame horse come in, it had been like that for 3 days. A few x-rays later and it was PTS due to a bone infection in the fetlock.

I think many people 'baby' horses regarding numerous things but you can never 'baby' a horse by calling a vet out.

 

[rara007]

A cow can still perform pretty well at 1/3 on the 0-3 scale lame, my pony would be written off at 2/10. A cow can still perform pretty well with compromised lungs, my pony can't. The average cow has a definitive value to weigh up cost vs. benefit and a predictable life path/span. My pony is worth far for to me than the £££ suggest. They're my friends and pleasure, not here to earn their keep, and as such I pride myself that they're as comfortable as can be, and are given the best change for long term performance.

 

[Arizahn]

*shakes head and leaves thread*

<follows Nudibranch, whilst reaching for the gin>

Short answer: vet knows more of medicine than me. Unexplained swelling in leg equals phoning the vet where I'm concerned. As a random example.

 

[bumper]

A cow can still perform pretty well at 1/3 on the 0-3 scale lame, my pony would be written off at 2/10. A cow can still perform pretty well with compromised lungs, my pony can't. The average cow has a definitive value to weigh up cost vs. benefit and a predictable life path/span. My pony is worth far for to me than the £££ suggest. They're my friends and pleasure, not here to earn their keep, and as such I pride myself that they're as comfortable as can be, and are given the best change for long term performance.

This.
How on earth could calling the vet out make a horse "soft"? I honestly do not understand the OP's original point. Would they imagine illness, so one would call the vet? No. If a horse is unwell, it's unwell. It's the owner's call whether or not to call the vet.

 

[Aoibhinn]

Sorry, should have worded it better. I'm just trying to make the point that the horses nowadays are treated with much more care & attention, feed supplements etc. than the horses of 50 years ago, if that makes sense?

 

[HorsesandParrots]

A lot of it is because we are learning more about them and want to prolong their working life and quality of life!

 

[Tnavas]

For some calling the vet out is necessary because they don't have the knowledge or confidence to deal with the problem.

New or novice owners are more likely to call the vet out for what many more experienced people would deal with themselves. I remember as a teenager taking my horse to the vet because he had some cuts on his fetlock, they weren't bad at all but I didn't have the knowledge then of how to deal with them.

Nowadays with many decades of working with horses under my belt I deal with most things myself and I only see my vet socially or for annual injections.

A year or so back my young horse was brought home after an argument with a fence, his loaner had had the vet out but to be honest the vet had done the worst attempt at bandaging I've seen EVER heavens knows what she had been taught! She had wrapped a small amount of vetwrap around the leg, no padding/dressing over the actual wound. The bandage had slipped and the edge was actually in the wound. The injury was just below and in front of the hock. A figure eight or spider bandage would have been far more suitable and also taken right down the whole leg.

Owners need to learn as much as they can about the basic vet care they can give their horse. Know how to take a temperature and to put on a bandage that will not harm the circulation. Know how to have a horse run up for lameness and to remember that the majority of lameness is within the foot and usually is a stone bruise or an abscess.

It's fun learning about caring for your horse well it makes you a more confident owner.

Beware though when you start reading 'Veterinary Notes for Horse Owners' you imagine an amazing array of illnesses that your horse has. It's a brilliant book well worth having.

 

[Equi]

There does seem to be certain types that every horse they have is constantly at the vet or half dying. Makes you wonder what they're doing wrong. I've never had a vet!

 

[baymareb]

Sorry, should have worded it better. I'm just trying to make the point that the horses nowadays are treated with much more care & attention, feed supplements etc. than the horses of 50 years ago, if that makes sense?

And they're living longer. Just as better medical care has increased human life spans, so has better vet care.

I don't call the vet out as often as some but I'm more experienced with wound care and basic first aid than a lot of people are. I can't fault anyone for erring on the side of caution and I certainly don't think it makes a horse "soft." Actually, it tends to make them healthier, sounder and longer lived.

 

[bumper]

Sorry, should have worded it better. I'm just trying to make the point that the horses nowadays are treated with much more care & attention, feed supplements etc. than the horses of 50 years ago, if that makes sense?

Isn't that a good thing? You've still lost me....

 

[Tnavas]

R

And they're living longer. Just as better medical care has increased human life spans, so has better vet care.

I don't call the vet out as often as some but I'm more experienced with wound care and basic first aid than a lot of people are. I can't fault anyone for erring on the side of caution and I certainly don't think it makes a horse "soft." Actually, it tends to make them healthier, sounder and longer lived.

I don't think they are living any longer than in the past, we had many in the school where I trained 40 years ago in their late teens to mid twenties all working well and sound.

Personally I think modern feeds have brought with them metabolic problems we never had back then. You only saw laminitis in fat native ponies left on spring grass too long. Now anything and everything seems to suffer from it. Our horses were generally very sound, we saw the vet for various reasons - but not often, in a yard of 50 or more there was more likely hood of something being sick.

Care is different these days and personally I don't think any better than in the past. Feeding supplements doesn't automatically mean that you are feeding any better, many horses get overdosed on stuff they don't need. Our horses of the past certainly looked and worked as well as any you see around these days and for lot less expense. I think a lot of people are really obsessive about feeding supplements. A good quality mineral block and salt are all the majority of pleasure horses need. Do you feed yourself a million different supplements?

There seem to be far more overweight unfit horses around these days.

 

[Mrs G]

As well as more overweight unfit people, children, pets etc!

 

[Tnavas]

As well as more overweight unfit people, children, pets etc!

Definately! Me included! The moment I mention I'm on a diet I seem to get invited out to dinner or its someones birthday at work.

I've downsized portions quite considerably now and slowly my weight is going down.

 

[Lintel]

Sorry, should have worded it better. I'm just trying to make the point that the horses nowadays are treated with much more care & attention, feed supplements etc. than the horses of 50 years ago, if that makes sense?

I think your wording has got you into a bit of a hole here but I think maybe if I've got the right end of the stick I'd agree. People definitely can be guilty of wasting the vets time and being over-paranoid where as before "in the olden days" people seem more willing to get on with it themselve. I'd say this is down to people being under educated or novice.
Personally I'd rather be over paranoid and get the vet out as I don't consider myself over savvy with the likes of medical things- or very confident for thst matter!

 

[Maesfen]

No OP, it's some of the owners that have gone soft because they didn't learn basic horse care before they got one so actually need en experienced person to cast an eye over the horse because they don't know enough themselves.
Some posts(ers) on here (not just this thread) make a professional old groom weep for the old days when horses were owned by people that knew how to care and handle them because they had learnt a lot of it before ever thinking of owning a horse. Shame new owners don't have to take a test before they can do so now; it would save a lot of neglect, abuse and dangerous methods for a lot of horses.

 

[Tnavas]

No OP, it's some of the owners that have gone soft because they didn't learn basic horse care before they got one so actually need en experienced person to cast an eye over the horse because they don't know enough themselves.
Some posts(ers) on here (not just this thread) make a professional old groom weep for the old days when horses were owned by people that knew how to care and handle them because they had learnt a lot of it before ever thinking of owning a horse. Shame new owners don't have to take a test before they can do so now; it would save a lot of neglect, abuse and dangerous methods for a lot of horses.

So agree with you there, though I had a pony of my own before knowing a lot, but I had my Pony Club instructors to help me learn. Then on to top level training for my BHS exams.

 

[Luci07]

People who genuinely care for their animals will always keep learning. People who think they are simply entitled won't bother. Interesting with regards to feeding as I think we are now moving back to a simpler feeding regime with a lot of horses and oddly enough..sugar causes as many problems in the equines diet as it does in humans. I was sceptical till a friend made me look at the back of the ingredients!

 

[Maesfen]

So agree with you there, though I had a pony of my own before knowing a lot, but I had my Pony Club instructors to help me learn. Then on to top level training for my BHS exams.

Aah, but the difference with you T, is that you wanted to learn unlike a lot of know-it-alls that seem to have found their way into horses lately.

 

[Summer pudding]

How can you be wasting a vet's time - they are being paid! I was told off by the vet when I described a horse as being a 'wuss'....no he's not, he's in pain.... Vets are able to administer strong pain relief and inject anti-biotics - both have a very speedy effect, surely better to err on the side of caution and know your patient is comfortable and protected?

 

[Cortez]

No OP, it's some of the owners that have gone soft because they didn't learn basic horse care before they got one so actually need en experienced person to cast an eye over the horse because they don't know enough themselves.
Some posts(ers) on here (not just this thread) make a professional old groom weep for the old days when horses were owned by people that knew how to care and handle them because they had learnt a lot of it before ever thinking of owning a horse. Shame new owners don't have to take a test before they can do so now; it would save a lot of neglect, abuse and dangerous methods for a lot of horses.

SOOO agree with this. And yes, horses are babied outrageously, unnecessarily and to their and their owners detriment in every aspect: too much feed, wrong feed, unneeded supplements, not enough work, very poor riding, rugs all the time, lack of discipline/manners, and on and on. What happened?

 

[sport horse]

I think the big change in recent years is that most inexperienced horse owners keep their horses on a DIY basis and there is no experienced advice on the yard to help with minor injuries - and indeed help decide which are minor injuries/ailments and which are more serious.I came from a non horsey background and kept my first horse at livery and the yard owner ruled supreme. Yes it might have been my horse but if the YO said it needed a vet it got one and if YO said it did not need a vet it did not see one. Nowadays it seems that lifetime of experience is ignored by many new horse owners in favour of internet forums, books written by questionable authors and other novice owners on the yard!

 

[PolarSkye]

There does seem to be certain types that every horse they have is constantly at the vet or half dying. Makes you wonder what they're doing wrong. I've never had a vet!

Then you are extremely lucky . . . I've seen more of my vet in the five years I've owned Kali than I would have liked and none of his issues have been because I've done anything "wrong" or unnecessary . . . let's see . . . kicked in the field requiring stitches and a suspected fracture (x-ray was inconclusive so we treated him as though it was fractured), got leg tangled in barbed wire while out hacking (hidden in the grass) - got vet out to clean the wounds and we put him on antibiotics, kicked in the field resulting in a compromised hock joint capsule - had surgery under GA to flush the wound and spent a week at horsepital receiving intravenous antibiotics, fell on the road out hunting resulting in a large haematoma - patched up by vet nurse by the lorry and then seen by own vet later that evening - steroids, strong pain relief/anti-inflammatory (administered by needle) and anti-biotics, stubborn case of mud fever that lasted off and on for four months resulting in three cases of cellulitis that required three separate courses of antibiotics to shift, and intermittent lameness that turned out to be PSD in his off fore so three rounds of shock wave therapy and multiple scans and x-rays.

Of course I can (and do) patch up minor cuts and bruises - if he has a runny tum, I bung some charcoal in his feed, I know how to inject him (had to have injectable antibiotics for the last round of cellulitis), bandage, take his temperature, etc., but at the end of the day some horses are unlucky and accident prone and some are seemingly made of concrete.

P

 

[Pingypo]

I agree with the OP to a certain extent. I think nowadays people tend to see a slight problem and call the vet rather than thinking the problem out logically and trying to sort it to the best of their ability. The owner of the horse should have enough knowledge to decide whetherthe injury/ailment could potentially be a bigger problem. I dont really agree with horses being 'babied', i think it is more a case of a lack of common scence from the owner. In some cases not all! Horses are 'babied' a lot in terms of rugs and protection from weather and mud etc etc though.