Did I do the right thing?

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BenjaminButton

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This morning I was all prepared to go for a hack. Got to the field, to discover that the 3 year old who is in the field with the horse I loan was lame. Not hopping, but struggling to walk none the less.
I immediately brought him in and tried to get old of his owner. She's on her honeymoon with her husband and their phones weren't working. I tried the landline number she'd left for me to contact her parents and there was no answer there either as they had already left for work. I had no mobile numbers for them so I called the vet to seek over the phone advice by describing what I saw.
I saw a crack in the hoof with some mud/grass inside with some heat around that area. The vet advised me to use a poultice to draw anything out then in a couple of days get the farrier to come and have a look.
I set off on a mission to find the "ingredients" for my poultice and put it all together in one place. I had a go at picking his feet up and he kept ripping it out of my hands, striking out and attempting to kick me with his back leg. So I popped him in the stable and went across the road to the race yard to find some help. I recruited 2 of the grooms and we took it in turns trying to sort the hoof out, only just about managing to pick it out. Said horse was still being quite bolshy and was becoming quite dangerous so we tried a twitch. The twitch didn't work so one of the grooms suggested some sedative. They set off to get the sedative and I administered the sedative myself being careful with the dosage.
45 minutes later, he looked dosey, so we attempted round three, but unfortunately it didn't work. He struck my hat with his hoof and at that point we decided it was too dangerous to carry on.
I put him into his stable and sat with him for the whole time until he came round. During the "waiting game" The horses owner read my facebook messages and sent me her fathers mobile number so I could contact him.
I called him straight away and explained all of the above. He wasn't too impressed and didn't say thank you for the time and effort considering I had to call work and tell them I wouldn't be in today. He also said that the horse had twisted its fetlock the day before the wedding and they hadn't told the owner as they didn't want to upset her, but they forgot to leave me a note. I've seen this horse everyday and I can say that he wasn't lame. He told be to bandage the fetlock up for support and turn him back out. I did what he asked as it isn't my place to fiddle with other peoples horses, but I do think that the crack was the source of the lameness. The father wasn't very friendly and made me doubt myself even if the owner was really grateful for my efforts.


It's made me question if I did the right thing by taking matters into my own hands before getting hold of anyone. I couldn't just leave him to hobble about all day. :(
 
Personally I wouldn't administer drugs without the owners (or person responsible for horses care in owners absence) permission.
I also wouldn't leave a bandage on a youngster in the field overnight - again just personally I'd worry it might come off.

You're very kind to take a day off work - but difficult for vet or farrier to diagnose over the phone, so I'd have poped him in stable and got farrier to come out (but I have a lovely farrier who'd be happy to come look for me) or TBH I might have just kept trying owner/ her parents from work if it wasn't life threaterning.
 
I would be more than UNIMPRESSED if you had given my horse a sedative without my permission. If I was you I would have contacted the owners father and let him aware the horse was lame and left it at that for him to sort out. From what you were saying the horse was not fracture lame and i wouldnt have done anything with it. From another point of view you also didnt know what the horses passport status was and although I wouldnt its possible that that horse may have been intended to enter the food chain and by giving it certain drugs its automatically signed out. Also by trying and failing to poultice it you have reinforced to the horse that by kicking it wins.
 
If someone else was responsible, and not you, then you should really have contacted them and let them make any decisions. If you had sedated my horse I would be rather upset, good intentions or not.
 
You should never give sedative to a horse it's not perscribed for the two grooms are mad ,if the young horse had a heart issue it could now be dead and you would be liable .
Next time contact the owners leave them to sort it .
Don't go out on a limb for people like that don't ever risk injury from someone esle badly handled young horse.
 
I dont feel as strongly as the others but i would say that when the owner returns you need to ensure that wgen any of you go away you all have the required mobile numbers to contact the responsible people and an agreement about what happens in a situation like today and especially in an emergency situation

Whats done is done dont dwell in it
 
Well I wouldn't be at all happy about my horse being sedated randomly without my consent. But there again I wouldn't go away and leave my horse without a specific checking routine in place, by someone who was experienced enough to deal with this sort of issue. It doesn't sound like the parents are checking daily, but I am only guessing at that?

But please don't beat yourself up, it sounds like the situation was rather taken out of your hands by the grooms. And, equally, I am sure their intentions were good to help you, and to help the horse. As for the father telling you to bandage the leg and turn out, well? Brilliant, without even looking at the horse, and no support for the opposite leg either?

I think your intentions were good OP - and ignore all the flack, at least you didn't totally ignore the lame horse and did the best you could under less than perfect circumstances.
 
You did what you thought was right at the time. Personally I wouldn't have gone to the lengths of getting help or sedating the horse but I can see how, in the moment you sort of get dragged in by others who may think they know better and on racing yards/large yards then they do often see it as a normal thing to do (ie giving sedative).

I think, unless the horse was hopping lame and you were seriously worried about it, best to notify the owner/whoever is looking after it and do nothing more. Fine, maybe have the horse in and take a look to check there's nothing stuck in the hoof/sole but, as the horse obviously got agitated I would have left it at that. My youngster doesn't take too well to me trying to 'help' him when he has a wound etc ads of course it hurts and he doesn't understand what I am doing, just wants to avoid pain. It is quite usual for a youngster to act like this so probably would have been best to just do what you could - ie pick it out, check for any major issues and, if none found just chuck him back out and let those looking after it know.

Still, it seems no harm was done so, as said don't dwell on it and maybe communicate between you as to what you would like the other to do if a similar situation arose again.
 
Well, I'd be livid if you had done what you have to my youngster, but on the flip side I wouldn't ever go away without knowing that there was a reliable emergency contact number available for those at the yard or ensuring that my horse was being reliably checked at least twice a day. So stupidity (however well meaning) on both sides I think.

But for future reference never, unless it is a matter of life and death:
Administer medicines to other people's horses unless you have their express permission.
Involve other third parties in handling someone else's horse unless the owner has given them permission.
Twitch some else's horse unless they've given you permission to do so.

Never mind though, I'm sure all will be forgiven and forgotten, and like I said, it sounds as if the owner was pretty daft when planning for her horse's care, and you were only trying to help her horse out of genuine concern.
 
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I can see that your intentions were good OP but I really wouldn't be happy, if somebody had twitched/sedated my horse. I would have probably tried to pick out the horse's hoof (if easily done) and stabled the horse until I can get hold of the owner or person looking after it. At least the horse's owner sounds grateful. Hope the whole issue gets resolved and that the horse gets better x
 
Poor you OP! Horrid for you to have been in that position - and gutting for you to have had to take the day off work and then get criticised / not appreciated for what you were trying to do. I do agree that in hindsight it probably isnt great to do that much intervention with someone else's horse, but I can easily see that I might have got myself in to that situation as well. The parents were not very helpful were they! You had the right intentions, but I'd probably learn from the experience and not put yourself in that situation again. If there are any complaints when the owner returns then politely say that you prefer not to be left in charge again! Dont beat yourself up, am sure there is no lasting harm and you were doing your best. x x
 
If I had gone away and my horse harmed itself and I hadn't left contacts for emergencies, then Id expect someone else where I am to call a vet and have a massive vet bill when I returned, you have tried to do right, as others have said the sedative was a bit far, but you was trying to do the right thing by the horse, you sat with it during and whilst it woke up,

I get the impression you are quite a worrier and done what you thought was best, if I was told this on returning from a holiday/honeymoon whatever because there was no-one about to contact, I would have thanked you, sedation or not!
 
I think you did too much to be honest but the owner has been negligent not having a specified person in charge (or was that you?). I would have informed the yo and let them deal with it.
 
I agreed with zeroooooo. I myself wouldn't have known what to do, especially as not getting anyone on the phone. You did your absolutely best in the situation. Hopefully, lessons learn from both sides and they can be appreciative of all your effort.
 
You poor thing !
I'm unimpressed with the owner who didn't leave instructions and numbers for emergencies. A landline number is only useful if someone picks it up.

Ok, so in hindsight, it wasn't a life or death situation, so either leaving the horse in the paddock or stabling would have been fine as the horse was getting worked up and dangerous until the parents could answer the phone.

Ringing the vet for advice was a good move as was going to the race yard for help.

Where it went slightly wrong was when they tried to twitch unsuccessfully and then sedated the horse. I suspect the grooms weren't the best people to get the job done but totally appreciate how you became drawn into following their course of action.

Just because someone works with horses, it doesn't mean they're any good.

Don't worry about it. You really put yourself out for the horse and its horrible when you find yourself in that situation.

Hopefully, the horse's owner will appreciate your care and next time leave better contact details and permission to call her vet if warranted.
 
Contrary to everyone else I would have been very grateful for all your attempts as helping my horse even if I may not like the bill. So for me you did exactly the right thing the poor horse shouldnt have been left to suffer and I cant understand how anyone would let it. Just because you failed I would have still have been grateful that you tried given that you couldnt get the necessary person to take responsibility
I am obviously very different to the others but well done for trying and I hope those that are so negative never have a horse in desperate need and everyone say no its not my problem
 
I think it's very poor of the parents not to have told the owner about the leg. I must say, if you'd twitched my horse, especially a youngster who was probably terrified of all the new people, I'd probably go absolutely MENTAL.

I know you've tried to help, but next time, call the people in charge and don't do anything unless there's a huge emergency.
 
windand rain said:
Contrary to everyone else I would have been very grateful for all your attempts as helping my horse even if I may not like the bill. So for me you did exactly the right thing the poor horse shouldnt have been left to suffer and I cant understand how anyone would let it. Just because you failed I would have still have been grateful that you tried given that you couldnt get the necessary person to take responsibility
I am obviously very different to the others but well done for trying and I hope those that are so negative never have a horse in desperate need and everyone say no its not my problem
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I actually agree with this - you did what you thought was right at the time and did all you could to contact the relevant people. To have to take a day off work is going above and beyond! Well done to you for trying anyway :)
 
You did the best you could, and what you thought best, in the circumstances so don't beat yourself up about it. What's done is done and there's no point dwelling on it :smile3:

However, I don't leave people who are not knowledgeable in dealing with 'situations' in charge of my horses when I go away and I am always right at the end of a text or email so am more than happy to have my grooms take a photo or video of said injury and mail it on to me then I can make the call on what to do. In your case, this is not the same situation so I feel you did the best you could.
 
You did what you thought was best in the circumstances, which is all that any-one can do. You followed the vets advice as far as possible and then when the horse got difficult, you went for what you hoped was experienced help.
No, I wouldn't have sedated someone else's horse but actually I can't see a problem with twitching properly, which I assume you thought the grooms knew how to do.
I would hope that the owner, who should have left proper contact details and arranged for someone knowledgeable and available to check the horse at least twice daily, is grateful for your attempts to help her horse.
 
OP you did your best in a situation you have possibly not had to face before, lesson learned dont give drugs to anyones horses, yes your heart was in the right place, but sadly owners and others wouldnt see it that way, and as for the food chain well it would have just had to wait 28 days before being hung up or dealt with in another way, you did try to get hold of the father and you really did your best, dont beat yourself up about it.

if it was me i would have words about responsibility lies with them and they should have been there to check the horse twice daily before and after work then you wouldnt have had to deal with this.

Next time unless it is fracture lame, which unless you are a vet or very very experienced you wouldnt know the difference, a horse with an abscess can be so lame you would think it had broken its leg, just leave it in the field and call the owners.

I wouldnt have been angry with you OP
 
I would have been furious you had administered a sedative( horse could have undiagnosed problem or if a small fracture could have meant it put too much weight on the leg fracturing it) or twitched a three year old. I would have brought him in- if struggling to walk I would have contacted YO and if couldn't do any other contacts contacted a vet to come and see the horse as they are qualified, regardless of bills etc. Take a step back and think how you would like to someone to sedate your horse and what if something happened!
 
Agree with the others - there are 'faults' on both sides here. Hopefully the youngster's owners and her parents will realise that they need to put better emergency arrangements in place next time. But you meant well and up to a point (probably where the 'help' arrived) you were doing OK. And it was really good of you to take time off work. Nb Our two arab brothers are ridiculously and dramatically over sensitive to even a small dose of sedative. Felix literally facepalmed the floor last time - timber!!! Apparently it's inherited as their breeder says she had to pick their mother up off the floor on numerous occasions. So I would be none too chuffed if someone had tried sedating them with anything unless under the supervision of a vet that knew their history.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
You did what you thought was best in the circumstances, which is all that any-one can do. You followed the vets advice as far as possible and then when the horse got difficult, you went for what you hoped was experienced help.
No, I wouldn't have sedated someone else's horse but actually I can't see a problem with twitching properly, which I assume you thought the grooms knew how to do.
I would hope that the owner, who should have left proper contact details and arranged for someone knowledgeable and available to check the horse at least twice daily, is grateful for your attempts to help her horse.
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Ditto....
 
When you say sedation do you mean a bit of sedaline gel on the gums, or an IV injection? It is illegal for someone other than a vet to do IV injections (where would you even find the injection?) so I suspect you mean the gel which is not such a big deal in the scheme of things.

However, since it was not a life or death emergency I think you did too much. In your place I would have decided if the horse was OK in the paddock or needed to be in a stable with a haynet to prevent further injury and would have kept trying to get hold of the owners during the day.

It is the owner's fault though for not leaving you with proper contact details.
 
Really feel for you as you did what you thought was best. Definitely wouldn't have given sedation as others have said but hindsight a great thing and we can get caught up in the moment and do things we notmally wouldn't do.Twitching wouldn't bother me as such but only if it was a bit more serious.
Agree with BB would left it in field or stable and try to contact owner.If owner uncontactable and had real concerns for horse(severe pain etc) would contact YO then hopefully he would contact vet as feel unless permission left YO prob only one imo who can say vet/ (or at least its a bit easier)
Father attitude would annoy me.-Come down and look!!If they are the appointed person and that worried. I also work on theory if folk can't be bothered neither can I.-I don't mean can't get down cos work etc I mean its too much hassle and yes you do get folk like that.
 
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