Emergency surgery but no transport

Penny Less

Penny Less

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I had a horse with colic and due to his age and the fact that I had no horse transport and there was no transport on the yard (and it was 10 oclock at night) I decided to have him pts.
I often wonder how others have managed in this situation?
 
Fortunately I've always managed to get someone to take my horse to the clinic. But last summer I was in a terrible situation where because it was august, all vets were out for vacations. It took hours to locate one who was close enough to come and take a look at my horse, and she was absolutely terrible.

It was a simple colic that would've resolved quickly with some fluids, but because I couldn't get a good vet to come over I ended up having to take her to the clinic and she was there for two weeks. Talk about luck.
 
Poor you what a dreadful experience for you. I've had experience of this twice, first time was with a new born foal and our transport was off the road but fortunately a friend helped out and we were very grateful.

The second time was about 5 years ago on Christmas night about 10pm - a vet phoned saying a horse nearby had colic and needed transporting and no one would do it, could we? Fortunately I hadn't had anything (alcoholic) to drink so OH and I set off - it was a long night as the horse didn't load well but we got there and she was admitted for surgery. We eventually got home around 3.30am. What surprised me in this situation was that I knew the owners had contacts / friends with many other people in the area and yet no one would help whereas we had little no real dealings with them prior to this I was also somewhat surprised when I didn't recieve so much as a card or box of chocs afterwards by way of thanks.
 
I had a situation with a penetrating joint wound requiring surgery and lorry away for plating. Thankfully my friends equine job let her out to give us a lift but in that time the joint fluid looked like custard. Did come rig,t though.
 
EventingMum said:
Poor you what a dreadful experience for you. I've had experience of this twice, first time was with a new born foal and our transport was off the road but fortunately a friend helped out and we were very grateful.

The second time was about 5 years ago on Christmas night about 10pm - a vet phoned saying a horse nearby had colic and needed transporting and no one would do it, could we? Fortunately I hadn't had anything (alcoholic) to drink so OH and I set off - it was a long night as the horse didn't load well but we got there and she was admitted for surgery. We eventually got home around 3.30am. What surprised me in this situation was that I knew the owners had contacts / friends with many other people in the area and yet no one would help whereas we had little no real dealings with them prior to this I was also somewhat surprised when I didn't recieve so much as a card or box of chocs afterwards by way of thanks.
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:eek: That is absolutely dreadful! I think you were positively saintly to take a horse for people you hardly knew on Christmas night. How rude and ungrateful of them. I would have been showering you with gifts. Some people! :mad:
 
EventingMum said:
I didn't recieve so much as a card or box of chocs afterwards by way of thanks.
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Maybe that's why none of their other contacts would help out? Ungrateful swines.

I have a trailer I would lend out in an emergency, don't know what I'd do myself though if it were off the road as I don't know anyone in this area. I'd best keep it maintained!
 
I always keep a couple of horse transporter numbers to hand and friends who have transport.
Sorry for your loss, but given what you said it doesnt sound like it was a bad call
 
I'm very lucky in that I have several friends with trailers that I am able to borrow and we have our own tow vehicle. My yo has a trailer which normally they don't lend out but they lent me at short notice to get my mare to the Dick Vets when she choked and developed pneumonia.

I have also in the past taken someone on the yard (we didn't know them previously at all) to the Dick vets (we had a trailer then) as they had no transport and the mare was colicking badly and needed surgery. I was amazed that the yo (different yard from current) didn't even come out to see how they were getting on - family was non-horsey mom and 2 teenage girls who had had their horse for a month and she was their first horse.
 
Sorry for your loss :(

I'd have made the same decision. My lads are now of the age that I wouldn't transport them to the nearest specialist vet facility, it's too far away (2hrs minimum drive in a lorry) and I couldn't/wouldn't put them through it.
 
Sorry to hear about your hard choice to have to make. Not knowing what end of the country a bar of chocolate is, can I just point out. I have a transport company and, go to great lengths to answer the phone 24/7. Always have someone available to drive if I can not and, like most transporters spend a lot of time and effort advertising this fact. When it says we answer the phone 24/7 we really do mean it.
 
EventingMum said:
Poor you what a dreadful experience for you. I've had experience of this twice, first time was with a new born foal and our transport was off the road but fortunately a friend helped out and we were very grateful.

The second time was about 5 years ago on Christmas night about 10pm - a vet phoned saying a horse nearby had colic and needed transporting and no one would do it, could we? Fortunately I hadn't had anything (alcoholic) to drink so OH and I set off - it was a long night as the horse didn't load well but we got there and she was admitted for surgery. We eventually got home around 3.30am. What surprised me in this situation was that I knew the owners had contacts / friends with many other people in the area and yet no one would help whereas we had little no real dealings with them prior to this I was also somewhat surprised when I didn't recieve so much as a card or box of chocs afterwards by way of thanks.
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I did a similar thing for someone a few years ago, although not on Chistmas Day! Drove someones horse to the vet late at night, waited at surgery with them for hours, then back home again in the early hours. About 150 mile round trip in lorry - and they gave me a £5 note (to cover the diesel, they said, lol).
 
Zerotolerance said:
I did a similar thing for someone a few years ago, although not on Chistmas Day! Drove someones horse to the vet late at night, waited at surgery with them for hours, then back home again in the early hours. About 150 mile round trip in lorry - and they gave me a £5 note (to cover the diesel, they said, lol).
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People are unreal !!!!
 
alma said:
I had a horse with colic and due to his age and the fact that I had no horse transport and there was no transport on the yard (and it was 10 oclock at night) I decided to have him pts.
I often wonder how others have managed in this situation?
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I'm sorry, that must have been very stressful for you but FWIW, with an older horse, I think you did the right thing anyway as he might not have even survived the journey; so many don't, it's frightening how many are lost before they can reach the hospital because of the delay in getting them there.
 
Don't question your decision! As you said your horse was old. So keep that in mind.

On the other note:

There are plenty of horse transporters that will turn out in an emergency.

My friend who owns a horse transport business turns out no matter what time and has gone as far as kent, sussex, Derby, wolverhampton you name it, to pick up horses with colic and took them direct to Newmarket at Rossdales and they have survived.

The key is having the vets remain on site until the transporter arrives they will give a list of drugs used to the transporter and also follow up with a call to rossdales, getting the horse on a drip and hanging up the drips in the lorry and then getting to rossdales as quickly as possible.

My friend knows when to call rossdales to let them know where they are and that the horse is still standing. This gets the team sorted at the other end and my friend has all the codes to the gates so no time is wasted at all.

The emergency team at rossdales are the very best in the world. Before the horse is even unloaded the bloods are retaken and by the time the horse has walked into the examination area, someone is clipping the underside and the results are back for the bloods, a quick clean of the area and ultra sound and then the horse is walked into the 'recovery' box to have the GA and get sanitised, all this whilst the owners are filling out the forms with another staff member just getting all the details. A very hands on team who know their jobs and get on with it.

The surgical team are already scrubbed and gowned ready and waiting!

It is that quick on arrival-by the time a cup of tea is placed in everyones hands the horse is going under the GA.

Only 3 haven't survived in over 12 years-2 were not insured and although got there in plenty of time when advised of the costs involved the horses were pts sadly. And then 1 who had gone septic only because the poor horse had spent 4 days at their own vets on drips and then sent to rossdales saying it was surgical after all, sadly half the intestines had died off which sadly wasn't apparent until they got the horse on the table.

Rossdales does have my friend on speed dial and they give her number out to everyone who calls in.

When you are ready and you have got your new horse email all the transporters in the area and beyond and ask them do they turn out in an emergency? Then make a list and keep it in your horses first aid kit.
 
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