Flora cut her artery today (or s**t - 2007 has started well!)

[Fiona]

My most accident prone of horses has done her level best to kill herself today.

They were in the little paddock behind the house as we were hoping to hunt the other 2, and I heard them charging around so I ran up to see what they were doing. Something had spooked them I think (although oddly they are always quite unsettled in that field) and they were running about. Caught them up after a few more charges about, and the blood was running down the inside of her back leg. When I say running I really mean running (like a hose running). I ran down to the yard with her and had to put two bandages and padding on top of the cut before it stopped gushing. Called the vet and fortunately he was just down the road so was with us very soon and sorted her out with antibiotics and cleaning it up etc. By then it was only oozing when the bandage was taken off.

Don't know how much blood she lost (but it was all over the yard in sticky pools - uughh). However I have a friend years ago who lost a very good horse when it bled to death in it's field, and if we hadn't been at home today I can really see how it could have happened to us.

I am assuming it was a freaky one in a million thing to happen, to kick your own leg just in the wrong place to puncture the artery running down the inside of the hock must be a fairly unusual thing to happen, but I'm fairly protective about my three horses anyway, and at the moment I feel like wrapping them up in a big roll of cotton wool and locking them away somewhere, either that or taking up tiddlewinks instead of horses.

Someone tell me that the rest of my year is going to be better than it started (please!)

Fiona

 

[PapaFrita]

Bl**dy hell!! Scary or what! ? very, very lucky you were there! Perhaps this means you will be lucky (in other ways, hopefully!) all year?

 

[Fiona]

God I really hope you're right PF. I don't think my stress levels could stick it if she keeps on like this. In the past two and a half months she has had a punctured sole, a cut on her NH cannon bone, and todays cut on the OH.
Admittedly -none have been prticularly expensive in terms of vet treatment (apart from the after hours call out), or even in terms of time needed off work, but I just never know whether she will come in from the field in one piece or not.

Fiona

 

[Marnie]

Glad that she is ok - I must say I always look at that big blood vessel running down the leg and worry about it getting cut.

Fingers crossed that your luck improves!

 

[Fiona]

Cheers.
I know what you mean - I always did too.
My other 2 are a welsh cob and an IDx so their legs are so well covered in hair that they are almost never cut.
This little person is a TB and she grows almost no winter coat, hence no protection.
I wish she would learn where her legs are though, these injuries are all self inflicted.

Fiona

 

[JustKickOn]

im sure it was just a freaik accident!! don't think about what could've happened, just be glad you got to her in time! well done for being calm and stemmin ghte flow before calling the vet. your quick thinking saved her life! im sure she'll be fine.

you said they freak in the field alot? could be worthwhile checking around the edges and seeing whats round the other side, also check in the hedges (if there are any) and see if theres anything spooky in them, think like a horse would do.

 

[madhector]

nasty start to the year, thank god you were there, my mares the same, although never as serious, im sure she has no idea where her legs are at times

 

[Fiona]

It's a funny one actually, as there is no stock in the next field to this one. It has high hedges round 3 sides and P&R the fourth, perhaps they can't see what's going on which annoys them. We were inside the house, so it wasn't us making noises that spooked them. I may resign myself to not using this field in the winter, its only small though so only a few days worth of grazing anyway.
I am just so glad we were at home.

Fiona

 

[Fiona]

It's about time flora learned where her legs are, she is 6 now (TB so had a birthday yesterday) so should be a bit more tuned in.
We had a friend with a chestnut TB who had a major "incident" every year until he was about 9 or 10, major cuts etc, so I hope she doesn't turn out like him.
Fiona

 

[sherwood']

oh no thats awful but as u say at least u were there to sort it out quickly. Think that is jsut horses for u tho! My boy did a similar thing ro himself about a month ago on the insideof his knee on the joint which was a joy to try and heal!!! horses- why do we bother....!! hope she gets better soon

 

[K9Wendy]

OMG Fiona!! Poor Flora & poor you. Well done for remaining calm and under control. I think I would have died! I don't come into Veterinary very often for this very reason IT SCARES ME!!!!

 

[scs]

our very very accident prone mare did that a couple of years ago - out on a hack. She reared up, dumped her rider, and galloped across plough, and when we caught her blood was gushing from the wound on her leg. Luckily we were only 10 minutes from home, so my other half walked her home with blood pumping from the leg, while I shot back on my horse and rung the vet. Then we stood putting pressure on the wound until the vet arrived (like you, we ended up with blood all over the yard). But the vet was great, did a good job of stiching it, antibiotics, 10 days box rest, and she was as good as new. Scary though, I can sympathise with you!

 

[Fiona]

I'm not fond of needles, but blood doesn't worry me too much. Just as well really - without being TOO graphic, I had to powerhose the yard afterwards to get rid of the pools of congealed blood - bit gross isn't it.

She seems well today, although when I tried to remove the dressing it was stuck on, and I had to soak it to ease it off. I could tell she was hating it, but she was such a good girl and just held it up in the air as if to say "its SOOO sore mummy". When I got it off however, there was just a little pink mark was all I could see. There was a bit of fill on the front of her cannon bone underneath the vetrap bandage the vet had put on (it was quite tight I suppose, but I am sure he had his reasons, it was obviously to put pressure on the cut), but no fill in her fetlock or pastern and she is walking quite freely, so I am hoping she got off lightly.

She gave me a terrible scare though, I am protective enough of her anyway, never mind this sort of incident.

Fiona

 

[Fiona]

I'm glad you had a good outcome with your accident prone mare. Must have been even worse to happen away from home.
She's doing well today, and because there was such a tiny opening, it didn't need stitched, so there isn't much swelling. I am hoping that the antibiotics do their job (she has had cellulitis in the past), and she seems sound, so fingers crossed.

Fiona