getting cast

[digitalangel]

My gelding is on box rest at the moment with a fetlock issue and managed to get himself cast last night. He was down for around 20-30 minutes and was assisted with lunge reins to roll him over. His leg was checked and rebandaged there was no sign of worsening of the swelling he had at that point.

He managed to take a good few chunks out of the stable wall ( concrete ) in the process.

His banks and bed are good size, hes a part livery.

Im debating wether to call the vet, as im worried with the force of kicking the wall, hes made his injury worse.

Any advice/suggestions gratefully appreciated. Never had a horse cast before and his stable is massive so a bit confused as to what to do.

 

[penky]

I have had a horse with spasmodic colic and we put full bales of straw round the stable wall to act as bankings it worked a treat

 

[Nailed]

Personally i wouldnt call the vet, Id probabaly give him an extra bute if i thought he may have hurt himself. And id give him a day for anythign to come out.

Lou x

 

[Birker2020]

My horse has got cast about three times in the four and a half years he's been at his present yard. He is 17.1hh and although our stables are massive (14ft x 12ft) he still manages it despite having 2ft 6" banks of solid shavings around the walls. I have even seen a pony cast against a single solitary oak tree in the middle of a 12 acre field so the size of your stable has really nothing to do with it!

If you are really worried you could always buy an anticast roller for him, but I don't think these prevent cast horses 100%.

 

[digitalangel]

thank you for all your help and suggestions! im sure i am just worrying too much but i dont want his injury to get worse.

Ill see what it is like tonight.

thank you so much again

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Don't want to worry you DA but if it was me I'd watch him carefully for a bit. If getting cast is unusual for him, he might have been thrashing around in his stable for some secondary reason. Has he had to have a significant change of feed while box resting? Is he coping with it ok? I'd be thinking ???? colicky symptoms???? Just a thought hun as a few years back a friend of mine had a stunning strawberry roan gelding that (poor lad) spent 95% of his time stuck in his stable, usually on his own while all his mates went out and often for days at a time. He got himself cast several times over a period of a few weeks and finally he had a massive colic attack that was operated on but sadly he didn't survive. It is suspected that he'd been having stress attacks for weeks before and had got cast while rolling about.

 

[kellyeaton]

call vet if it will put your mind at rest maybe try a anti cast roller as well!

 

[digitalangel]

Box of frogs - yes that definitely crossed my mind but he loves being in and is the perfect gentleman on box rest. no signs of colic thank god but will be keeping a close eye on him!

 

[f_s_]

Don't know if this will help but, I have a mare that was always getting cast. Someone suggested I take the banks out and have a flat bed as often with large banks horses can't get their feet to the floor and therefore get cast. Now I only put her in on a flat bed and since then she has never been cast. Just a suggestion

 

[doris2008]

Someone once told me the bigger the stable, the more likely a horse is to get cast as they arent as careful when they lie down - thinking they have lots of room. Unsure how accurate this is!
However my TB has a 15 x 15 stable & has been cast a couple of times over the last few years.

TBH I would just keep an eye on him, if it happens again then I would think about it a little more, but it may just be a one off & he has misjudged his surroundings!

If there is no sign he has damaged himself further I wouldnt worry. Obviously have a chat with your vet if you think there is a problem.