Horse breaks leg on hack - would you let local farmer shoot it?

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moneypit1

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My friends horse broke its hind leg on a hack after my young horse kicked out whilst cantering. It was obvioulsy completely broken in half and had speared an artery to boot. I used mobile to phone vet but would be a good 30 mins before vet would arrive as very rural location. Local farmer heard commotion and offered to shoot the mare. I accepted, my friend was hysterical as you can imagine. This happened a couple of years ago but was having discussion today and someone said they would have waited for the vet no matter what. What would you have done?
 
Farmer-without a doubt though I would be sure I was happy with where he planned to shoot it.
 
would have definately let the farmer shoot it, why let the horse suffer and be in pain for another half an hour while waiting on the vet as it is not in the horses best interest for them to be in pain
 
What an awful thing to have to deal with. If an artery was severed also then the horse would've probably bled to death before the vet arrived so it was definitely the correct thing to do.
 
Farmer, defanetly. Leave a horse suffering for 30mins while the vet arrives, no. Infact I would rather ring my ex (a farmer) than a vet to have my horse PTS anyday. He has the tools to do it and is (sadly) very experienced in putting animals to sleep due to the nature of his farming. When he had a vet out once he was actually horrified at the vets inefficentcy and inexperience when it came to doing this.
 
If I was happy that he was competant to do it cleanly and safely, then yes without reservations. However I would have to be certain that he knew what he was doing as it isn't a very easy thing to do, the horses brain is quite small and you have to know the right position and angle to be certain to do it correctly.

Obviously your prime concern has to be to relieve suffering...but think how hideous it would be if he botched it, although with a major arterial bleed it would probably be fairly short.
 
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Farmer yet, without a doubt, every time. With an arterial bleed it is possible that the vet would struggle to PTS with drugs anyway and would elect to shoot if they had the right equipment.
 
What a horrible situation to be in, but I agree with the majority too, I'm afraid.

May I ask what actually happened in the end and did your friendship suffer for it?
 
Farmer every time! What a dreadful thing to happen though. The half an hour (if it made it that long) is a very long time to be bleeding and in pain. Farmer was definatley the better choice.
 
If the farmer knew what he was doing, then I'd let him. Without meaning to be gross if he was using a shotgun the chances are good that the horse would die instantly given the way that the pellets spread out. A close range shotgun is a very dangerous weapon.

I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to you and your friend OP, it sounds like a horrible thing to have happened :(
 
As others have said the mare would have probably bled to death before the vet got there so i would have let the farmer shoot her as you did and end her suffering as quickly as possible.

What a horrible situation to be in, i feel for you
 
Absolutely agree with everyone on this thread. Farmer every time. You did the right thing, what a horrible situation to have to deal with :(
 
I did a post about this a while ago to get people's views on it due to an terrible RTA in our village involving a horse.

I agree, I think you did what was right at the time, as far as insurance goes then perhaps not but thats a seperate issue, if it was me, and based on event that happended in our village, all I'd want to do is end the suffering asap and I would of done the same.
 
The farmer, I can't see any justification for delaying, as the outcome was obvious. A horse near us was involved in RTA when it got out of its field late one evening. As no vets in the area could get there in a reasonable time a local marksman, whose usual job is rabbit shooting did the job.
I have to say I can see no good is rehashing an old decision, which was taken for the good of the animal concerned. People who were not present at the time can have no idea of the stress caused by the situation.
 
I agree with everyone else, would certainly ask the farmer to do it. The less time the horse suffers the better.
My livery yard is also a working dairy farm and I have an agreement with the farmer (YO's husband) that he is to shoot any of mine asap if they were found in the field with a serious break etc. If I am uncontactable he is to just do it, contact me and the vet after. (for insurance purposes a vet can still write a certificate on a serious break after pts as long as its obvious that the animal was not going to recover...its dodgy ground because I believe there have been instances of people pts and then breaking a leg just to claim on insurance but a good vet can tell the difference and if they know you and the horse its unlikely to be an issue....even so I would rather loose the insurance and know my horse suffered as little possible)
 
definitely the farmer. yes there could be a problem with the insurance but i wouldn't think about that i don't think- would just want horse to not be suffering. farmers often shoot poorly animals so i would be confident they would do it properly....
 
I too agree you did the right thing, thats what I would have done for sure. In the time the vet took to arrive he would have more than likely bled to death and that would have been terrible at least this way he didn't suffer.

What happened with you and your friend after?

My horse kicked a friends horse in the chest (shes never kicked before) thankfully there was no damage from the kick but I felt terrible really guilty for ages. My friend (Ally_F) never blamed me and I din't think she whould have if damage had been done - I'd have let her claim on my insurance of cause as it was my mare at fault but accidents do happen.
 
To right I would.
It reminds me off a old mare on a livery yard I use to be at, she wasn't right in the field so me and yo went to take a look. She had a big hernia type thing under her belly which had exploded and bits off her guts were hanging out, as she got up she caught her foot in it and pulled her intestines out quite a lot. I threw up and will never forget it. 4 people sat on her to try and keep her down until the vet arrived which was neally 45 mins latter. The owner wouldn't let the farmer do it so the poor animal suffered until the vet turned up. I think the owner was hoping the vet could do something and put it all back but the poor mare was 33 yrs old and should have been shot by the farmer who had his gun inside.
 
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