Kicked in the ribs...

[EquestrianFairy]

Horse not human.

My horse was kicked today just behind the girth under his flank at short range and the noise was horrendous.

My horse seemed in shock but aside from that acted like nothing had happened however the swelling was instant.

I rang my vet who said to cold hose and if he isn't distressed then to turnout and have him xrayed on Monday.

He seems remarkably calm considering he is a firey horse- he let me cold hose it and then went into the field to roll and went to graze.
- if he had fractured his rib surely he would be showing some type of pain or something? Does anyone have any experience in stuff like this?

Thanks

 

[windand rain]

If he rolled and got up easily I would think it is just bruising if happy as usual then that too would indicate he is ok. If he is moving badly or standing looking mserable if thats not his usual disposition then get it checked more quickly. I say that as one of mine permanently stand head hanging looking a picture of misery. her nickname is Eeyore

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Aside from being a tad quiet he's acting as normal, had a nice loooong roll and got up as normal and trotted off up the field.

How he's not broken anything is a miracle it made a massive 'crack'

 

[Equi]

watch he doesnt roll too much, stomach pain to a horse will make them roll, so i assume the same could be said for other pain. hopefully it will just be a scratch.

 

[{97702}]

I got doubled barrelled at close range by my horse with shoes on - spectacular bruising but no broken bones Hopefully your boy will be the same, but he will be sore as I am sure you realise

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Thankyou all, this is positive!
I'm getting him xrayed anyway because I don't like the 'not knowing' but hopefully it will be a few days off to let the bruise heal and no long term issues.

I felt so awful for him, he wasn't in the way- the horse ran backwards to get him, it just missed my leg!

 

[Equi]

If swollen xrays wont work so the waiting is a good thing really. Not much one can do about broken ribs in either humans or horses, but as you say piece of mind is paramount.

 

[Sammie1985]

Definitely get him x rayed, horror story currently happening at my yard, horse kicked in the ribs 6 weeks ago, vet called and they wouldn't come out as unlikely a horse can break his ribs, told to Bute and box rest for a week, two weeks on swelling went down so vet called again and still wouldn't come out and said to start exercise, 6 weeks after initial kick horse got colic, ended up having emergency colic op and turns out the kick had broken 2 ribs and made a hole in his diaphragm which the gut had got through and died causing the colic, he is now going back in on Monday to have the hole repaired as couldn't be done at the same point of the colic surgery, point I am making is trust your instincts, at no point did the horse show any sign of pain, worse as the insurance won't pay out on the 2nd op as they say it's linked to the colic surgery :-(

 

[Velcrobum]

Thankyou all, this is positive!
I'm getting him xrayed anyway because I don't like the 'not knowing' but hopefully it will be a few days off to let the bruise heal and no long term issues.

I felt so awful for him, he wasn't in the way- the horse ran backwards to get him, it just missed my leg!

Hope everyone is now aware of the other horses behaviour so a similar situation does not occur to another horse/person.

 

[Dave's Mam]

A kick in the chest can sound incredibly loud as the chest cavity acts as an amplifier. Think of a drum.