Rats munching on horses heels?!

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doris2008

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Ok..my ever accident prone ginger TB lives out at this time of year. He comes in most days with some injury or another. Recently he has been coming in with what I thought were over reaches on front feet. He isn't shod. However they were at a slightly odd angle, slightly more to the side than directly on bulb of heel. Yesterday however he came in with another, but this time on a back foot. I immediately thought someone else had stamped on him this time.
Anyway farrrier turned up to trim and asked what had happened. He said 'I know this sounds silly, but have you thought it could be rats?'!!! I looked at him oddly and thought urghh!! Apparantly a horse he shoes had been having very similar injuries for some time. Vet and owner mistified. Originally thought over reaches too. It turned out after much time spent observing said horse, that rats were coming into his stable and munching on his heels! Apparently rat saliva has anesthetic type properties and horse was just letting them get on with it!!!:eek::eek:
This has got me thinking now. Horse spends time at certain times of day around yard area dozing. We have at times ALOT of rats! Haven't noticed them as much recently however maybe its an option?! They are VERY brazen. Little rat control is in place as there are various dogs and cats wandering around, making placing poison difficult. Farmer doesnt seem overly bothered about sorting.
Is this a totally ludicrous option? Is he just accident prone? Or is it a possibility? Far fetched, but has anyone actually experienced this before?:confused::)
 
Yes! This happened to a horse on my yard many years ago. They chewed the bulb of the heels and seemingly the horse let them :confused:
 
Eww how horrible i hope not, your poor horse. Quite a difficult thing to stop then i guess :( best of luck..x
 
Please be very careful if this is the case, a friends horse went blind after contracting Weil's disease, it is carried in rats urine. The horse had a small cut and was on box rest, we always had rats at the yard and just ignored them until this happened. I am now very careful about rodent control.
 
Jane_Lou said:
Please be very careful if this is the case, a friends horse went blind after contracting Weil's disease, it is carried in rats urine. The horse had a small cut and was on box rest, we always had rats at the yard and just ignored them until this happened. I am now very careful about rodent control.
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Eeeeuggh how awful....but my horse did get a name on one yard as a ratcatcher..everyso often one would be found squished in her stable maybe it had tried and failed!!
 
If this is even a slight possibility I would be putting something on the horses heals. Anything that might deter them. Maybe hoofoil or grease. Anything that would taste bad.
This post really creeped me out!
 
Have cleaned them up well with antiseptic wipes and sprayed lashings of purple spray on. Have a feeling farmer will laugh at me if I suggest it!!
Farrier has offered a friend who will come up and happily sit & shoot them. They are so brazen he could do this in the middle of the day. Thankfully they dont seem to cause a problem with regards to chewing property or feed bins.
Am worried about the Weil's disease thing now. Have known a couple of people who have died from it.:(
I wonder what the best thing would be to put on his heels. Maybe cornucresine? That can't taste good!
 
Have you got a man with a dog to come and play? That is how we used to get rid of rats - cannot abide the things but they would appear from time to time, they loved living between the stacked haylege bales. Urrggghhh. I have heard of them chewing feet, but as others have said, the disease aspect is what would worry me the most. We had a guy with some terrier type dogs who used to come up (before the 'hunting with dogs' act, guess a one dog party is now more appropriate!) and would sort them out. I have to say that I felt the need for a long hack at this point so can't tell you exactly what they did, but no more ratties!
 
It's still legal to hunt rats and rabbits with dogs, so a man with some proper terrierists could be just the thing in this situation - bleurghhhh this post has made me feel quite yucky!
 
Too late to edit - but from Schedule 1 of the Hunting Act 2004:

Rats

3 The hunting of rats is exempt if it takes place on land—

(a) which belongs to the hunter, or

(b) which he has been given permission to use for the purpose by the occupier or, in the case of unoccupied land, by a person to whom it belongs.
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http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2004/ukpga_20040037_en_4#sch1

(I'm at home poorly and bored:o)
 
Never heard of them nibbling horses, but one ate the legs off some day old chicks I had. They also decapitated two. The legless chicks seemed oblivious to their plight, so maybe their saliva does have anaesthtic type properties.

Have also heard of rats chewing off pet rabbits' ears.

I'd try cribbox or similar & put rubber overeach boots on all four feet. I know they could chew those too, but it may be a bit of a deterent.
 
I remember reading some horror stories in history lessons at school about babies being eaten by rats in the Victorian slums:eek:
 
How awful! I must admit I am not overly impressed with the attitude to pest control that the farmer has. I live on a farm and our dogs and cats are all free range. I ALWAYS have all of my bait boxes full of poison all year round and touch wood I've not seen a rat dead or alive for a long while. There is no way that a well fed dog or cat (or wild bird) could get the poison out of the boxes unless they picked it up and shook it at varying angles to get the poison out of the tunnel which is off another tunnel (not very good description!) and onto the ground and then to eat it. My stable cats sit on top of the boxes if they are in the sun and I'm yet to see one stretch it's arm to about 40 cms to contort it into the area where the poison is!! My brother does pest control and if the rats are eating horse feed there is a vit/min which does counteract the poison. Hence it's vital they can't get into the feed room. I know you can't get on top of the rats when your horse is out at grass but within the yard I don't think there are any excuses. I think you should say something to him and if you'd like more info on bait boxes etc I am more than happy to speak to my brother to give you the links. I hope your horses heels heal (no pun intended!) quickly.
 
Ah ok, I have no working knowledge, I haven't lived in the UK since the ban came into effect, just the things I read from time to time about 'man with dogs stopped' etc. etc. Terrier power rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Thanks guys, am really going to have to have a word with him about it. I don't know anyone with terriers, but will ask him again about the man with the gun!!
There is a couple who live in a mobile home on edge of farm who have terriers who get the odd one here and there but they are getting on a abit! My staffy has a go, but makes far too much noise in the process!:D The people in mobile home aren't happy about putting poison down/bait boxes as worried terriers will have a go at getting in them?! Needs further investigation I feel.
In the mean time I think I have some cribox somewhere, so will paint some of that on.
Gosh, I am suprised other people have heard of this, its worrying really. Lets hope there is an innocent explanation. I would definately rather be safe than sorry!
Thanks for the useful advice everyone! :)
 
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