Self Harming Horse

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Mavetheravehorsey

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Hi guys,

New to this but had a rubbish week with the horsey this week and looking to see if anyone has had any similar experiences or advice...

Basically my TB keeps self harming her back legs, seems to be doing it to herself in the field primarily due to flies bugging her. She has a fly mask and fly rug on when turned out but everytime I bring her in from the field she has a new cut, seemed to be managing this for a while but this week I brought her in from the field and to find a cut on her inside of her back left hock and her hock swollen up like a balloon. Three days of IV antibiotcs and the swelling has subsided (thankfully no infection in the join) but called vet out again today as still not happy. Vet thinks maybe a possibilty of a chip of bone fragment in the cut so she is now inside with a HUGE bandaged leg that the vet put on feeling sorry for herself and has to go in for xrays and management of the cuts on her legs...nightmare!

To go along with this due to her self harming nature I bought equi turnout chaps to try and prevent the cuts...prevention better than cure...however as she seems to have paperthin skin the boots seem to give her sore legs weven when not applied tightly.

Has anyone had an similar experiences and if so how did you break this cycle. She will be going to the vet hospital tomorrow ready for the xays and the vets want to keep her and manage the cuts to heal but im worried il bring her home and she'll cut herself again and restart the cycle.

Sorry for such a long post, appreciate any advice anyone has!! Vxx
 
I would try taking her hind shoes off at least until the flies have gone! Mine has done a similar thing although not so serious, but has missed three days work due to nasty cut on fetlock and lame! The flies do seem to be really bad this year. Do you think she would do it if she was in during the day? Fingers crossed that the Xrays are clear.
 
Just a thought, and it may be complete rubbish, but does she have any mites or anything in her legs?? My big (and pretty hairy) mare stamps a great deal when she gets them and sometimes catches herself....
 
Thanks for your response, I have thought about taking off her back shoes but my farrier who knew her before I got her says she pretty much goes dog lame when she loses a shoe as she is a wimpy TB!! I know with time her feet could be hardened but Im not sure how long this would take and how sore she would be with them off. Not sure also if the rough edges of her barefoot would still be able to cut her legs as she literally does need the slightest of knocks!! Again thought about keeping her in during the day but just on a small private yard and no other horses are in during the day and she gets stressy in by herself!!

Such a hard decision just dont know what to do for the best!!
 
I am sure that you are already using a decent fly repelant, but have you considered using spot on? While not officially for use on horses it works well, and may help her to not knock herself too much.
 
oh no, i do feel for you, hope that xrays are clear, I have a wimpy TB aswell and going back last year a few weeks after I bought her, everytime I brought her in from the field she would have another cut, and sometimes would have to be kept in, (stressing her as she was in n her own) or swollen legs from galloping round the field like a looney,

I was at my wits end but finally my bad luck came to an end and she was sound and clean for a while, I found out by process of illimination that it was another horse in the field that would wind her up, now that horse has gone she is much better,

you could try using keratex hoof hardner to use on her I found this amazing and farrier has also commented on how well it has worked.
 
Ah the good old TB self destruct button. Mine has one of these too. She is always cutting her legs, her head, in fact anything which pokes out of her rug. Could she stay in during the day when the flys are out and go out after dusk when they've all gone to bed?
 
My TB is as has also a serial self harmer!

His cuts stopped appearing when i got a new farrier (not saying ditch your farrier!) jut that slightly different ways of shoeing can help?
In work we had a TB who always catches herself and their farrier has shod her with shoes that only come 3 quarters of the way to the back of her hoof on the inside- this solved the problem completely.

Another thing- just a thought you say the turn out boots cause problems even though they are not tight- Are they tight enough? If they are not close fitting they will rub as she moves.

Hope you get it sorted! TB's should never have been invented really!
 
aww poor pony hope she gets better soon- talking about self harm, the vet decided my crazy crazy mare is a drug adict because she throws her self at walls!! just standing nice and quietly on the yard at bang head against the wall falls flat on the floor- then colic the afternoon the morning after she had sedatives for her shockwave treatment for a damaged ligament! maybe yours just likes the drugs- or thinks your vets hot :o:p:rolleyes:
 
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