The Reason I Dislike Post & Rail

Tia

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... and why we are gradually replacing all post and rail on our farm with safe vinyl fencing; just can't get the darned stuff up quick enough.
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The mare broke a 6x2 rail and then climbed over the 2 rails below it, catching her hind leg in between the bottom rail and the next one up. Unfortunately as per usual vet is hours away, so the skin which could probably have been stitched back in place again, will be dead before he arrives. I can't strap it up as too painful for her at the moment, so skin is just flopping around right now.

Horses eh? If it's not one thing, it's another.
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BigRed

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Sorry, I think post and rail is good, safe fencing, I don't know why you think vinyl will be safer, that is a horrible injury. Surely there must be another vet you can get in, My own vet has 3 vets in the practise, if they were all away, I would just call another group.
 

TPO

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Guess there are pros and cons with everything. Certainly reading the literature in the american magazines I get the vinyl fencing gets very good reviews and looks the bees knees.

Don't know what to say other than wish your horse a speedy recovery and hope the vet gets to you as soon as he can. Imagine it's a bit tricky with snow you have out your way.
 

sikaran

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Tia thats awful. Fingers crossed your mare makes a full recovery. Having seen horses impale themselves on broken post and rail fencing, I don't think its as safe as people think.
 

Tia

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[ QUOTE ]
I don't know why you think vinyl will be safer,

[/ QUOTE ]
Well that might possibly be because I thoroughly researched vinyl fencing before we started to refence our whole farm 2 years ago with it (about 75% done now) I found absolutely no fatalities to any horse recorded at that time; unlike post and rail with many fatalities. That and the fact that I have had not one injury with the vinyl fencing in the 2 years we've had it
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, unlike with the post and rail fencing.

[ QUOTE ]
My own vet has 3 vets in the practise, if they were all away, I would just call another group.

[/ QUOTE ]
Lucky you. I guess you don't live in rural Canada where you have to do things for yourself when your vet is 4 hours away ... and that's on a good day; normally when things like this happen, he is 3,500 miles away
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Tia

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She will make a full recovery I'm sure. Just a nuisance really. I wouldn't be that bothered about it if it wasn't for that stupid bit of flappy skin, but I can't cut it off so it's going to have to dangle there until vet manages to get here. I've given her a shot to take the edge off the pain, so have just left her in the main corral where I can see her. Will go back out in a little while and see what can be done till vet gets here. The blood flow has ceased and it has clotted nicely, so flap will have to go, which will mean much slower healing time and a large scar to deal with for a few months unfortunately.

Roads are fine here at the moment; vet is just away on another emergency call, so have to sit tight till he arrives. The mare will be fine - temperatures are low right now so chance of infection is slim. She'll obviously have Penicillin just to be on the safe side.
 

Tia

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They wouldn't work in this instance unfortunately. I was planning to use Animalintex as padding to hold the skin back in place and then vetrap it, but then I started to think that may not be a good idea as the skin would likely still be almost dead by the time he got here and would create separate problems, so I've just left it. Again, there's a problem with putting anything on it as it's too cold outside to wash it off, so could be a pain in the butt when he gets here and wants to do something else with the dry skin surrounding it.

As the hours are going by, I know what will have to happen now so am just biding my time till that flap can be cut off. One of my youngsters had a far worse injury 2 years ago when my vet was in Europe so couldn't help. I managed just fine and he healed up no problems, so I'm not concerned about it. Opps vets here!! Gotta go
 

blackcob

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Ouch, what a nasty-looking injury. I suspect it's not really that bad, in the grand scheme of things, just looks more horrific for having the dangling flap of skin!
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My first thought was that it might be best to bandage the skin back over the wound to keep it moist and fresh for stitching, but as you say, it would probably be dead by the time the vet reached you anyway - and I would not like the job of holding the mare's leg up to bandage it.
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Hoping she has a speedy recovery.
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I've never before considered post and rail as potentially dangerous, in the face of such obvious hazards as barbed wire and such. I'd be curious to read more about the vinyl fencing.
 
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Donkeymad

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Nasty wound Tia, you will be glad when you have got 100% vinyl fencing up. Good luck.
 

Angelbones

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Oh cripes that looks awful...I know I'd panic totally if that was my horse and I'd be expecting the worse so well done you for keeping what sounds like a level head. I wish your horse all the best for a speedy recovery and the vinyl fencing sounds like a great idea (shame I can't follow suit). Fingers crossed for a good outcome all round.
 

Tia

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Well vet has just left - boy he's good!
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The temperature helped us immensely in that, believe it or not, the skin was still alive with blood pumping through it when, he arrived. Sedated her, shaved the hair off and took it from there really. We started off both thinking there was no way it could be stitched as there was a little bit of shrinkage ... however after doing all the prep work, it seemed to rejuvenate itself, so we both decided that he should go for it and try to stitch it. It worked and there was enough skin to cover all of the wound except for the top part which he cut off. He's very hopeful that it will take, and any of you who follow any of my vet threads, will know that if he says he's hopeful then he is always right (or he has been so far).

He did a wonderful job of stitching it and so long as she stays quiet and doesn't run around, then it should knit together. I should know in a couple of days whether it is going to be successful - I felt it was worth a shot in trying, and if it doesn't, oh well, we'll just take a different tack. Vet is off to the States in a couple of days and won't be back for 2 weeks, so fingers crossed all ticks along swimmingly.
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Anyhow, here's the photo diary. Prepping the area;

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First couple of stitches at the top to hold it in place;

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And the final job - complete with buttons to take the strain off the stitches and stop the skin from being sheared.

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Oh and edited to add; vet was called out to exactly the same wound on Monday; happened the same way, horse caught in post and rail. Unfortunately he wasn't able to stitch as skin had become frozen and he wasn't able to revive it in any way, so horse will have a bit of a slower recovery; will be more comparable to one of our little guys who had a similar injury last year. His has totally healed up now and you can barely see a mark at all.
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eekmon

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OOh Ive just eaten a pepperoni pizza too !!

That
looks a good job, hope all goes well for the mare , at least the cold worked in your favour !!
 
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Donkeymad

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Is your vet a tailor too?
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Pleased to hear (and see) that most of the flap was retained. keep us updated please
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tabithakat64

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Poor horse, I would be interested to see any links you have for vinyl fencing, I know someone who has some sort of plastic post and rail fencing and also plastic wood effect loose boxes.
 

k9h

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Am sorry but PMSL at the buttons! I would never of thought to use them!!

Hoping she has a speedy recovery, hopefully the cold spell will assist her & you!

Had a horse years ago spike himself in the chest witha post, made a right mess but he healed up fine in the end. No scar what so ever.
 

ajf

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Poor pony but your vets done a great job.
My chap did something similar last year and was stitched but the stitching all pulled out so the buttons sound really clever to me. Will mention them to my vet on my horses next update.
 

Tia

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Thanks for you your well wishes for her.

yes I have to admit I was chuckling when he brought the buttons out
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. I asked him if he was going to button her back together ... and if he had been a dressmaker in his previous life
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. Blooming ingenious idea if you ask me
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. Having seen so many stitches being pulled through the skin, I've often thought what a good idea some firm cotton patches would be, but buttons, being plastic and non-sticky are a really clever idea ... even if they do look a bit silly.
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anyhow, for those interested in vinyl fencing; it's actually some polypropelene type stuff. 3 strands of high tensile wire running through it and no sharp edges, can't break - stops elephants, quite literally.

Here's mine;

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It's made by Centaur fencing in the States, however I believe Gone To France on here found a link to a British company who makes it.
 

nic85

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Sorry but I also luaghed when i saw the Buttons!! I have never seen or heard that used before and think your vet is cracking!! Get well soon Hoss and I like the Vinyl fencing...does it come in different colours?
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kerilli

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i hate post and rail too.
i heard of a young tb at a race stud which galloped straight through 5- rail new post and rail, fine, galloped around neighbouring field, then decided to try to return through the gap he'd made... he didn't survive.
p&r is not strong enough for horses. simple. it took a cattle farmer telling me this before the penny finally dropped.
i use Electric tape (Fieldguard is the only one i trust).
have also used Bayco in the past with success. the only horse that got to the other side, in about 10 years, was totally unscathed.
i think Studrail looks very good too.
very tidy job by vet, really hope horse recovers quickly.
 

Theresa_F

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Hope she heals as well as all the rest of yours have. I have seen as nearly as many and as horrible wounds from wooden fences as I have wire ones. I put an electric inner round our post and rail - though more to keep fat clydesdale backsides off it as it is so frail now.
 
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