Very proud of my non-horsey OH and a bit of a dilemma

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LynH

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On Tuesday my OH was working from home and his office faces out over the neighbour's field. He came to find me at 10am because he had noticed the 25 yr old pony next door had been lying down since he got up at 7am and it was now struggling to poo and pawing at the ground. He asked me to go check it as he thought it may have colic.
He's never seen a horse with colic or even been around horses very much but he was correct the pony did have colic as well as some cuts and sores from thrashing about but after a couple of frantic hours chasing down the owner and her vet the pony is now back home and doing well. The vet suspected a twisted gut so it was good that we got him out when we did.
We are both relieved my OH noticed something was wrong as his office window is the only one overlooking the field and the pony's owner would not have been back until after dark that evening. I was more surprised that he had actually listened to me over the years to recognise the signs of colic.
Although I did have the pony owner's mobile number she didn't have it on her and wasn't answering, my neighbour who owns the field was on holiday and I was left with the dilemma of what to do with a horse I didn't know, an owner I've only spoken to a few times and no idea who her vet was and if she would mind me calling a vet out. Fortunately some other neighbours helped me find her within a couple of hours but it made me think about what would I have done if I had not been able to contact her at all and the horse had started to get alot worse.
Would you call a vet for a horse you don't own or don't know the owner if it was an emergency? How would you feel if someone called a vet to your horse if they couldn't get hold of you?
 
Yes, I have, & would. It was in a locally rented field, with about 5 others. I have a vague idea of the name of the guy who owns field, but no contact details. And all horses owned by separate owners, a few I recognize by sight but no names etc. A non horsey dog walker came up to our farm saying one had a broken leg, did we know the owner. I went over, leg almost hanging off. Tbh, I just rang my vet first, as they at least know me enough to come out, & are nearest. Whilst waiting I rang a friend & got her to try & track someone down who knew the owner. As it happened, horse wasn't registered at any vets. Vet pts as an immediate welfare issue. By the time we got hold of the owner the horse was covered by a tarpaulin. Owner later thanked me for it, rather than leaving it till I'd got hold of her. Tbh though, I didn't think of the moral dilemma, just that it was in agony, & it wasn't treatable anyway. I've done similar with colic, rang vet before owner, but in that case I knew the owner & that they would want that.
I've also had someone get the vet before ringing me, back before I had a mobile, & my pony had been badly savaged by a dog. I was nothing but grateful.
 
Some vets won't touch anything without the owner being present/having their permission.
E.g. a girl at our yard was on holiday, whilst she was away, horse injured itself (fairly badly) - the vets wouldn't come out and even see the horse, let alone treatment, until they'd spoken to the girl, despite it being her mum who contacted them who also has horses registered there with the same address! :rolleyes: I think this is a bit crazy - good job it wasn't a life threatening injury!
I share two horses and the owner has to ring the vets every time I go to pick medication up before I go to tell them my name etc - every time.
K x
 
Personally I would, and I would hope someone would do so for my horse as well. Although I would always try and get in touch with the owner as well. The probably know their horse better than I do. Well done to your OH!
 
No I wouldnt. If you call the vet, and give the vet authority to come and treat, then you are liable for the bill. The owner has not asked for the service.

However, if it was someone like your parents calling on behalf of a son/daughter, or family, then I do not see it as a problem.

My horse injured itself, but was not life threatening. They operated on my horse, without my permission. They did not try contacting my work/mobile number, or my home number, where my parents would have been contactable. Instead they went straight to YO to ask their permission. The vets didnt even have the decency to ring me when my horse arrived at the veterinary hospital for treatment, the YO rung me.

I then rung the vet to see what was happening, and my horse was being operated on at the time. In this case, and under contract law, the YO should have been responsible for the bill - obviously I didnt do this as they had the horses best interest's at heart.
 
I think if a horse had an obvious injury it would be an easy decision. After this I've given a couple of my neighbours some emergency numbers inc my vet who knows me and my horses well enough to know what treatment I would agree to. Fortunately I'm at home most days so I hadn't given this much thought before this week.
 
every time if I thought it was life or death. Although would make every effort first to find them. Definitely benefits to having your phone number or emergency on the gate!

Well done your OH what a fab man! I hope he got a decent reward ;):D
 
From the above, I have 2 'fall backs'.

1. I have it logged at my vets that if I am unable to be contacted & they need to deal with a serious issue if called out by family or person looking after them if am away, then they have my full permission to PTS or operate to (what is an approx total value - including after care) xyz ££'s, any equine of mine.
This takes away the responsibility of any person caring for mine in having to make a decision, the vet does it instead with my permission.

2. I have - and now adjacent field owners too (none of us live at our yards) a comprehensive list of phone numbers pinned up in the yard - 1 lady next-door-but-1 has hers laminated on her main gate as she has no stables/yard as such.
I list myself & lovely livery (all numbers), 3 family members, 2 horsey friends - better to have 5 calls than none!
Vet & farriers numbers on there too.
Also, all of us locally (was large farm & some of the 100 acres was split into around 8 or 9 yards/fields) have swapped numbers just in case of emergency too.

OP, so good of your OH to have acted on his suspicions :)
 
If it got worse yes i would call a vet.
Potentially risking having to pay the bill myself but uf the horses needs a vet then thats the best thing to do.

Same if it was my horse. If he needed the vet then i would be grateful.
Obviously hoping its not just an over reacting busy body!
 
After reading other responses.

My vets would come out to an unknown horse.
They know me quite well!
If it was a welfare issue im sure most vets would treat the horse even without owner permission.
 
Hats off to your OH, I have my vets number in the barn and asked my vets to attend if asked when I go away, my worry is that my stand in deals with cattle and may take the wait and see stance, I did say, deep cuts, non weight bearing or sweating and going down, please call my vet.
We came home after a nightshift to find his old greyhound lying in the grass outside our front door with a lacerated front leg, I phoned him and he said, give me half an hour, I had to coax the dog to move, even my OH asked if we could get him in the car, long story short, dogs owner wanted to put purple spray on deep open wounds, I gave him non stinging wound spray
 
If the vet wouldn't attend as owner couldn't be contacted you could get the SSPCA or RSPCA to attend urgently and they should have the legal power to get a vet to attend.

Yes I would get the vet and would be grateful if someone did for me.
 
I would definitely call the vet, and within reason, pay the bill, if there was an issue with owner. I'm always broke anyway, due to horses and children, so being down another few bob, just doesn't really make a difference. I'd hate to think that a pony/horse died because I didn't call the vet :(
 
A fellow liveries horse had colic a few years ago. YO insisted it was fine and livery refused to call vet until she had seen it for herself. Even then she ummed and aaahed over it. Vet came and told her that although not showing typical symptoms the horse was, in fact, very ill and he should have been called a couple of hours earlier. Horse made a full recovery.

Then she got a new horse and believe it or not the same thing happened all over again with her refusing to let us call the vet until she had seen horse as it 'was ok when she left' Since she was an hours drive away once again an animal suffered unnecessarily through her attitude. Once again the horse recovered.

But I have often wondered what would have happened if we had just called our vet in. I suspect we would have been landed with both bills.
 
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