Emergency!
How to keep your cool.
By Rosanne Boettiger |
What would you do if you arrived at the stables one afternoon
to find your horse standing in the paddock with blood running
down his leg? Would you panic, and run around in circles? Would
you faint at the sight of blood? Would you make so much noise
that you'd spook your poor horse and make his injury worse?
Keeping your head during an emergency is something every horse
owner needs to learn and practice. No, it's not easy to ignore
that gash on his chest, or the blood, but it's important to your
safety and the horse's well-being that you remain calm. An injured
horse is more sensitive to how you react, and will shy away if
you are out of control.
Yeah, right, you say. Easier said than done!
Well, here are a couple of ways to help you calm down in an emergency.
First of all, stop and turn around (make sure you are on the
other side of the fence if you have to turn you back on your
horse). Pause a moment while not looking at the injury, and take
three very deep breaths, letting each one out very slowly. Tell
yourself, "I can do this," and believe it.
Most of all, be prepared for emergencies. If you practice with
bandages and wraps before an emergency happens, and realize you
have all the proper supplies on hand, you'll know how to deal
with the situation.
This will help give you the confidence you need to take care
of any problems when they arise.
Once you have pulled yourself together, it's time to take care
of your horse.
First, halter the horse if he is calm enough. I you are worried about
how he might react, have a friend help by holding the lead shank
while you check the injury. If the horse is not willing to be
caught, then try to keep him as quiet as possible, and call the veterinarian.
If the horse will stand quietly, check
the injury. Is it a swollen leg?
A deep or shallow cut? Or is the horse willing to put weight
on one of his feet? All the information you can gather will help
the vet make a quicker assessment of what is wrong. If the horse is calm and able to be
led, move him to a quiet area, preferably a stall.
For a swelling, like a hock or knee, run cold water on the area
while waiting for the vet. For a cut that is bleeding very little
and seems clean of dirt, just leave it alone until the vet arrives.
If the cut is bleeding heavily - that is, the blood is running
from the wound like water- you will have to staunch the flow.
Use whatever you have on hand, but make sure it's clean! The
last thing you want to do is infect the injury by using soiled
materials. Clean gauze, towels, that spare sweatshirt you keep
in the tack room, even disposable diapers and feminine pads are
good to stop the bleeding. Hold the material against the wound
and press firmly. If there is something in the wound, like a
large splinter, remove it first before applying the pressure
dressing.
Be sure to continue to talk quietly to your horse, as he will need your reassurance at this point. If the injury is on the hind
leg, have a helper hold the horse, even if they have to hold
up a front leg to keep the others on the ground. Enlist the help
of an adult if the situation appears dangerous; you don't want
to get injured too. If the injury is on the hind leg and the
horse is not co-operating, you may just have to leave him alone
and wait for the vet, who may have to administer a tranquilizer
to be able to treat the hose.
What if your horse is stuck in the fence, or cast in his stall
when you arrive? What then?
First of all, do not panic. Horses are flight animals. That means
they will continue to fight until they are free, and any extra
noise you make will make the horse fight harder. Some clever
horses will figure out they are stuck, and will wait quietly
for someone to free them.
If your horse is cast or stuck, you will definitely need some
help to free him. You may not want to leave him to find help,
but in the long run, it is in the best interests of the horse
to have an extra pair of hands.
If your horse is struggling in the fence, you may have to twitch
him to make him stand still long enough to free him. Just be
sure to stay clear of any flailing feet.
Fence cutters are a must for any emergency it if you keep your
horse in a field with wire fences. Work as quickly as possible,
constantly talking calmly to the horse. Cut the fence around
the entire limb, and make the hole much bigger than you think
you'll need. Then allow the horse to pull it free.
More than likely, this event will result in a cut, so be sure
to call your vet. This is why it's a good idea to make sure your
horse's tetanus vaccinations are always up to date, as well.
If there are no cuts, the horse will have to be checked for strains
and sprains.
Okay, so maybe you've arrived at your horse's stall to find him
cast. Now what? (Cast is a term used when a horse has rolled
over in his stall and is trapped too close to the wall to be
able to get up.) This is definitely not a job for an amateur!
Get an adult that is experienced in equine care to help. Sometimes,
the horse can be rolled back over, or his hind end can be pulled
far enough away from the wall to allow him to get his footing.
Once your horse is on his feet again, check him carefully for
injuries.
Suppose you are waiting for the vet to arrive. You will need
to have some information for him or her. If you can get your
horse's temperature. This is done by carefully inserting an equine
rectal thermometer, lubricated with a bit of petroleum jelly,
and leaving it for a minute. There should be a string and clip
attached to the end, so that you can secure it to the horse's
tail. Again, it is advisable to let an adult hanke this procedure.
Average temperature should be between 99 and 100.5 degrees F.
Write your findings down, along with the time.
Check your horse's respiration and pulse. To check respiration,
watch his sides as he breathes. Twelve to 18 breaths per minute
are normal for a resting horse. To check his pulse, find the
large artery that cross the lower jaw bone, or better still,
use a stethoscope, placing the "bell" firmly into the
horse's left armpit. To take count for 10 seconds, and multiply
by six to get the beats per minute. Normal for a resting horse
is 32 - 44 beats per minute.
The last thing you should know before your vet arrives is your
horse's immunization record. Are all his shots up to date?
Repeat taking the horse's vital signs if more than 20 minutes
has passed. Armed with all this information, your vet should
be able to make a quick diagnosis, especially if there have been
major changes since you first came upon our injured animal.
Remember - staying calm in an emergency could save your horse's
life.
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--be prepared for emergencies.
If you practice with bandages and wraps before an emergency happens,
and realize you have all the proper supplies on hand, you'll
know how to deal with the situation.
This will help give you the confidence you need to take care
of any problems when they arise.
1.halter
the horse
2.call the vet
3.Assess the injury
4.move
to a quiet area, preferably a stall(if
possible)
5.Presure bandage heavy bleeding
(clean-first}
6.Get help to control the horse if stuck in fence
or cast
7.Reassure your horse
8.Give your vet a currentpulse/resperation/and
tempature when he arrives.
Remember! stay calm |
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