Well its been a horrific evening

[Babyblue]

The farmers horse got lose, ran in our yard, then into the barn. Bit the crap out of my horse, smashed part of a wall, which my older horse backed into and gouged a several inch deep gash in his bum. Then proceeded to knock over the hay bail and shavings pile.

My horse dan is going to have a huge scar on his ass and weeks of pain, swelling and oozing out of the giant puncture/tear wound. There are some sutures to hold a flap down, but the rest is open so it can drain. And he is going to be confined to stall rest for at least 4 weeks, until the sutures are out. He get pain relievers for a week and antibiotics twice a day for the next 15 days.

On top of a close to 500 dollar vet bill we need to rebuild a dividing wall and get all new angle iron. I can see this easily getting super expensive. All for nothing, we did nothing wrong and our horses did nothing wrong except stand in their cozy stalls waiting for dinner.

[MrsKitty]

That sounds horrible, but shouldn't your neighbors be responsible for the damages their horse did???

[Peeka2]

I agree. Soundn't your neighbor be responsible for the bills? I am sorry that happened!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Babyblue]

this is the same person who lets us use the pasture free of charge to us, when he could be asking us for thousands of dollars a year. this is also the same farmer who calls dh to see when he needs to get to work during a snowstorm, just so he can bring the backhoe over to plow the lane.

the farmer is a great guy, his horse is just a lunatic. The mare is ok around people, but sees another horse and goes kujoe on it.

dh and I rent the house, the farmer rents the land. The relationship between the farmer and fil is strained, fil raised the rent on the land and the farmer didn't appreciate it. And yet the farmer still lets us use the pasture he pays good money for free of charge. It is his fault, his animal did the damage, but he has also been really great to dh and I and helped us out when he didn't have to. so it feels kinda crappy to have him pay. also dh is afraid if we hand his a huge bill that he will no longer allow us to use the pasture.

[JudyJudyJudy]

I'm changing my post after reading yours. I understand why you aren't asking him to pay.

[JudyJudyJudy]

I'm sorry for all you're dealing with, though.

[Sadalsuud]

Man, that really sucks. Your poor horse. I wouldn't want to get bitten by a horse, I don't even like to hand feed them! Them teeth really make me nervous.

I understand why you can't really ask him to help out. If your dh has to rebuild the wall, do you think maybe the farmer would help? That way, even if you are stuck with the bills, you aren't entirely stuck with all the repairs also?

[Camille]

Ugh. That's a tough situation. I'm sorry your horse got hurt. He's gonna be okay though, right?

[Peeka2]

Oh man, yea I get it. :(

[Babyblue]

dh does not want to even tell the farmer that the horse is hurt or that the wall got damaged, because he thinks that the farmer will want to pay for it. there was already a brand new bag of grain out by the barn (farmers mare knocked over the feed bin and ate some)

[EvilAmy]

Sounds like your farmer is a mighty nice guy. Sorry that the horse is such an idiot.

[Amy_G_]

You don't want to keep it a secret either, cause if it comes out the farmer will know you kept it a secret because you didn't want to compromise the relationship. but if he finds out, it will compromise the relationship anyway IMHO. I'd mention it in passing, that his mare freaked out and saw your horse and attacked. mention that he needs to keep a closer eye on her, or change how he secures her stall or something cause you are worried she'll end up in the road or something. He'll ask if she did any damage and you can just say not really, but if he has any time to help you repair the wall that would be great. mention if he needs help figuring out how to secure the mare you'd be glad to come over and help. keep it very friendly.

[Justicedog]

You don't want to keep it a secret either, cause if it comes out the farmer will know you kept it a secret because you didn't want to compromise the relationship. but if he finds out, it will compromise the relationship anyway IMHO. I'd mention it in passing, that his mare freaked out and saw your horse and attacked. mention that he needs to keep a closer eye on her, or change how he secures her stall or something cause you are worried she'll end up in the road or something. He'll ask if she did any damage and you can just say not really, but if he has any time to help you repair the wall that would be great. mention if he needs help figuring out how to secure the mare you'd be glad to come over and help. keep it very friendly.


I agree. If something of mine caused a friend damage, I'd want to make it right. If you're not going to press the issue, it's his choice as to whether he wants to reimburse you for the loss his horse caused. I think I'd start by offering to brainstorm with him as to ways to preven it from happening again because you're horse is out for weeks, will be in pain, you're out about $1K (or whatever) and you don't want to have to deal with that again. He seems like a good guy. Good guys would feel bad if you didn't tell him. It may not be all that big of a deal to him if all he knows is that his horse ate some of your food. But since that's not all, he may make bigger efforts to confine his beast.

If the situation was reversed, wouldn't you like to know?

[Babyblue]

he will most likely ask how our horses are, and I wont lie or anything. his mare managed to kick a 14 foot gate off its hinges, thats how she got lose.

[MiMi_of_4]

(((((Babyblue))))) You need to take a nice long bath by candlelight!

[tata]

Wonderful farmer-neighbor. Stupid horse.

Tough situation. I agree with Amy and Justice.

Best wishes. Hope today is better than yesterday.

[Tweet]

That sucks :(

I also agree with Amy and Justice .

[Babyblue]

Dan, the injured horse is colicing badly right now. getting attacked, his bum ripped open, stitched up and the pain meds and antibiotics have recked havoc on his small intestines, I am really praying that he makes it because it looks pretty bad right now. He has never coliced in 19 years but apparently this was enough trauma and stress to do it.

[Justicedog]

I'm so sorry for you. I hope he'll make it.

[Amy_G_]

oh man,
hope the vet is out there for ya.
hard to keep him moving, eating and drinking if he's hurting too badly to move.
hugs and prayers for your horsey.

[Babyblue]

dan is holding steady for the moment. the vet was out, he got meds, he got tubed, a rectal exam and u/s. no tumors, twists or blockages. his small intestine is irritated and will not allow food and fluids into the large intestine. dan kept eating and drinking until his belly got full and uncomfortable, hence the colic. he actually started to reflux on his own, which I have never ever seen a horse do and it scared the hell out of me.

dh and I are checking on him every two hours. the major worry right now is dan not drinking, and what he does drink the irritation not going down and not allowing him to absorb water and thus becoming dehydrated. though the vet said he wont be thirsty at first then he could get extremely thirsty all at once and we should not let him binge drink because that could cause more refluxing. so its small drinks every two hours.

his pulse, temp and cap refill are all back to perfect. he took a sip of water the last time we checked on him and he peed. he has passed gas but no poop yet. we are praying that he will be ok, and also praying that he wont need to go to the vets clinic for iv therapy, because that will cost us thousands... on top of what we have already spent.

I have had dan for 13 years, I hadn't though we would ever have to worry about life and death illness for a few more years yet, its so sad.

[jessiehannan]

:hug: I hope Dan will be ok.

[Amy_G_]

keep trying to get him to drink, he'll be fine without food if he doesn't want to eat for a while if he was tubed. poop would be an excellent sign. Can you walk him at all, or does it hurt too much? walking always makes em want to eat and poop, eh?

[Babyblue]

he has peed several times, pooped once, drank amost 7 gallons of water spread out threw the night and has had two small handfulls of soaked hay. I think hes going to be ok, I am just going to be very very careful with him for a while.


he is no longer getting oral antibiotics or painkillers, it would just upset his gut again. but the vet didnt want to put him on injectable antibiotics, because she said the injections would make him sore. hes already sore, and I would prefer sore over massive infection. I think its foolish to have a huge gouge in his ass and not get some sort of antibiotics in him. I am called her back later today to update and tell her that he needs them even if he gets sore or not.

[JustMoi]

Would a topical antibiotic do him any good?

[Justicedog]

Would a topical antibiotic do him any good?


Yeah, like a really big tube of neosporin?

[Babyblue]

on the raw edges of the wound yes, as lare tears on such a flexiable part of his body cant always be stitched back perfectly without ripping open when he moves. what I am most worried about antibiotic wise is the 4 inch deep puncture wound in the middle.

[Amy_G_]

I would think they'd give him a shot of antibiotic that should last a couple days, then give you the meds to give him another shot or two after that if you can handle giving shots that is.

the puncture wound needs to stay open to drain and keep the infection out.

poor horse give him some apples or carrots.

Oh and I've actually given my horse plain yogurt when her tummy hurt and she refused to eat after taking tons of antibiotics for EPM. the vet laughed at me, but she started eating again after that.

[Tweet]

Aww, poor Dan. That makes me tear up, BB. I hope he will be ok. I bet it just hurts so bad to see him like that :(

[Babyblue]

dan is still eating drinking pooping peeing and farting. so his gut seems to be working itself out. Im going back and forth with the vets office on the phone. I do not understand WHY she does not want him to be on some form of antibiotics. yes he will be sore, sore is better then dead. if he gets a massive infection or turns septic dh and I do not have the money to save his life. we just dont have it, our whole tax refund is gone and it may have even eaten into part of our savings.

the vet is getting on my nerves bad. my mother researched the antibiotics that he got oraly...which the vet said was not what caused the colic. and low and behold the most common side affect is colic. his bum hurts, it is swelling, draining and it takes all of dans patience to not jump or kick at me when I have to dab the oozing up. the vet called back and left a message (was changing ds's diaper) that I could give him a gram of bute orally or pick up some banamine and give him that, but no antibiotics. I feel like I am pounding my head into a wall. I am terrified to give him anything orally, and bute is well known to aggravate the gut. I guess the injectable painkiller/anti inflammatory would be better then nothing.

[Amy_G_]

Can you call another vet for a secong opinion?
I know that's gonna cost $ but maybe not cost as much as a sick horse with an infected butt.

[Amy_G_]

I would take a huge syringe or a water bottle with a squirt top and squirt off any oozing with warm water with a little salt added to try to keep it clean and the warm water will help with healing. I'd do that numerous times a day.

You don't want to put neosporin on the outside of the puncture wound, because it sometimes gets the wound to heal on the outside before the inside heals and then it never heals right. it has to stay open to drain until the inside heals right.

[Amy_G_]

and one more thing!

Is your horse up to date on his tetanus?

[Babyblue]

his tetanus was due in april, he got a booster the night he got hurt. the vet is very adamint about him not getting antibiotics because she thinks he might be allergic or reactionary to any type of antibiotic. I am going to call his former owner and ask her.

[Amy_G_]

It is very likely that he colicked because of the stress and pain.
and if his pain isn't controlled, he may colic again.
the antibiotics may have contributed, but unless she gave him too much antibiotics orally?
did she give him a shot of antibiotic that night?
maybe ask the farmer if he has a different vet that he uses that he could recommend for a second opinion?

[Babyblue]

called the vet, and called and talked to the other vet in the practice. both wanted me to give him one gram of bute for the pain. fine, he has had bute his whole life he should be ok. I gave him 1 gram at around 7 after his hay and he is still fine. he did not get a antibiotic shot at all. the vet will not give him shots of antibiotics unless there is a deffinate infection, which right now there is not.

if after a day or two of no adverse reaction to the bute would you start him on the oral antibiotics again? if the pain and stress was the most likely reason he did colic.

[Amy_G_]

do you have the bottle of antibiotics?
or do you have to get more from the vet?

I would proceed very cautiously, and check temperature and respiration and look for excessive heat, swelling or oozing to indicate an infection.

I'm not sure if I would do the antibiotics or not. what I picture in my head when you describe the wounds, I think I would, but given with food and on a different schedule than the bute. but what I picture in my head may be totally different than what you are dealing with, and my answer in person might be totally different. kwim?

I would try to talk to a vet that is not in the same practice. I changed vets before over something like this with good results. but I can't tell you what to do for sure, it's not my horse.

[Babyblue]

Ive still got 15 days worth of antibiotics. and if I despretly need it I can get injectable stuff from the vet. his temp, pulse and breathing are prefect. the wound does drain, about 1-2 inches of dried on crust that I clean off. it looks pretty good acutaly, perhaps its just me seeing what it looked like before it was cleaned and stitched is what makes me worry.

I talked to his former breeder, her and I are friends and she cant remember dan ever colicing or having a reaction to meds. she is even positive he has had the same antibiotics when he got gelded.

tomorrow I will find another vet and call for a different opinion. also if dan tollerates a day or two of bute given with food I think I could be ok giving the antibiotics I have, with food and at a differnt time then the bute.

[Babyblue]

dan is doing better, no signs of infection and the wound is doing very well. minimal drainage and virtualy no swelling. dan is not please to have me cleaning the raw edges, but oh well.

dh finished rebuliding the wall and upgraded the stalls a bit, no more exposed wood anywhere its all covered in angle iron-horses love to chew on fresh plywood. my mother bought dan a stall toy because he is going to be bored for the next three weeks. he cant leave the stall other then for hand grazing untill the stitches are out. the mare is getting bored, I need to actualy spend some time with just her, instead of throwing in her food and water and paying so much attention to dan.

ds adores going out to he barn to help dh and I. he is growing and learning new words and phrases every day. the latest is "DAN HOLD STILL" lol. ds loves our young mare most of all. she is always interested in ds bumbling around the barn and holds her head so very low and still for ds to pet her.

[Amy_G_]

Glad to hear Dan is doing better!!