Post by Calaminty Jane on Dec 12, 2012 17:29:19 GMT -5
Is there anything you can do if your horse becomes lame while trail riding to help him back to the barn or trailer? Thank you! Jan (ACTHA Member)
From Ask the vet in the ACTHA news letter
Nothing can ruin a lovely afternoon trail ride faster than having your horse come up lame. There are several steps you can take to hopefully prevent or deal with an acute lameness that occurs during a ride. If your horse suddenly comes up lame on a ride, stop and inspect its feet and limbs. Most lameness that occur are localized to the foot so making sure that your horse has appropriate foot protection in the form of shoes or boots if you will be riding on rough or rocky terrain is important. I also always like to carry a hoof pick with me when out on the trails; they are small and can easily be tied to a saddle or belt. Often times checking your horses feet for a rock or some type of foreign material will fix the problem. If you don’t see any obvious cause of lameness in the hooves look for any heat, swelling or injuries on the limbs (lacerations, thorns etc.) If your horse is only lame at the faster gaits (i.e. trot or canter) than it is probably ok to ride your horse back to your barn or trailer at a slow walk. If your horse is lame at the walk, or becomes non weight bearing than it is safer to dismount and try and send for help. If riding with a group, sending someone back to get a trailer or calling for someone on a cell phone is often helpful so that your horse has to move as little as possible. I also like to keep a tube of bute paste (Phenylbutazone, 2 grams for a 1000 lbs horse) in my trailer so that I can administer something for pain if you have a longer trailer ride to the vet’s office. It is never a good idea to administer bute and keep riding, often times that can mask pain and horses will further injure themselves making minor injuries into major ones.
Dr. Wilson is a native of Dripping Springs, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in the Spring of 2010. She has particular interests in lameness, internal medicine and surgery. She is member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association.
From Ask the vet in the ACTHA news letter
Nothing can ruin a lovely afternoon trail ride faster than having your horse come up lame. There are several steps you can take to hopefully prevent or deal with an acute lameness that occurs during a ride. If your horse suddenly comes up lame on a ride, stop and inspect its feet and limbs. Most lameness that occur are localized to the foot so making sure that your horse has appropriate foot protection in the form of shoes or boots if you will be riding on rough or rocky terrain is important. I also always like to carry a hoof pick with me when out on the trails; they are small and can easily be tied to a saddle or belt. Often times checking your horses feet for a rock or some type of foreign material will fix the problem. If you don’t see any obvious cause of lameness in the hooves look for any heat, swelling or injuries on the limbs (lacerations, thorns etc.) If your horse is only lame at the faster gaits (i.e. trot or canter) than it is probably ok to ride your horse back to your barn or trailer at a slow walk. If your horse is lame at the walk, or becomes non weight bearing than it is safer to dismount and try and send for help. If riding with a group, sending someone back to get a trailer or calling for someone on a cell phone is often helpful so that your horse has to move as little as possible. I also like to keep a tube of bute paste (Phenylbutazone, 2 grams for a 1000 lbs horse) in my trailer so that I can administer something for pain if you have a longer trailer ride to the vet’s office. It is never a good idea to administer bute and keep riding, often times that can mask pain and horses will further injure themselves making minor injuries into major ones.
Dr. Wilson is a native of Dripping Springs, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and obtained her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in the Spring of 2010. She has particular interests in lameness, internal medicine and surgery. She is member of the American Association of Equine Practitioners and the American Veterinary Medical Association.