So horses can lay down, correct? I mean I have seen horses lay down and get back up. So why must a broken leg be a death sentence?

Recent thread about the member who had to put one of his down made me think of this again.

I have ridden but do not know much about the care and feeding and this is one of those things that pops up in my head from time to time and I forget about it.

Thanks all,
Chris

If you look at Arties 2nd post in the other thread, he explains it. I did not know why either. But Im sure Arty knows what he is talking about.

https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/6390000854

quote:

Originally posted by PeteF:
If you look at Arties 2nd post in the other thread, he explains it.

His advisement below:


"A broken leg is a death sentence. They must stand. If they can't stand, they can't eat, drink or breath, and they die. Even for the most expensive race horses, where 24 hour care would be affordable, there is no survival."

Several things.
Besides what Art mentions.

One, on the bottom a horse's hoof is a soft pad shaped like an arrow in the center (frog), and the hoof "nail" the "C" shape that surrounds the lower hoof.

The frog acts as a "pump" and helps push blood back up from the lower leg.

If the leg is broken, both circulation can be affected by the swelling and the fact that the horse cannot put pressure on the hoof and the frog.

So, a lame horse will suffer an agonizing and slow demise.

Some may recall Barbaro (race horse, broken leg) and the efforts that were tried, in vain, to save him.

Considerable time, expense and many folks involved.

A typical horse owner would not have access to the money or resources and even if they did, it is a very steep mountain to cross.

We had a ranch horse with a soft tissue leg injury. (Some type of tear; I don't recall the exact injury.) We tried rehab, but it didn't take. That wasn't a death sentence like a broken leg, but he was basically relegated to being a large pet at that point, as he wasn't good for any type of work. He just slowly gimped around the ranch for his last several years.

We kept him because he was a good horse, and we could spare the extra money to care for him, but if we were a serious money-making business, or money was tight, he would likely have been put down as an unnecessary expense.

I was just thinking of the same question, I was at the Express Ranch in Yukon Oklahoma 2 days ago and admiring the Clydesdales and Percherons. Such magnificent creatures!

Standing next to a Clydesdale weighing 2,000 pounds and petting/rubbing it’s shoulder I thought how sad it is when something like that happens. The trainers and staff, and the public too, get attached and very fond of these horses. It’s awful when one dies for any reason.

BTW they have 3 baby Clydesdales right now.

If you are traveling through Oklahoma this is an interesting place to visit, only a few minutes from I-40 Express Ranch Clydesdales
.

There was a race horse a few years ago that broke it's leg and the owners spared no expense because the future stud fees were going to be astronomical. They put that horse through hell with multiple surgeries and tons of pool therapy and it still died like a year later.

quote:

Originally posted by 1s1k:
There was a race horse a few years ago that broke it's leg and the owners spared no expense because the future stud fees were going to be astronomical. They put that horse through hell with multiple surgeries and tons of pool therapy and it still died like a year later.

That was Barbaro. A very sad story.

A million dollars standing and twenty five lying down.

Honestly what it boils down to is mechanics, there is no artificial equivalent to the strength to size/wt. of live bone. The largest commercially available bone pin is 1/4". I have had a 70 pound dog snap a 1/4" pin.

The size of pin needed to repair a fractured cannon bone(the most common fracture) would have to be bigger around than the bone. That won't work. that's in addition to the circulatory issues that sigmonkey mentions, these also preclude casts if one could be made strong enough.

I do fix some fractures in horse like sesmoid bones and slab fractures with screws. so not all fractures are a death sentence, but complete fractures of most long bones are.

Tommy

Thanks folks. It is a damn shame.

quote:

Originally posted by OMCHamlin:
I could see how folks could get awfully attached to them, hell, plus you can even ride them! Try THAT with a dog...

Depends on the size of the dog...

My 130ish pound dog could carry a small rider, if he were so inclined.

I certainly feel that horses are one of the most beautiful and majestic creatures god created. I marvel at their speed and athleticism on a daily basis. It is the reason I do what I do.


I do hope someday the technology arrives that allows me to fix some of those fractures, I lose a little bit of my heart every time I have to put one down.


Tommy

Thanks for what you do. Mostly, for the really hard part...

Thanks horsedoc. It's a hard job with some terrible hours. But we all appreciate a good large animal vet.

When I was in high school my girl friends horse stepped in a gopher hole right next to his barn and broke it's front leg. We both watched it happen. It was awful. We didn't have a clue on how to take care of the horse but we gave it a good shot. We kept him warm and tried to feed him but Thunder couldn't eat or drink laying on his side. The GFs dad (who knew what was coming) put the horse down after about 12 hours. My worst high school memory.