What would you do in emergency?

ladygirl · 01-15-2008, 09:17 AM

Hi guys,

I dealt with a situation this week that I will never forget,nor ever 'forgive' myself for. I wouldnt wish what I saw on my worst enemy. However, I didnt know what,if any,other options there were. So while this posting maybe be slightly 'morbid', please dont let that stop you form posting. If it even makes one person think, or arrange something to help themselves, trust me,itll be worth it.

Heres the question......

You go outside tomorrow, and one of your horses is severly injured. The kind of injury you cant be fixed with all the money in the world. The horse is in pain, you call vet, he cant come out. You cant load or haul this horse because of the injury. Have you thought of what you would do? How you could stop the suffering? What would you do? Do you have a gameplan?

VickiE · 01-15-2008, 09:20 AM

Tough question.

We have three or four different Vets on speed dial. I would try them first. After that, I am not sure what I would do.

(We board) I would call the owner of the horse and the BM if the horse wasn't mine.

I just hope nothing like this happens.

soccer mom · 01-15-2008, 09:21 AM

As much as it would hurt, I would have my husband get his gun out and put my horse out of his misery. And I would be beating myself up forever about being a bad horse owner.

Carri · 01-15-2008, 09:22 AM

Fortunately, I live in a major metro area, it is unlikely that a vet could not come. If it was really bad and I knew the horse was not going to make it, I would give it an overdose of Ace to knock him out until the vet could get there to make it final. I would not do that unless I was sure the issue would not be fixable, though.

TanyaV28 · 01-15-2008, 09:23 AM

I think I would have my husband do the same thing but it would Kill me, but it would kill me worse to see one of them suffering!

pvf · 01-15-2008, 09:26 AM

Ok, if no vet in our area would be able to come out. which would be about 20 different vets to call. Then I would have someone shoot the horse. Now I know that some people will freak over that. But, if there is nothing that can be done to save the horse and absoultly no vet is around to put it down. Then its our responsibilty to put it out down so it won't suffer any longer.

With that said I'm glad that I have lots of vets available to me but you never know.
Even if your on a trailride out in the boonies who are you going to call if the horse would get seriously hurt. I wouldn't be able confortable letting the horse suffer until mother nature took its course.

ToveroMom · 01-15-2008, 09:27 AM

You know what? I will never feel safe again about having 5 Vets in the area.
That is exactly the scenario we lost Leo to. He was far gone-needed to be put down and NONE of the 5 Vets were going to be available for 2 hours..some not available at all...my favorite Vet was on the road to go pull blood on some PBR bulls and he was over 2 hours gone and HAD to get there.
Hubby put him down with a bullet.
Worrisome topic but one that does need addressing.

ladygirl · 01-15-2008, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pvf

Even if your on a trailride out in the boonies who are you going to call if the horse would get seriously hurt.

And thats the trouble alot of us have. There are other vets in the small surrounding towns, but if youre lucky enough to get them on first call,and they jumped in the car that exact minute, youre still looking at a fairly long wait

doxies13isenough · 01-15-2008, 09:30 AM

I would have to say honey get the gun. I can not watch one suffer. If he could not do the deed (He is sometimes too softhearted) I would have to call in reinforcements (my best friend and her husband)

**Diamond_Y** · 01-15-2008, 09:37 AM

We've been there. The truth is, you need to plan. In the event you do have to use a gun to put down your horse, you need to know how to place the bullet and the time to learn that is now, not in an emergency.

Our vet also allows us to keep enough sedative on hand that we can sedate to unconsciousness. When my husband had to put down Peaches, he was able to sedate her first. She never felt anything beyond the needle prick. It is a comfort to know that we can alleviate suffering very quickly if necessary.

ladygirl · 01-15-2008, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diamond_Y

We've been there. The truth is, you need to plan. In the event you do have to use a gun to put down your horse, you need to know how to place the bullet and the time to learn that is now, not in an emergency.

.

I can not stress this enough!

gbarmranch · 01-15-2008, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soccer mom

As much as it would hurt, I would have my husband get his gun out and put my horse out of his misery. And I would be beating myself up forever about being a bad horse owner.

Yup, either him or me... and bawling my eyes out at the same time..

But you owe it to your animal not to let them suffer; it is part of the promise you make when you accept ownership..

(((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))) What an awful situation to endure though.. I am so sorry if this happened to you..

ladygirl · 01-15-2008, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbarmranch

(((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))) What an awful situation to endure though.. I am so sorry if this happened to you..

It did,this weekend. I cried like Ive never cried. I still cant stop telling her Im sorry....

**Diamond_Y** · 01-15-2008, 09:45 AM

We often hear to shoot between the eyes, but this is incorrect for a horse.

According to our vet, draw an imaginary line from the left ear to the right eye and one from the right ear to the left eye, making an "X." The proper bullet placement is the center of the "X" where the two lines intersect.

I will apologize if anyone finds this disturbing, however I believe every horse owner should know how to end his or her horse's suffering.

CowhorseGal · 01-15-2008, 09:45 AM

I would have not choice but to shoot the horse. It would be far more painful for me to watch him suffer than to mourn the loss of him.. knowing I did the most humane and caring thing I could do, given the circumstances..

As reference was made to the trail ride... I always carry a hand gun.. As much for my saftey and protection as well as being ready to deal with an unfortunate accident.

I have had to use the gun that I carry in my pick-up, to put down a horse that was hit by a van some years ago.. Broke three legs and was still trying to stand.. No vets to be found and the police officer that responded to the call was dumbfounded as to what to do.. When the owners of the horse showed up they asked me to do it.. It was hard and it wasn't even my horse..

And Diamond Y is correct.. the x gives you the location to aim for..

**Diamond_Y** · 01-15-2008, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladygirl

It did,this weekend. I cried like Ive never cried. I still cant stop telling her Im sorry....

I'm so sorry! ((((((HUGS))))))

ToveroMom · 01-15-2008, 09:46 AM

The how is to draw a line between the base of the sto the opposite side eyes-forming an X.
Do not place the gun on the head have it about 10 inches off.
Have a large enough caliber weapon.
Even if you fear having a gun or rifle in the house,if you keep one for this kind of emergency only-it can be quite safe.
You can have the gun in one area [locked with a gun lock]and the bullets safely stored in another.

My horse was dead in an instant. He was already down and he just laid over. No pain,no nothing. It actually was faster than with the euthenising injection.
I also pray daily we never have to do it again.

ETA-Oops Diamond Y posting at same time

gbarmranch · 01-15-2008, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladygirl

It did,this weekend. I cried like Ive never cried. I still cant stop telling her Im sorry....

Honey, she understands.. and since it wasn't anything you did wrong, you need to forgive yourself - you had no choice, and I know that she is grateful you had the strength and courage to end her pain...

I am still sorry though - it is hard to experience, and harder to forget for a while - but you will, and then you can remember her in the good ways...

((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))

ToveroMom · 01-15-2008, 09:48 AM

You gave her the last and best gift-you let her go on and escape the pain.
They know that. [[hugs]]

jen21 · 01-15-2008, 09:51 AM

Well, unfortunately I have dealt with this very question. It was not with my horses. It was with my Shorthorn cow that I showed when I was in high school. I was riding Sampson through the cow herd and noticed Lacey wasn't with them. I rode up in the lot and found her underneath the barn and in really bad shape. She was "down", and I knew it was bad. I tied Sampson and ran to her. I pushed and pulled and begged. She struggled, but just couldn't get up. I figured the bull tried to breed her and paralysed (sp) her back end. We (me, my mom and dad) decided to give her a day to see if something was just tweeked. She gave up. There was nothing that else that could be done for her. My dad put her down. He said it was the hardest thing he had ever done, and if one of my horses ever got this way I was going to have to take care of it myself. RIP Lacey.

So that's what we did. If this would have been one of the horses, I would have called every vet in the county to come put him down. If none was available... I really don't want to think about it right now.

ETA: I am sorry you had to go through that ladygirl. You did the right thing. ((HUGS)) to you from Oklahoma.

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01-15-2008, 09:17 AM
ladygirl Yearling Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: West of Edmonton,AB Posts: 514	What would you do in emergency? Hi guys, I dealt with a situation this week that I will never forget,nor ever 'forgive' myself for. I wouldnt wish what I saw on my worst enemy. However, I didnt know what,if any,other options there were. So while this posting maybe be slightly 'morbid', please dont let that stop you form posting. If it even makes one person think, or arrange something to help themselves, trust me,itll be worth it. Heres the question...... You go outside tomorrow, and one of your horses is severly injured. The kind of injury you cant be fixed with all the money in the world. The horse is in pain, you call vet, he cant come out. You cant load or haul this horse because of the injury. Have you thought of what you would do? How you could stop the suffering? What would you do? Do you have a gameplan? __________________ You can't teach a horse with shouting,and expect him to listen with a whisper.

01-15-2008, 09:20 AM
VickiE Conformation Clinic / Product Reviews Moderator Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 3,374	Tough question. We have three or four different Vets on speed dial. I would try them first. After that, I am not sure what I would do. (We board) I would call the owner of the horse and the BM if the horse wasn't mine. I just hope nothing like this happens. __________________

01-15-2008, 09:21 AM
soccer mom Yearling Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Huber Heights OH Posts: 853	As much as it would hurt, I would have my husband get his gun out and put my horse out of his misery. And I would be beating myself up forever about being a bad horse owner. __________________

01-15-2008, 09:22 AM
Carri Pasture Pet Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Alpharetta, Georgia Posts: 13,647	Fortunately, I live in a major metro area, it is unlikely that a vet could not come. If it was really bad and I knew the horse was not going to make it, I would give it an overdose of Ace to knock him out until the vet could get there to make it final. I would not do that unless I was sure the issue would not be fixable, though.

01-15-2008, 09:23 AM
TanyaV28 Started Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 2,195	I think I would have my husband do the same thing but it would Kill me, but it would kill me worse to see one of them suffering! __________________ Im movin on like a sinners prayer

01-15-2008, 09:26 AM
pvf Regional Forums Moderator Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 8,276	Ok, if no vet in our area would be able to come out. which would be about 20 different vets to call. Then I would have someone shoot the horse. Now I know that some people will freak over that. But, if there is nothing that can be done to save the horse and absoultly no vet is around to put it down. Then its our responsibilty to put it out down so it won't suffer any longer. With that said I'm glad that I have lots of vets available to me but you never know. Even if your on a trailride out in the boonies who are you going to call if the horse would get seriously hurt. I wouldn't be able confortable letting the horse suffer until mother nature took its course. __________________ www.prairieviewfarms.net Raising Reg. Paints and Quarter horses

01-15-2008, 09:27 AM
ToveroMom Pasture Pet Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Cleveland TX Posts: 17,059	You know what? I will never feel safe again about having 5 Vets in the area. That is exactly the scenario we lost Leo to. He was far gone-needed to be put down and NONE of the 5 Vets were going to be available for 2 hours..some not available at all...my favorite Vet was on the road to go pull blood on some PBR bulls and he was over 2 hours gone and HAD to get there. Hubby put him down with a bullet. Worrisome topic but one that does need addressing. __________________

01-15-2008, 09:30 AM
doxies13isenough Yearling Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Western KY Posts: 929	I would have to say honey get the gun. I can not watch one suffer. If he could not do the deed (He is sometimes too softhearted) I would have to call in reinforcements (my best friend and her husband)

01-15-2008, 09:37 AM
Diamond_Y Administrator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Texas Posts: 4,717	We've been there. The truth is, you need to plan. In the event you do have to use a gun to put down your horse, you need to know how to place the bullet and the time to learn that is now, not in an emergency. Our vet also allows us to keep enough sedative on hand that we can sedate to unconsciousness. When my husband had to put down Peaches, he was able to sedate her first. She never felt anything beyond the needle prick. It is a comfort to know that we can alleviate suffering very quickly if necessary. __________________ Diamond Y Quarter Horses - Breeders of Quality Foundation Quarter Horses Home of King of Cooke County, 2004 Perlino son of Cooke County ETC

01-15-2008, 09:45 AM
Diamond_Y Administrator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Texas Posts: 4,717	We often hear to shoot between the eyes, but this is incorrect for a horse. According to our vet, draw an imaginary line from the left ear to the right eye and one from the right ear to the left eye, making an "X." The proper bullet placement is the center of the "X" where the two lines intersect. I will apologize if anyone finds this disturbing, however I believe every horse owner should know how to end his or her horse's suffering. __________________ Diamond Y Quarter Horses - Breeders of Quality Foundation Quarter Horses Home of King of Cooke County, 2004 Perlino son of Cooke County ETC

01-15-2008, 09:45 AM
CowhorseGal Long Yearling Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Idaho Posts: 1,047	I would have not choice but to shoot the horse. It would be far more painful for me to watch him suffer than to mourn the loss of him.. knowing I did the most humane and caring thing I could do, given the circumstances.. As reference was made to the trail ride... I always carry a hand gun.. As much for my saftey and protection as well as being ready to deal with an unfortunate accident. I have had to use the gun that I carry in my pick-up, to put down a horse that was hit by a van some years ago.. Broke three legs and was still trying to stand.. No vets to be found and the police officer that responded to the call was dumbfounded as to what to do.. When the owners of the horse showed up they asked me to do it.. It was hard and it wasn't even my horse.. And Diamond Y is correct.. the x gives you the location to aim for.. __________________ Quality Peformance horses with foundation breeding http://blackcanyonpaints.webs.com/

01-15-2008, 09:46 AM
ToveroMom Pasture Pet Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Cleveland TX Posts: 17,059	The how is to draw a line between the base of the sto the opposite side eyes-forming an X. Do not place the gun on the head have it about 10 inches off. Have a large enough caliber weapon. Even if you fear having a gun or rifle in the house,if you keep one for this kind of emergency only-it can be quite safe. You can have the gun in one area [locked with a gun lock]and the bullets safely stored in another. My horse was dead in an instant. He was already down and he just laid over. No pain,no nothing. It actually was faster than with the euthenising injection. I also pray daily we never have to do it again. ETA-Oops Diamond Y posting at same time __________________

01-15-2008, 09:48 AM
ToveroMom Pasture Pet Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Cleveland TX Posts: 17,059	You gave her the last and best gift-you let her go on and escape the pain. They know that. [[hugs]] __________________

01-15-2008, 09:51 AM
jen21 Yearling Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 772	Well, unfortunately I have dealt with this very question. It was not with my horses. It was with my Shorthorn cow that I showed when I was in high school. I was riding Sampson through the cow herd and noticed Lacey wasn't with them. I rode up in the lot and found her underneath the barn and in really bad shape. She was "down", and I knew it was bad. I tied Sampson and ran to her. I pushed and pulled and begged. She struggled, but just couldn't get up. I figured the bull tried to breed her and paralysed (sp) her back end. We (me, my mom and dad) decided to give her a day to see if something was just tweeked. She gave up. There was nothing that else that could be done for her. My dad put her down. He said it was the hardest thing he had ever done, and if one of my horses ever got this way I was going to have to take care of it myself. RIP Lacey. So that's what we did. If this would have been one of the horses, I would have called every vet in the county to come put him down. If none was available... I really don't want to think about it right now. ETA: I am sorry you had to go through that ladygirl. You did the right thing. ((HUGS)) to you from Oklahoma. __________________ "Sit tall in the saddle, Hold your head up high, Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky, And live like you ain't afraid to die, And don't be scared, Just enjoy your ride." ~Chris LeDoux Last edited by jen21 : 01-15-2008 at 10:44 AM.