Health Cautions In Horse Rehab

There are many things that can go wrong with rehabilitating a horse but the rewards are great also. Having a good team including veterinarian, farrier, trainer and groom (even if you are the last two!) helps a horse get back to a healthy state faster.

There are several things to be concerned with when horses have been badly out of shape. It can alter their mental state of mind. More than this even is the physical issues to correct and to dodge while on the road to recovery.

Founder or laminitis is an issue in the feet that causes tremendous discomfort. It can be caused by a sudden overload of feed, drug, stress and concussion (once called “road founder”). Horses that are fat can be extremely susceptible to this as and so can very skinny horses whose nutrition is increased in order to put weight back on them. Prevention is much better than cure. Extreme cases can result in rotation of the coffin bone in the foot which presses on the sole, creating a great deal of pain.

This is a disease which has resulted in euthanizing of famous and unknown horses alike. Secretariat, the legendary racehorse, was a laminitis statistic as well as Barbaro. Modern veterinary techniques can cut the tendons, which relieves pressure on the coffin bone but cannot change the prognosis of severe cases. Horses with this disease are often heavy in the front end or have suffered an injury that causes them to shift their weight to the other foot. Horses affected often rock back in an attempt to take the weight off their sore front feet. Back feet can also be affected.

I admit it, I cried watching this video:

Abscesses are another issue that can affect the feet. Like founder it can often happen in the front feet and the horse will shift the weight backwards to ease the pressure. The difference is that abscesses are very fixable. Horses that have been in wet or muddy conditions can come up with these. If you pick up the foot and gently but firmly press with the handle end of a screwdriver on the foot you can often narrow down where the abscess is.

Treatment involves having a veterinarian or farrier dig out the abscess. You will need to keep the horse in a clean, dry stall until it is healed. Sometimes a daily soak in a pan of water and Epsom salts is recommended to draw out the abscess and speed healing.

Colic is another problem that can occur, especially in cases of parasite overload added to poor condition added to stress. Colic is a general term for a belly ache and in a horse is a very serious situation requiring veterinarian intervention. Often the horse begins with being uncomfortable, perhaps laying down more than normal. If you make him get up he’ll lay down again, often trying to roll. This means getting the horse on his feet and walking him by hand.

As the spasm hits he may try to go down but it is important to keep him up and walking. It might seem ‘cruel’ but if it takes hitting him with ropes or whips to keep him up on his feet it’s that important to do it. The more a horse rolls the higher the chances of the intestine twisting. If this happens the choices are euthanization or surgery, and they may or may not make it out of the expensive surgery.

These three issues are not uncommon but do need rapid treatment. Do some research into these conditions, particularly if you are taking on an abused horse. And having a good equine veterinarian is important. It maximizes the chances of recovery for your horse to have quick action for these problems.

Understanding Basic Horse Behavior

This is Promise. She was found wandering in traffic outside Denver, hungry, afraid and assumed abandoned. She is available for adoption from Colorado Horse Rescue.

When keeping horses it is important to understand the horse from a horse’s “language.” There is much mystery made by ‘horse whisperers’ and much money made from it when what it boils down to is watching your horse.

The views on horse handling can vary as much as the individuals involved. If you watch horses interact they can be very gentle and yet also quite vicious. A dominant horse will put another in their place with kicks and bites that we humans cannot begin to inflict on them. However if we understand the horse we do not have to.

A firm swat is enough to get through to a horse but this does not mean beating the horse. An adage from a wise horseman is the first swat is discipline, the second revenge. The horse is a physical animal and communicates much with body language.

If you watch a dominate horse walk through the herd she will snake her head low with ears pinned flat – this is a signal that says to others “GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

A male, especially a stallion, will challenge with a raised head. It is this attempt to raise the head higher that can lead to horses rearing to challenge each other.

These things we can imitate by use of a stock whip. This is a last resort to tap the horse but is used to communicate. With a whip we can raise it higher than the horse’s head. We can wave it waist high to tell a horse to move.

We can also stop and allow the horse to approach. A punishment for the horse is to be driven from the herd. In the wild a lone horse is in danger – he can be more easily taken down by predators.

Keep in mind as a prey animal the horse’s two defenses are flight or fight. Flight is running – a horse that is injured or confined loses that option. As handlers we want to insure cooperation and not bring the fight option up.

It is important to remember that a horse can strike, kick, bite and stallions have been known to lie down on and even urinate on a person they have mauled. These are horses that have not had a solid balance of discipline and affection. Too much of one or the other and they can easily lose respect for the human as a leader. The results can be horrific.

Horses that have been abused can, like people, have that fight instinct very close to the surface. For a dominant individual this takes very careful handling. For a submissive individual that fight can be channeled into getting better.

One of your best teachers for communication will be the horses themselves. Watch them interact – the mares with foals and adults with young horses. Even among weanlings of the same age there will be a herd dynamic with boss horses and bottom ones – a “pecking order” so to speak.

The horse, then, automatically understands posturing for dominance and figures who is serious about enforcement and who is not. Those who are serious normally have to do little to maintain their position.

Observe horses in a group and make a note to be that boss animal…the leader. Find ways to mimic their actions. For us a kick or bite can be replaced with a threat or swat with a whip, but even this must be done carefully.

This equally doesn’t mean beating a horse senseless! Remember – being willing to follow through often means you don’t have to. When the horse knows you *will* deliver a swat he sees you as that upper ranking leader. There is no challenging the leader.

Watch the horses – they have much to teach you about their language.

“The horse, the horse! The symbol of surging potency and power of movement, of action.” ~ D.H. Lawrence

5 Tips For Horse Abuse Rehab

This is Brave. He’s blind and was headed to slaughter when he was rescued from the feedlot. Brave is now safely homed at the Golden Carrot Rescue Sanctuary but he needs a sponsor as of this writing. Please help him or one of the other rescues at the sanctuary.

An abused horse may not just be physically in poor shape. Certainly this is something that is seen. We see the long or cracked feet, the ribs and hips showing and the bad coat. What we can’t see right away is the mental effect this has on the horse.

Because of this, rehabilitating a horse that has been abused can be a tricky affair.

1. Gaining weight without overloading the system is a finely tuned balancing act. It cannot be overstated to have a good equine veterinarian on the ‘team’. This can direct you in getting enough feed, and the right kind of feed, to provide weight gain without causing colic or founder from a sudden increase to the system. Plenty of hay is needed more than grains. The horse that has been starved can sometimes be food aggressive when they get feed. This is especially true if they were in a group situation where they perhaps had to fight for what they got.
2. Feet are often one of the last things considered unless long or cracked. Keeping feet in good condition really does help the rest of the horse. Problems can show up here first, from founder to abscesses and thrush. Pain in the feet can also affect the horse’s attitude.
3. Mental issues may not immediately present themselves. This can vary from nervous habits to aggression to fearful behavior in particular situations. Even horses that face the same situation can react differently. Two that clearly showed this came from not getting enough to eat. As they began to physically change the one colt became aggressive – as if never going to do without again. The other one was so afraid that merely hitting a fence would send him running for an exit or, if pressed, trying to create one.
4. Pay special attention to balancing discipline with praise. Horses don’t give much importance to words but do to body language. The lack of discipline can be seen by some horses as weakness. In a horse’s world this is not only NOT someone to follow as leader but is also not worthy of respect. This can create aggression and training issues and is definitely something to prevent rather than try to fix.
5. Young horses can be even more difficult if they’ve never had consistent handling. Those that have been turned out on pasture and not handled can see humans as unworthy leaders, making a tricky situation in being firm on discipline without destroying their confidence. For the novice it’s worth the money to get a good trainer to put the basics on such horses. Remember training is for life – without being able to handle the horse he’s much more apt to end up in the same situation again.

It’s obvious to see the physical, but don’t overlook the “mental fallout” of mistreatment. These issues may not show right away and some resilient horses may bounce back unaffected. For others it can challenge the understanding of the horse’s language.

“A good horseman can hear a horse talk, a great horseman can hear a horse whisper”.  Monty Roberts (the horse whisperer)

Select An Equine Rescue With Care

There are a wide range of organizations and individuals you can get a rescue horse from. These may vary from free to a fee depending on how ‘marketable’ the animal is. Some may specialize in a certain breed, such as those for retiring race horses or show horses, while others handle horses along with dogs and cats.

Butterfinger Baby is a beautiful chestnut mare who is available for adoption as of this writing at Angel Acres Horse Haven Rescue.

For those looking for an ex-race horse and who are close enough to tracks in racing states to get them there are several options. TheHorse.com maintains a list of free thoroughbreds and standardbreds on their site, often in New York, Maryland, Florida, Pennsylvania and other racing states, but sometimes in other areas too. These are usually geldings or mares but occasionally a stallion. For most beginners a gelding can be a great option as they are usually easier to house and care for than stallions.

Another option is canterusa.org which is divided into several areas. With many of these cases you have more choices if you have a trailer and a home ready, along with the ability to go get the horse quickly. There is typically a fee of $500 and up on these, and they are often direct from the racetrack.

Still other rescues may handle those horses that are neglected and abused. These can have more restrictions such as living in a certain area. For many of these you do not own the horse and there are restrictions as to the care of the horse. You cannot sell the horse or breed her. They may also restrict what you can do with the horse. Some may require unannounced inspections and disagreement can result in losing the horse for violating policy without a refund of the fees paid.

It does pay to have a very clear idea of what your facility and experience is as well as what you want the horse for. There are many animals, especially in the racing community, that are simply pasture pets because of injuries, while others may be suitable for light riding once their injuries heal.

Another option that catches the eye of many is the mustang adoptions. These are exceptional animals and can take a great deal of patience and work to overcome the wild instincts. There are very specific fencing and housing requirements as well as transportation requirements to get a horse or burro from a wild horse or burro event.

Each rescue organization will have their own requirements. Read them carefully as some state that changes in location, ownership, and such must be reported – if you are boarding and move the horse you may be in violation, even if it’s moving to a better stable. Know what you are agreeing to before you get attached to a horse.

If you are looking to own a horse with fewer restrictions one of the retired racehorses may be the ticket. Whether you are looking for just a pet, an occasional ride or a competition horse there is a wide range of horses in need of homes.  There are free horses out there but do be aware the costs may add up if there are injuries and issues to deal with from both a physical and mental standpoint. Find the best horse for what you need.

“Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.”  ~W.C. Fields