Horse-Related Injuries

[Tab]

Besides falls, almost every horse-related injury involves getting in between two horses in "horseplay" out in the pasture. The night before Tori foaled, many years ago, she went after Joe in the adjoining stall, and in trying to nail him, got me in the arm. I still have the scar. I can't blame her, though, the night before going into labor will make any woman surly. It was funny too, because Joe is her mate. (You got me into this lol.)

I was underfoot by Bobby and Rusty (large horses) in their rough-housing. Luckily I was underfoot in deep sand. Rusty nailed Bobby and it must have hurt because Bobby nailed me (in the neck). I don't know how I managed to survive my horses. Horses were out playing in the pasture and Rusty got my entire thigh in between his jaw. Horses aren't mental multi-taskers, they see the offender and they want to go after him, not even noticing who may be in the middle/in the way.

With minis one went after another through a gate I was entering and slammed the gate into my shin and knee. The most recent incident one MINI went after another and got his entire jaw around my upper arm while flying at another horse. It was one of my nicest minis, but a full boy (not Romey) which goes to show you, gotta still watch. Such are common work-related accidents in the life of animal husbandry! It doesn't matter what sex the herd consists of, horses push and shove, nip and kick, and that is how they communicate hierarchy.

I believe in the 3-second rule in horses. Horses only remember "bad" for three seconds, you can only fairly get after them within 3 seconds. That is why horses need to learn to respect your space, but things obviously still do happen.

​Any accidents of the trade to share?

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Not equine related, but I had a heifer very nearly kill me once.

Put her in a prechute before she got on the trim table. I had freshly oiled the free swinging 1/2" 300 lb steel gate. She jumped up and wailed it,going for me. She wasn't messing around either. She wanted me dead, and she almost succeeded. Gate flew back, and hit me square above the eyes. I woke up on my back an unknown amount of time later, and found the boss, who panicked, and rushed me home. By the time hubby took me to the er (30 mins post hit tops( I had a baseball sized lump. I remember little from that day.

Ended up with a grade 4 concussion, 2 shiners on my eyes for a good month, and still have a little lump. I cannot focus my eyes long, so no unnecessary driving, no movies, no July 4th fireworks, no bright lights, and nothing that requires balance (ie riding), no driving at night, and academically I've had massive issues.

This injury is now 4 mos old. Still on those same restrictions.

Watch out for what could happen, always. Not just the animal itself.

 

[targetsmom]

My horse injuries have pretty much all involved a single horse. The ones with the biggest lessons to learn were:

1. Broken finger (green stick fracture requiring 2 surgeries) was from getting a class ring caught in a lead rope while unloading a new riding horse off a trailer. I learned not to wear rings...

2. Nasty bite from my big horse Target, who was about the most unlikely horse to bit you ever saw. Rainy day, he was outside in his run attached to his stall playing with his buddy in the next run. I walk in wearing rain gear and he goes to nip at the rain jacket and seems to momentarily forget that I am NOT HIS BUDDY. He took a larget chunk out of my arm and I still have a scar. Lesson learned was be careful around horses that are playing (sounds like the same lesson the OP learned).

The other thing I learned is that a small women like me needs to be very careful when showing up at the ER with horse related injuries. The ER staff usually gives my husband a funny look, and I long ago stopped going to the nearest hospital in a very urban area. I try to rotate hospitals or just not go and let things heal.

Lots of people wanted me to go to the ER after my most recent injury when Clyde kicked me in the head causing me to bleed all over creation and gave me a whopper of a black eye. It was NOT his fault- a B size yearling cast against a non-climb fence with both hind legs stuck through the fence. He was not struggling at all, but as I freed his hind legs, I had to bend over to reach his front legs to flip him over, and as he struggled to get up (with my head inches from his feet) he caught me on the side of the head. He came out of the ordeal unscathed.....

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I've been kicked by a miniature stallion; he got me just right to hyperextend my knee. He was a kicker; no longer have him.

My others have been minor and have happened by being in the middle of herd dynamics. It happens so quickly it is hard to be prepared. I don't know anyone who has been around livestock that doesn't have some tales to tell.

 

[Equuisize]

Isn't it funny when you catalog your injuries that have accumulated over the years, people ask you why you still have horses?

My 1st injury: about a year into owning horses was a very hungry gelding we bought, kicking me in the thigh. Some 35 years later there is still an indentation in my thigh. The good part is there was a youngster running behind him that would have been nailed in the head if I hadn't gotten to him and tossed him to the side.
2nd injury: was doing the ultimate no-no I never allowed the kids to do, was riding doubles. I was looking over my shoulder to check on a group of kids behind me and was swept off by a huge fir bough.
Fractured my neck in 3 places. That's still a problem to this date.
3rd injury: We lived on a lake. I was clipping my Arab around dusk. Geese flew out of the lake and frightened him. He jumped behind me, stepping on my foot in the process. Broke bones on the top of my foot.
4th injury: One of my boarder horses, was in foal and always starving. She tried to enter another horses stall at dinnertime, blew right thru me and broke my shoulder.

Never have had any injuries from the minis. Bless their hearts. I am watchful as the body is much older and doesn't need any more ouches. My surgeon would prefer I took up knitting or some other sit down activity. Silly man.
My neck will not tolerate any more injuries so I attempt to be careful and live the lifestyle I love.

 

[BSharpRanch]

I've had my fair share of "hard knocks"!

A broken big toe when my bombproof half arab gelding spooked at the neighbor walking around his hedge. I still went to the horseshow and did okay despite the horrible pain.

A lot of concussions through the years, one when a two year old qh slam dunked my head into a pipe fence, I woke up kneeling on the ground holding my head. Another one, not as bad, I had a yearling filly I was hoof trimming decide she wanted to play bongos on my head! Oh yeah, seen stars and heard the little birds chirpping. Lesson? Move faster.

I dislocated my shoulder by not paying attention to my brahma cow once. Hubby and my first official date. Spent most of it in the er then the rest of it eating pizza while sitting on the couch watching a video! (I needed to make sure they guy I fell for could handle the er! Blood and guts and all!!) lesson to learn? Don't make goo-goo eyes while around large animals.

I had a big horse break my pelvis. Lesson? Never ever listen to the owner of a horse. If the horse is saying something totally different then the owner, believe the horse.

Got dragged once. Dad always preached about lines and ropes on the ground, they do not belong there. So, while working with a arab/qh colt on ground driving I needed to adjust the surcingle. I neatly coiled the lines and placed then on the ground in front of the horse. In that area I was safe as they were several feet away from my feet, but within reach. Something scared this gelding and I stepped forward and right into the coiled lines. Thump, down I went and that totally scared him. Full out, back surffing around the arena, using my elbows to steer with. Worked really well too while I kept trying to do my best ballarena toe. The line was right there. Then the gelding took a quick turn and sent me rolling out of control. "Oh s**t!" I said out loud, knowing this wasn't good. (Did I mention I was wearing tenny runners?) The line caught the heel of the shoe and jerked it off and I came to a stop. I lay there and wiggled fingers and toes, hands and feet, arms and legs (ouch). I then rolled my head to the side and realized that I stooped just a foot shy of death. The fence post was right there and I surely would have hit it had I not lost my shoe. Lesson? Your parents know best no matter how old you are. And I always wear tenny runners when doing ground work. I came out of this wreck with a messed up knee that I took care of myself.

I've had a lot more then this, and each is a life lesson. Am I reckless? Careless? No, my Guardian Angels allow these things to ground me and remind me to live life and enjoy life as much as I can.

 

[Marles]

Before I had kids...when I was much younger, I used to ride. I have fallen off numerous times, once breaking my elbow and the worst was going over a jump, horse refused and I fell off leaving one foot still stuck in the stirrup. Good thing the horse only walked away as he had me in "toe" (little play on words

). Supposedly it was no more than 30 seconds, but it felt like hours. Luckily I only walked away with a bad concussion.

The worst horse accident ever was not mine, but my daughters. She was walking her horse up through another group of horses waiting at the gate and the lead horse must have seen my daughter's horse out of the corner of her eye and said, "no way, I am going out first". It was a 17HH Warmblood that kicked my daughter with both back hooves separately...one connected on the left side of her face and the other on her left arm. She fell back onto the ground in the middle of 6 horses and blacked out. When she came to, she did not remember what happened and had a severe concussion. Ambulance came and rushed her to the nearest hospital. It was so scarey to watch the whole thing happen. I do not feel it was intended for my daughter and when she hit the ground, not one horse moved even though people were opening the gate and running around. When they did eventually grab all the horses to bring them into the barn, my daughter's horse refused to leave the paddock. I am thankful to say that she walked away with nothing broken and no chipped teeth. Took her a bit to recover from the concussion though. I praise God every time I think back. I could have lost my daughter that day. Of course, like most true horse people, she couldn't wait to get better so that she could ride and hang out at the barn

 

[LAZY J MINIS]

I'VE HAD BITES AND BUMPS ALL OVER. WENT BETWEEN TWO FIGHTING STALLIONS { DUMB MOVE} AND GOT BIT AND KICKED. LESSON LEARNED. ANOTHER STORY IS MY GRANDDAUGHTER WAS RIDING MY 27" MARE IN THE PASTURE AND FELL OFF AND BROKE HER ARM AT THE ELBOW,WE RUSHED HER TO THE HOSPITAL AND THE DR. ASK HOW IT HAPPENED AND WE TOLD HIM SHE FELL OFF MY 27" MARE, HE LOOKED AT US LIKE WE WERE NUTS. I DON'T THINK HE BELIEVED US, BUT SHE SAID WHAT SHE WAS DOING, I GUESS HE BELIEVED HER. WE TOLD HIM SHE HAD BEEN RIDING OUR BIG GELDING AND HAD GOTTEN ON THE MINI AFTERWARDS. SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF FALLING OFF THE BIG GUY, WHEN WE SHOWED HIM THE PICTURE OF THE MINI. WE CAN LAUGH NOW BUT SO SCARY THEN. SHE STILL RIDES AND PLAYS WITH THE HORSES, A REAL HORSE LOVER.

 

[Tab]

What is it about having kids that sometimes sucks the desire to ride horses out of a person? You ride wild and free, saddle or bareback, as a girl and teen. You also fall off enough that you mess your body up permanently. (That, and farm work, and carrying kids.) The last time I rode was last year, a few months before I found out I had a large tumor to be removed. No wonder that last ride was so uncomfortable! After surgery I have even less interest in riding horses, at least those that don't behave perfectly. Coming full circle, back to a pure love of minis. I will love horses of all kinds forever, but I'm personally done with large-horse owning.

 

[atotton]

I've been pretty lucky a couple kicks here and there, and a broken toenail or two. Nothing to get me to the hospital though. (knock on wood)

 

[jandjmc]

As a teenager I was riding bareback, double, at night with a boyfriend who was carrying tic-tacs. (Brilliant!) All was fine until we started trotting and the tic-tacs started shaking in the container. Sounded like a rattlesnake...woke up in the hospital 2-3 days later with a concussion, bruised, scraped face and hip in traction. I'd dislocated the head of my femur 6 inches.

Had my quarter mare spook at a tarp that "came to get her" during a gust of wind. Fortunately, I was wearing boots, but broke my middle toe. It got so black that I thought it would dry up and fall off. (It didn't.)

Have woken up on the ground a couple of times wondering what had happened, usually had full sized horses run me over.

Since I've had minis, nothing serious, never even been knocked out. Maybe I'm smarter (and older), maybe they are smarter!

 

[Miniv]

Broken toe....no big deal. Broken finger on my right hand which was a bigger deal. Still have a scar on my left bicep after 10 years from a stallion bite (long story...but the stallion injured several others and was put down. Stallion wasn't ours.) Knocked down so many times that I have a bad hip.....All from minis or ponies.

Husband has been kicked in the teeth, knees, crotch. His knees and crotch mended, but he lost two teeth. These were also minis.

Majority of our injuries came from handling other peoples horses back when we transported.

Probably a good argument for breeders to look at their horse's personality as part of the package, and not just color and conformation.

 

[chandab]

I can't recall any major injuries, but do have a few I still suffer from.

Before I owned my own horses, I came off a horse and ended up with compression fractures in both wrists. A couple years ago, I fell off the hay stack on the hay trailer and sprained both my wrists (was loading hay from the field to haul to the barn, managed to finish loading the trailer before stopping to ice my wrists).

I've been bit and kicked a many times, but nothing too serious. A few black and blue toes from being stepped on. I know I've fallen off many times, but usually nothing more serious than the wind knocked out of me, except the wrist injury. Wasn't injured, just slightly bruised when a mare reared up and struck out over getting her vaccination; and just this spring was knocked down by a yearling trying to give his booster (he never flinched for the first shot, but the follow-up booster 4 weeks later sent him over).

 

[SugaryCharm]

For me, this is a timely topic, as I am currently dealing with a broken ankle.

My biggie was acting a little spunky under saddle so I got off and started lunging him. I was trying to get him loping without bucking and being a nut when he lost his head and decided to leave town. Knowing that the pasture gate was open and he might escape if I turned loose of the lungeline, I hung on to him instead of letting go. I rolled my ankle 2-3 times as he pulled me along while trying to get him under control. Finally he settled and I worked him a few more minutes so as not to quit him on a bad note. Ankle was grapefruit sized within 30 minutes but I figured it was just sprained (never hurt an ankle before). It hurt worse the second day so I went in to the doctor...ta-da...turns out it was broken.

Also, I'm not sure what actually happened as I never went to the doctor for it, but I coughed up blood for about 3 days after poking myself in the chest with the saddle horn when a mare I was riding decided to have a fit and rear up...I was afraid she was going to fall backwards on me so I guess I overcompensated...

 

[Callie]

I was throw from my mini easy entry/Really easy exit cart. Broke my hand, 8 ribs, and femur came out in several pieces. I was with friends and one was a nurse, she pulled me out of the fire ant mound I landed in. I learned they really swarm blood. Took 2 years to get back to driving. Got a new (older/finished) horse, and added side wedges to my cart so I don't slide out again.

Hope we all are learning from this thread to be careful with the horses and not to under estimate the little guys. I also learned it would have been easier to have let the EMT guys carry me out of the woods on a board than get in a Ranger (golf cart type) thing my friends had to drive back to the barn to get.

Remember this and please pull over to let the ambulance go by just incase someone else pulls this stunt.

I did have the best story in Rehab!

 

[wildoak]

Too many years to remember everything lol, but I've been pretty fortunate... Nothing life threatening. I have come off of a few horses, the worst just a few years ago when I was horse shopping and someone's "husband safe" do everything big gelding put me on some very hard ground. Just severely bruised but I took a big hit to my confidence in riding, and still am not entirely over it. Both feet are permanently messed up from being stepped on by minis, bone chips floating around and will ultimately have to have surgery but I keep putting it off because I can't be off my feet for weeks.. Was kicked in the kneecap by a mini mare firing at another horse, and knocked off my feet when my big mare did nothing more than swing her head around quickly to look at something, catching me full on in the face. Dislocated a finger once leading in two yearlings with one hand, they spooked and pulled back in opposite directions. It's not a gentle sport lol but I can't imagine life without it.

Jan

 

[Tab]

LOL. How are we still all alive?

 

[Tab]

Any more tales of adventure? Luckily, my horse-related injuries are getting fewer and farther in between. I guess all that can be said to the uninitiated is that life is risky!

 

[Riverrose28]

Many years ago my gelding fell on me while we were on a competetive trail ride and broke my breast bone, it took 18 months to heal. He fell on me again several years later and I pulled a groin muscle that also put me on the sidelines. We used to ride in parades so one fourth I was loading saddles into the bed of the pick up and one fell over, I couldn't reach it so went to climb in, the tail gate wasn't latched, I thought it was, and when I tried to go over it it opened and threw me into the trailer were I sliced my bottom on the trailer hitch latch. That required 40 stiches, 20 inside and 20 outside, not to mention the embarressment of laying on the exam table with my rear in the air. One of my mini mares kicked me in the shin while I was clipping her legs, sent me to the er with a blood clot. One of my show mares was being turned out into the round pen and as I was locking the gate she spun around and kicked up as she bolted off and got me good in the forearm. I was feeding early one morning, carring hay and steped in a hole, fell down, twisted my ankle, bloodied my nose, busted my lip, and broke my hand. Funny thing about that one was, I refused to go to the doctor till the swelling went down in my face, so it was three days before I had a cast put on my hand. I'm sure there are more, just gone blank for now.

 

[BSharpRanch]

A week after I went on Tuffy's wild ride on my back around the arena, a neighbor took a similar ride on her back, however her horse took her on about a half mile trip through the desert. I need to insert here that we horse people have special, iron clad, Guardian Angels! This was years ago and this area was experiencing a growth spurt. It took several months to get a phone installed! Her phone had been installed the a.m. before the wreck. She had a second line dropped to the tackroom. She had chosen to put that phone on a stool at the door, I would have put it up on the wall out of the way. Her horse brought her back to the tackroom, stopped with her at the door. She was able to pull out her pocket knife and cut the rope around her leg. She drug herself to the door, grabbed the phone dialed 911 and while she was waiting she grqbbed the hose and run water over herself to keep herself awake. She was airlifted to the hospital where she remained for months while her skin was allowed to heal. I met her after her return home. She kept her sense of humor though saying "I can honestly say that I lost my butt on the desert!"