Last night on my way home I get a call from a student. She is riding a guy's horse for him. He doesn't have time, or like this horse as much as his others. This is a young quarter gelding. I think he's five. He's a good looking halter type horse. No, not my cup of tea, but a really nice looking horse just the same. She calls, because she was looking for a tube of bute paste. By the time I could call her back, she had already located some. She needed the bute to give to this horse she's been riding. The horse has been tying up. This was the third episode this week.
I'm horrified. The third time in a week? I asked he what the owner said. "Oh, he said to just give him some bute, he'll be fine. He always does this." I asked if she called the owner. "Yes, but the only contact number I have is his cell, and it's always turned off."
Now, I'm pissed. This is a reoccurring problem. He hasn't had a vet pull blood. He hasn't tried to see if it's nutritional, or genetic. The horse is in pain. The horse is often nasty cranky-mean. (Oh gee, I wonder why?) He looks off on his right hind....I don't know if he's off, or just stiff, bound up. Well, that would be off too, wouldn't it.
So, I'm going to be hunting this owner to have a discussion, if he ever gets his happy ass out to the barns. He's gotta check on his horses once in awhile, right?
Oh, and he has a young stallion at home, that he wants to breed. Same lines, same dam as the gelding that is tying up. Seems like it might be a real good idea to find out what is causing the tying up in the horse's siblings...ya think?
So, I told my student that when she got home she was to look up tying-up/rhabdomyolysis online. Not just what one of us morons with a blog has to say, genuine veterinary information. Okay, aside from the muscle damage, and the toxins etc...tying-up is painful. That poor horse hurts. Ever had one of those cramps in your calf you can't get rid of? Think of your whole body like that.
14 comments:
Three times in one week? I wish you were kidding. That's awful.
I've seen one episode of tying up, and I hope it is a long time until I see another. Talk about pain.
Go kick some horse owner A$$, horspoor. Whether you like it or not, you're the horsey guardian angel of RA. lol.
Yeah, it ticks me off. The owner told the kid to bute him and make him walk. Jerk.
That's plain scary.
Bute won't do a lot, other than make him sicker,in the end.
Poor horse.
Good luck with that!
This guy is one of the experts. Shows halter and western pleasure. Thinks he knows everything. He has already lost one horse that had these symptoms, I guess. I can't verify that, as it is rumor.
I asked her if he said banamine. She said nope, said bute, and now all his bute is used up, and she's borrowing from people.
I get why the vets are so hesitant to give bute to some people.
My question is, why is she still riding this horse and working with this DF owner?
What would Banamine do, compared to Bute?
I am clueless when it comes to medication for horses. Sorry.
banamine is a muscle relaxer/pain killer. Bute kills pain, but it's more on an anti-inflamatory. Probably would be smart to give him some muscle relaxer and some sort of tranquilizer like Ace to get him to relax.
I don't know. I should look up treatments. Or ask my vets.
He's not erm, HYPP
or whatever? Maybe?
(I have no idea)
awful, awful.
It's so painful.
I don't think it's HYPP. He doesn't seem to have spasms, or hit the ground. He locks up, sweats, and wont move.
Whatever it is, if it was my horse...we'd be at the vet's figuring this out.
Well, I talked to the horse owner tonight. He is unconcerned. He feels it's just how his horse is. He did say the next time he had the vet out he would ask them about it.
I told him the vets wouldn't mind if he just called them for suggestions. He said he'd think about it.
I actually like this guy. I don't understand why he has such a blindspot here. He feeds the best food, has very well bred, good looking horses. Maintains them so they always look perfect. I just don't get it.
I'm glad you talked to him. Hopefully he'll take some action.
Maybe. He's kind of hard headed. We'll see.
So, what did you learn at your lunch?
This does not sound good. I hope your student stays off this horse. Maybe the owner needs to ride him and let him tie up and fall over on him. That is what's coming.
First time I ever witnessed a horse tie up like this, it was pretty scary. After he recovered from the initial episode, he was pretty ouchy for days.
I think this horse hurts, or is uncomfortable most of the time now. I think that is part of why he is so cranky.
I don't know what to do. I've told the owner my concerns. I've already told my student that riding this horse is not an option until the situation is addressed. That it's cruel. This horse hurts, and why would you want to add to that.
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