How to protect your horse from perils in the pasture, barn and stall.

1. Danger, Danger Everywhere
Danger
How to protect your horse from perils in
the pasture, stall and barn.
Flying Horse Veterinary Practice, LLC
Brandy Snedden, DVM

2. Why horses should be bubble
wrapped
● Remember Newton's second
law of motion?
● Force= Mass x Acceleration
● Horses have lots of mass as
well as acceleration so they
can generate lots of force,
especially when they spook!
● Horses are also often times
too curious for their own good,
putting their noses places they
shouldn't and eating things
they would do better to avoid.

3. Why do horses spook?
External forces
● External forces: Gunshots, deer, shadow,
butterflies, etc.
● Can cause horses to run blindly.
● Anything that is not EXTREMELY visible,
can become a potential trap.

4. Why do horses spook?
Tactile
● Tactile: Unexpected
or painful contact
● Unexpected is
similar to external
and can cause blind
panic.
● Painful contact
causes horses to jerk
away and it is the
sudden jerk that
causes lacerations.

5. Danger in the Stall:
Buckets
● Buy buckets with rubber tip
guards on the tail ends of the
handle and/or wrap the ends
with duct tape or electrical tape,
so there's no way horse hair (or
nostrils) can get caught.
● Use a handle-less bucket or tub
if you intend to set it on the
ground. The handle can create
a hazard if the bucket gets
tipped over and the horse gets
a leg caught in it.
● When hanging, position buckets
above pawing height.

6. Danger in the Stall
Tack hooks
● While tack hooks are very
handy, avoid hanging them
over the front of the stall
where a horse might catch
them with their eyelid.
● Instead find a way to secure
them to the front of the stall
either with nails bent up and
back into the wood or with a
loop of twine tied to the
bars.

7. Danger in the Stall
Door Latches
● Horses often perceive
that if their head fits
through an opening, it
is large enough for the
rest of their body and
don't note protrusions
such as door latches.
● Horses can catch hips
and shoulders on door
latches as well as
removing doors from
their tracks.

8. Danger in the Stall
Hay nets
● Just like Goldilocks and the
three bears, haynets need
to be hung neither too high,
nor too low but rather just
right.
● When empty, the bottom
should be no lower than the
point of shoulder and the top
at about the level of the
withers.
● Small holes are generally
better than large but can still
cause issues if not hanged
properly.

9. Danger in the Stall
Stall Guards
● Stall guards pose two possible
dangers.
– Danger of getting legs
caught in the stall guard
– Danger of the horse
injuring themselves on
obstacles outside the
stall.
● When using, consider the
Goldilocks principle from the
haynet discussion and position
just right.

10. Danger in the Stall
Blanket bars (with dutch doors)
● Pairing a blanket bar
with a dutch door can
allow horses to reach
over the stall and catch
their lower jaw under the
bar resulting in a
mandibular fracture.
● If using a stall guard,
consider the same issue
could happen with a
blanket bar positioned
beside the stall.

11. Danger in the Stall:
Choke
● The term “choke” describes a blockage of the esophagus rather
than the trachea, so unlike the same term in humans, choke in
horses is not immediately life threatening.
● Generally caused by eating too fast or without chewing well
before swallowing (apples, hay cubes, dry beet pulp, grain).
● Characteristic stance and bright green nasal discharge.
● May resolve on its own in 30-60 minutes, otherwise call your
veterinarian.

12. Danger in the Stall/Pasture
Blankets● A properly fitted blanket on a
compliant horse can be helpful
in certain situations (old, thin,
actively competing, extreme
weather)..
● Blankets and can turn into
expensive veterinary bills or
even death traps.
● Blankets should be fitted
properly with straps neither too
tight nor too loose
● Chest clips should face the
horse so they don't get caught
on anything.

14. Danger in the Stall/Pasture
Nylon/Rope Halters
● If leaving a halter on a
horse in a
stall/pasture, stick to a
break away or leather
halter.
● Nylon or rope halters
can be great tools but
should only be used
when the horse can be
directly supervised.

15. Danger in the Barn
Chain Shanks
● Chain shanks can be useful
tools in the right hands.
● If the chain is not needed
either switch to a normal
lead or apply it around the
halter until an acceptable
amount is hanging off.
● Never double the shank
back on itself as a horse
can get its foot caught in the
loop and panic resulting in
disaster.

16. Danger in the Barn
Extension cords
● Keep electric cords out of
horses' reach to prevent shock
or electrocution.
● Keep use of extension cords in
a barn to a minimum (preferably
none). When using be sure to
use heavy duty cords.
● If using Lasko box fans, use the
ones with blue plugs as they
have an internal fuse.
● Free motors of dust annually at
minimum

17. Danger in the Barn
Metal siding
● Horses can easily kick through the metal siding on pole barns
if there is no solid surface behind the metal to stop the hoof.
● The resulting wounds are severe often include severing of
tendons, arteries, veins and nerves around the canon bone.
● To prevent this be sure to line metal siding at minimum 4 feet
up anywhere horses can access the building (inside or
outside)

18. Danger in the Barn
Feed bins
● Feed bins should ALWAYS
be kept between a closed +/-
locked door.
● A lid on a garbage can rarely
stops a determined horse.
● Horses that get into grain risk
founder and life threatening
colic.
● Call a veterinarian
IMMEDIATELY if your horse
gets into the grain!

19. Danger in the Pasture
Obstacles
● Horses are often too curious
for their own good.
● As discussed earlier they can
also generate a lot of force
when they spook (or go
running headlong at night).
● Minimize obstacles in the field
when possible and when not
possible, try to make obstacle
more visible by painting with a
white stripe or tape.

20. Danger in the Pasture
High Tensile Wire Fence
● High tensile wire is often
used because it is
inexpensive, however a
single injury can make the
price difference moot.
● Difficult to see (especially
at night).
● When hit at speed, it acts
like a cheese slicer, with
your horse's skin as the
cheese.
● It can also break and wrap
around legs as horses
struggle.

21. Danger in the Pasture
Barbed Wire Fence
● Nicknamed “Devil's
Rope” early on due to its
ability to entangle and
cause significant injuries
to both man and beast.
● Similar to high tensile
wire in terms of visibility
and worse in terms of
injuries due to the
barbs.

22. Danger in the Pasture
T-posts
● Named for the shape of
the post makes when
viewed in cross section.
● Horses have been known
to impale themselves on
the posts.
● Always use a cap for the
post to minimize the risk.
● Not sturdy enough for
tying a horse.

23. Danger in the Pasture:
Cost of injuries
● Wounds on average cost
$500-$1500 by the time
they are completely
healed.
● Your time medicating
and bandaging horse.
● Possible permanent loss
of soundness.

24. Danger in the Pasture
Sand
● Can occur in any horse
grazing on sand (from
arena or sandy soil of
Florida).
● Sand gets stuck in the
cecum.
● Causes signs of low grade
persistent colic.
● Can be tested by dropping
a fecal ball in a jar of water
and waiting to see if sand
settle out.
● Can treat with psyllium.

25. Danger in the Pasture:
Poisonous Plants: Foxtail
● Many different types.
Some grow to be almost
3 feet tall with drooping
heads, other spread out
similar to crab grass.
● All have heads with soft
bristles that can become
embedded in horse's lips.
● Can be in pasture or hay.

26. Danger in the Pasture:
Poisonous Plants: Good News
● In general “the dose makes the poison” so
horses, being rather large animals, often need to
eat a fair amount of the poisonous plant to cause
effect.
● Many poisonous plants are unpalatable so horses
will not eat unless there is nothing else available.

27. Danger in the Pasture:
Poisonous Plants: Bad News
● Many plants cause
similar, general signs
such as “colic” or
“lethargy” so it is difficult
to determine if a
particular case is caused
by a specific plant.
● Most plants don't have
antidotes, and are treated
instead with supportive
care (IV fluids, activated
charcoal).

28. Danger in the Pasture:
Poisonous Plants: Clinical Signs
● Dilated pupils (nightshade)
● Excessive salivation (red
clover)
● “cherry” red mucous
membranes (cherry)
● Muddy brown mucous
membranes (red maple)
● Sunburned white patches
on body (alsike clover)
● Sudden death (yew)

29. Danger in the Pasture:
Poisonous Plants: Prevention
●
Try to keep pastures
appropriately stocked
so that pasture is
sustainable throughout
the year.
● If not possible, keep
hay available to
minimize horses
searching for “weeds”
to eat

30. Questions?