Accidents on the Trail

Accidents on the Trail

Accidents with horses on the trail run the gamut from a stone bruise or minor bleeding cut to lost horses to major incidents including injured rider(s) and horses with broken limbs. This article is intended to make you aware of the problems that might be encountered and provide some simple solutions to the prevention and mitigation of the more serious scenarios. An educated rider is a safer rider!

PREPARATION

Wear appropriate clothing and safety gear for the difficulty of the trail and be prepared for the weather. This will include at a minimum a helmet (ASTM/SEI rated) and boots (something comfortable to WALK out in!). Most prepared riders will carry gloves, a cell phone (with pre-programmed phone numbers for the veterinarian, friends with horses, and family members), trail knife and/or hoofpick, extra clothing, strong leadrope and a map. Prepared riders have a first aid kit for horses and people in their trailer at the trail head, or even better - in the saddlebags. Having obtained training in how to use the first aid kit, administer CPR, and first aid techniques is important.

Make sure you and your horse are physically and mentally prepared to meet the demands of the trail. Training issues and ideas are not within the scope of this publication, but your horse should at a minimum be capable of being ridden safely at a walk, trot, back, turn, and stop/stand when you ask. You and the horse should be physically conditioned appropriately. Any horse should have been vaccinated and dewormed properly in coordination with your veterinarian well in advance of trailriding season. Further preparation should arguably include the ability to sidepass, move off your leg and rein cues, and successfully negotiate obstacles (bridges, small jumps, puddles, tarps, etc.).

Tailor your trail riding speed to the condition of the trail and your horse. If there are loose pebbles, ice, or slick mud you should be cautious not to unbalance your mount when riding. Faster riding will obviously increase the chances of injury to your horse, and thereby to you.

There is a complex hierarchy within the herd which includes each animal knowing it’s place in the so-called “pecking order”. If animals low on this scale are placed with a much higher animal or new animals in a confined space – there may be serious bodily damage done to the animals as they fight or try to escape from being injured. Animals should be given plenty of room in confinement situations on the trail (tied on picket lines, steep trails, between trees and rocks, etc.) to be able to escape injury and move out of the alpha animal’s personal space. Many serious kicking injuries to horses and humans occur on trail rides where the animal behind is following too closely.

Stay ON the marked trails, follow the map and pay attention to signs and warnings on the trail. At watering places stay close to the edge where you can clearly see any obstacles or hazards, and cross only where it is obvious that others have gone before. Do not cut across switchbacks or attempt any obstacle that looks dangerous. It probably is! If the weather turns, have a plan for protecting yourself from extreme heat, cold, lightning, or flooding.

The BLOODY WOUND or TEAR

Horses have a tremendous amount of blood in their bodies (5 to 7 gallons depending on weight) and can easily compensate for the loss of small amounts of blood gained in the normal bites, scrapes, kicks, scratches and punctures that come with trail riding. Riding through poorly maintained trails will increase the hazards of brambles, rough terrain and obstacles that may result in small bloody scrapes. These will normally clot and stop flowing within a few minutes.

If the tear is more serious, a prodigious amount of blood may be secreted from the wound before clotting occurs. Usually slight pressure on the wound will assist clotting to occur. If the wound has torn an artery – there will be spurting of blood from the wound. Use more pressure or a bandage to encourage clotting. Do NOT attempt such extreme methods as tourniquets! Then keep the horse quiet and walk it out to the nearest trailhead and transport it to veterinary facilities.

Small punctures such as a stick that pokes into the skin and muscle should be cleaned and referred to veterinary attention at the end of the ride to prevent abcess formation. More major punctures, especially to the eye, abdominal, thoracic or nasal cavity will require immediate contact via telephone to a veterinarian (if possible) or first aid to be given. NEVER remove an object sticking out – leave it in and wrap a bandage around it to keep it stable – then hand-walk the animal to the nearest trailhead.

Tetanus antitoxin or a tetanus toxoid booster should be administered as soon as possible regardless of the type of injury.

Very serious punctures or tears that cause exposure of organs (brain, abdominal organs, etc) should be immediately bandaged to prevent contamination and slipping of the organs out of their cavities. Immediate contact of rescue personnel and veterinarian should be considered. These animals may need to be euthanized to prevent suffering if very far from the trailhead and veterinary facilities.

The LOOSE HORSE

Horses have a herd mentality, and a strong tendency to want to be with others of its species can be used to your advantage in attempting to catch loose horses, as well as to keep the herd together out on over-night camping trips with horses. In general prevention is the best policy – make sure all horses are under physical control at all times (haltered, with strong lead ropes). If you are in a backcountry situation where grazing is allowed, use bells and hobbles on all stock to prevent their getting very far if spooked or scared, and make it easier for you to find them if they do. Very few areas allow or encourage loose horse grazing! Most require you to hand walk the horse to graze.

Do NOT chase a scared and loose horse. Try calling and shaking a container of pebbles as though it contains grain or a treat (if you really have treats – so much the better!) Form a small group with all the other horses so that loose one will want to come to you in order to be close to his buddies.

Sometimes a horse will be so distracted or close enough to familiar territory that it leaves the riding group anyway. In this case, you can hope that it will go to familiar surroundings (the trail head, the trailer, or the barn). DO NOT chase the horse on your horse at a fast rate of speed – it is not worth getting injured while trying to re-capture the animal. You will only scare it further down the trail. Get off and walk when you get close…it may come to your led horse.

If the loose horse crosses roads – do NOT get yourself killed trying to chase it down! Flag down drivers and warn them that there is a loose horse along the road. Call 911 and report the incident – emergency responders will try to help at least warn traffic.

Follow the horse’s tracks as far as possible – in some cases the animal may get off the trail and get lost and injured. Mark the trail that the animal followed so that later help can follow the trail. At this point you will need backup from fellow riders and people on foot to track the animal. Use of a judas animal tied at a trailer will very often cause the loose animal to come in to be caught.

The MINOR LAMENESS

A horse may become lame from having an object get wedged into the hoof near the frog, in the sole, or between a very loose shoe and the sole. These types of lameness will cause a significant change in the gait and impulsion of the animal. Carry a hoof pick or trail knife to remove the object. If the shoe is loose enough to impede gait – remove it. Most of the time the animal will regain normal gait in a few minutes. If not – severe bruising may have occurred to the bottom of the hoof. The animal should be hand-walked back to the closest access with a trailer, then taken to a veterinarian and farrier for further evaluation of the injury. If hand-walking is not possible due to distance or poor rider condition, ride slowly to the closest trailhead. Padding of the hoof with bandages or shoe alternatives (Easy Boot, Old Mac’s Boots) may assist the animal with normal movement and protection.

Minor lameness may also occur with a horse that is not in good trail riding condition that gets sore joints or muscles. This animal should be hand-walked out to the nearest trailhead, then further evaluated and carefully watched for worsening conditions such as colic, further lameness or laminitis.

The MAJOR LAMENESS

A horse can become seriously lame from twisting or wrenching of its legs such as stepping into a hole, slipping on wet soil, ice or rocks, falling down or tripping, catching the leg in a log or hole between the sides, or a myriad of other causes. The legs of horses do not have any muscular protection below the carpus (knee) and thus are subject to serious compromise of the blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues of the area. (Blood loss is discussed above.) Fractures (compound or otherwise) are relatively rare in trail horses as their bones are very strong, unless the horse falls, rolls down a trail or gets seriously kicked by another horse.

Road founder or laminitis due to hard and fast work on hard surfaces (roads, gravel, etc.) or complications from colic, and is a serious condition that must be immediately treated when noticed (symptoms are an unusual stance as the animal attempts to spread its weight onto other legs, general pain, and refusal to move). These animals SHOULD NOT BE MOVED, a veterinarian should be summoned to the location of the horse for treatment.

Overwork in deep sandy footing can cause swelling and heat of the ligaments and tendons in the legs. These factors can lead to a horse that is “3 legged lame” or incapable of bearing weight on a particular leg. Horses do not react well to pain, and may become more fractious and further injure themselves.

Even slight fractures of the bones of the legs are grave injuries in horses. If possible, keep the animal lying down on the ground without flailing and struggling, or allow him to stand quietly while a splint is applied to the leg to stabilize the structures of the leg. Compound fractures will probably require field euthanasia of the animal to prevent suffering, unless equine ambulance personnel and equipment are available in your area.

The MINOR SICKNESS

A horse may react to a flu or cold similarly to a human – with fever, general malaise, poor attitude, and even the manifestations of swollen lymph glands, coughing, soreness, and mucus production from the nose and throat. It is rare for these conditions to overwhelm a horse out on a short trail ride, unless the animal is allergic (also very rare) to environmental allergens encountered on the trail. Instead the rider should pay close attention to what is normal for the horse and not take it out if sickness is developing. This is only a common courtesy to the horse and to other riders out on their trail with their mounts. (Plus it is against the law in many states to take a sick animal into a gathering of other healthy animals.)

The MAJOR SICKNESS

Horses can be overwhelmed by a condition called colic – a multi-symptom and multi-factorial condition that is manifested by a range of symptoms from sweating, general depression, looking at the sides, attempts to lie down and roll, to violent thrashing and unrelenting pain. Animals that are not physically prepared for the demands of a trailride, and those who snatch unusual plants from the sides of the trail are candidates for this serious condition. This is a medical emergency and the animal must be evacuated to the nearest trailhead for treatment by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Administration of analgesics such as Banamine may allow the horse to remain comfortable while walking out, but should be administered under the direction of a veterinarian via telephonic communication where possible.

THE INJURED RIDER

Riders can be scraped, knocked off, kicked, stomped, scratched, bitten, bucked off, crushed, and generally easily injured on a trailride. Having a first aid kit and training in how to deal with minor and major injuries on the trail for humans are important preparation for this occurrence. Having a phone to call for EMS assistance is even more important! In general, keep the victim warm, still, and calm. (Treatment of severe injuries, minor wounds, diseases, and shock is beyond the scope of this article.)

TECHNICAL RESCUE SITUATIONS

This refers to the physical entrapment of a horse that has slipped off the trail; gotten stuck in mud, water or ice; etc. Horses are large and heavy – but are extremely sensitive and require close medical attention to prevent their going into shock and dying in rescue situations. Call for help (veterinarian, 911, friends with horses) immediately, then attempt to keep the animal calm.

Horses are normally surefooted animals, but occasionally the combination of slippery trail conditions, off-balanced rider, and distracted, fractious, or scared animals can result in an animal loosing its footing. Sometimes in a effort to escape traffic noise, a train coming, or spooky trail obstacle the horse will flee off the trail into an entrapment situation.

Horses able to maintain their footing may be led out by hand, or assisted by encircling their chest (at the level of the girth) with a forward assist web or rope sling to help the horse move up a steep bank. Leading out sometimes involves going DOWN to the nearest branch of the trail! Never jerk or pull on the horse’s head or halter – it must have full use of its head, neck and legs to balance and move. The forward assist is particularly useful in encouraging the animal to extricate itself from mud, ice, or steep ravines.

Horses that are upside down or wedged between trees and rocks will require the assistance of a trained rescue team for safe extrication, which will probably include sedation by a veterinarian. The backwards drag in which a web is placed around the hips and back thru between the back legs can allow better attachment points on the horse for maneuvering by a team of rescuers.

Sometimes a horse is lured into a mud trap by the prospect of drinking in a stream or lake, and goes beyond the ford or edge of the water. Riders can be severely injured and drowned by their horse’s frantic lunges as the mud increases its grip on the animal. GET OFF the animal and allow it to attempt to get to safe footing without jerking on its head or having your weight on its back. If you can SAFELY remove the tack (which will prevent the animal’s hoof getting stuck in a stirrup or loose rein), do so. Pulling on the head and neck will only panic the animal – try threading a rope or web sling around the chest at the level of the girth and pulling to forward assist the animal as it struggles.

CONCLUSION

Most trail rides are an enjoyable outing with friends, looking at the beautiful scenery around you as you glide thru the forests and fields on your horse. Awareness of, and preparation for the worst case scenarios will make all trail riders more safety conscious and capable of preventing accidents and wrecks on the trail.