Weird horse bite

[knitgirl]

I was tightening the girth on a friend's horse and out of the blue, he bit me, DAM* HARD, on my upper thigh. He's not normally a biter, never given an indication of thinking about biting, so I'm sure I did something to provoke it. When I got home and looked at, there were a few minor scrape marks and you could see a roundish area where the teeth clamped down. It got very black and blue. The weird thing is, the area inside the teethmarks is still swollen 2 months later. I doubt if there's an infection, he didn't really break the skin (I've skinned my knee way worse than this little scrape), and there's no red streaks or heat. It's fairly hard. It probably protrudes at least a 1/2" from my leg. Anybody know what's going on or how long it will take to go away? I am currently unemployed, w/o health insurance (I KNOW, not a good idea when you're going to be around horses!), so I can't afford to go to a Dr. As a side note, anybody know of any cheap, reasonably good individual health insurance? I'm just concerned about covering pretty major events.

[sneederstb]

sometimes horse bites are tough to get rid of, especially if they get a good chunk of you. I had a horse bite me on the side of my stomach and really grabbed my stomach, hurt like ahiuehaiuwheuighag!! How have you been treating it? Have you been icing it, taking advil, etc?

[twofatponies]

2 months later?

I don't think ice will do much at this point.

I assume it doesn't hurt anymore - maybe try gently massaging it every day or a to see if the lump can be dispersed back into circulation. That's folk science, by the way - I'm not a doctor! :D

[kookicat]

Sounds like you've maybe got a bit of a scar forming. I doubt it'll every go away fully.

[Denzel]

I'm pretty sure that what you have is just a hematoma of some sort. A horse bite will certainly damage a lot of the smaller blood vessels, which will cause a hematoma. I got kicked during a fall a few months ago, and I had a huge hematoma for a really long time, and there is still faint bruising and a bit of a "lump" there. Just damaged blood vessels.

[sneederstb]

If you don't have insurance...the best thing to do is make sure that you have a lot of friends that are doctors...just kidding :D but actually, it is helpful haha

[suzyq]

OMG I have the same thing! Got bit about 3 weeks ago. Same situation, horse that never bites lunged at me when I was putting the bridle on and bit the crap out of my stomach. I have the same thing, teeth marks and a large swollen spot. Was bright red but now purple/green.

I have a *bit* of fat on my belly, thought maybe he just compressed it somehow :) Hope it doesn't last as long as yours. I have been massaging it a bit to see if that helps.

I'm so glad he didn't go for my boobs ;)

[vacation1]

The weird thing is, the area inside the teethmarks is still swollen 2 months later. I doubt if there's an infection, he didn't really break the skin (I've skinned my knee way worse than this little scrape), and there's no red streaks or heat. It's fairly hard. It probably protrudes at least a 1/2" from my leg. Anybody know what's going on or how long it will take to go away?

I had something similar happen on my shoulder. I was hit by some old tiles that were thrown off a roof. Ugly cut, lots of bruising, but I just cleaned it out and bandaged it and thought, no problem. 10 years later, there's a still a lump there, though it's smaller and lighter than it was. I was googling around, and I think it's probably a hypertrophic scar, which differs from a normal scar in being raised above the skin. Maybe that's what you've got. From the links below, it seems not to be a result of infection or a break in the skin, just any damage to the tissue, particularly in areas that get a lot of use (like the shoulder and the thigh).

http://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/keloids_and_hypert.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/scars.html
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1057599-overview

[SarahandSam]

No advice on the bruise... but man does that sound painful!

I have regular health insurance through work (not that I use it, I'll take all the dang animals to the vet but never remember to go find a doctor myself), but I also got supplemental accident insurance. Mine is through Combined Insurance of NY. It pays a set amount for injuries or accidents of any sort--I can't remember all the details, but it's something like $100 for the accident itself, and then it pays a daily rate for disability up to 30 days or something, and a more comprehensive plan goes longer. I don't know if it's available for someone who doesn't have regular comprehensive health insurance, though--but if you can find a really cheap basic or state-sponsored plan, the accident insurance would be a nice supplement to it. I like it because if I miss a couple days of work because I get kicked or thrown (or bitten!) at least it's paying me per day if I exceed my sick days.

Damn it, now that I think about it, I should have gone to the ER a few weeks ago when I took a facer--not that I felt that hurt, but my insurance would have covered that, and I would have gotten $100! Gah.

Good luck and hope the bruise/hematoma/hellacious bite mark goes away soon!

(Edited to add: Oops--forgot to add that the good thing about the accident supplement is that it's something like $13 a month, which really isn't too bad.)

[Simkie]

Maybe looks about like this?

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2533261960048290005QobKAS

That's my forearm. Blush bit me about 2 weeks ago. Total fluke thing.

I DO have insurance, and went to the doctor. The lump is a large hematoma that's scarring down. There's actually a crack in the shaft of the ulna. I also have neuritis of the ulnar nerve, so it hurts like hell.

The doctor gave me a script for narcotics and told me to keep up with aleve every 12 hours. He also wrote me a script for physical therapy. He said if the neuritis persisted I may need surgery to free up the nerve.

For you, I'd recommend massage. Manipulating the scar tissue will hurt like hell, but it will start to break it down. Arnica may help and won't hurt.

[suzyq]

So what's with this out-of-the-blue biting? I've never had a horse do this, and this one has never offered to bite until this one time. It was a whopper bite also, no forewarning. I'm wondering if I hit a tooth or something (dentist is coming this week).

[pony89]

My mare got me a few times on my thigh like that a few years ago. Complete with huge bruise, showing upper & lower teeth! Man, that is painful! It gave me a hard lump that didn't go away for months. I chalked it up to a very deep bruise that affected the muscle. I didn't notice exactly when it went away, but it was a long time, longer than 2 months (maybe 6 or so?) It was maybe a little tender if I pressed right on it, but didn't cause a lot of pain past the 1 month point, just the hard lump. I think you are fine if it isn't hurting badly or swollen or hot. It will eventually disolve.

FWIW, my mare dropped this habit when I started doing up her girth one hole at a time, walking around, doing a hole on the other side, walking around, etc. It takes forever to get her tacked up, but after a few months of doing that, she didn't even pin her ears anymore. He might have just been girthy or sensitive like my girl is.

[SlobberHound]

My horse bit me in exactly the same spot, about 7 years ago. It took over 6 months for the hard bumps underneath to dissapear. It eventually went away. What sucked for me, was the day after the bite, I had a gyn appointment. It was hard explaining to the doc what the black and blue giant mark in my inner thigh was from :lol:

When it happened, but involuntary reaction was to punch my horse in his jaw :eek: He has NEVER tried that again.


Maria

[Manes and Tails]

Bruises can take three to six months to heal!

If a horse that doesn't normally bite lays one on you, you probably hurt him. Ulcers or an injury to the girth area come to mind.

Slobber, I once got on a horse with a shark fin wither bareback the day before a gyn. The bruising apparently rather closely resembles the result of a sexual assault. Not funny at the time, but is now.

[knitgirl]

Thanks so much everyone! It did hurt a lot the first 3 or 4 days, I couldn't lay on that side at all, now it's just the hard lump. Simkie, mine is sorta like yours, but it's much more abrupt, it looks like a have 1/2 an orange or something stuck to the outside of my thigh. SlobberHound, inner thing sounds even more painful! I was so taken back, that I wasn't able to whack him w/i the 3 second rule, but I sure yelled loud! He was quite taken by surprise. He hasn't tried to bite me since, I don't know if it was the yelling, (I didn't yell AT him, just the usual expletives), or if I had pinched some skin and he just lashed out. I certainly do pay more attention to being gentle when I tack him up. I'm glad to hear that it will eventually go away. I have been doing some gentle massage on it, but I think I'll put a little more pressure on it.

[FindersKeppers09]

My friend's horse got me last week. She just got her hand operated on and was having trouble doing the buckles on his blanket so I went in to help her and I was holding his halter with one hand and doing the buckles with the other. He was quick an. Sneaky and got the inside of my forearm. He is just a generally pissed off horse on the ground, but under saddle he is quite pleasent. He was a super star on the track so we think he was treated like a king and could do no wrong. But yeah, he left a nice big bruise on my arm and a big , hard-ish lump in the middle. I think I'm going to go see the doctor because it kind of hurts to flex and extend my wrist and I'm worried he got something in there.

[whicker]

That sort of biting frequently is the result of serious pain. An osteopathic visit could check to see if a rib was displaced or if there is something pinching a nerve.

[AnotherRound]

It sounds like he probably really tore the tissue, muscle, I presume, under the skin, perhaps deeply. If he took enough of a bite to tear some of the muscle away, pull it up, yet not pull it out (because the skin didn't break) then the torn chunk of muscle has probably healed in a lump. As someone else mentioned, there is probably scar tissue in there now, too. All this hardens, scar tissue, as it forms. Sometimes it might continue to form for some time, depending on how often it moves or how often it continues to get tiny tears when you move or exercis it.

[PRS]

That sort of biting frequently is the result of serious pain. An osteopathic visit could check to see if a rib was displaced or if there is something pinching a nerve.

I agree....ulcers too can cause a normally docile horse to start acting like a fruit loop.

[wsmoak]

If you want to massage it / put pressure on it to break up adhesions, try a foam roller. http://www.target.com/Ultimate-Foam-Roller-Red/dp/B0007W2FEU

[twofatponies]

So what's with this out-of-the-blue biting? I've never had a horse do this, and this one has never offered to bite until this one time. It was a whopper bite also, no forewarning. I'm wondering if I hit a tooth or something (dentist is coming this week).

The one time I got bit hard enough to count I was tightening the girth on a school horse, and hadn't tied him short, and he swung around and took a small chunk out of my butt. I was so embarrassed (at age 12) I dared not tell the instructor, and rode the whole lesson in agony. LOL

That wasn't "out of the blue" - it was called "ouch the darn girth pinched me you stupid beginner".

[jenarby]

Eeekkk...this brings back some painful memories!
My mare was in foal and I was trying to test her milk with a kit to see how close she was to foaling. She'd never offered to even pin an ear at me. As I took a sample she nailed me hard on the outside of my left thigh. It was a last night check (around midnight) and I was in my PJs. She left a bruise that measure about 7 inches across and scrapes in the middle but didn't truly break the skin. It swelled badly and turned several shades of black and blue. I was like you, couldn't sleep on that side either. Luckily it was right around when the weather was getting warmer so I could wear shorts, even wearing long pants hurt like the devil. Her filly....mare....is now 6 years old. So that many years later and I still have a quarter sized lump as a nice token from that night. The skin is ever so slight discolored, most people wouldn't notice it. The lump is hard and hurts a little if you press hard on it. I did have a doctor look at it about a week after it happened and she said it would heal.....still waiting!

[MSG]

two days ago i was working with some horses i am not familiar with, it was my first day working on the ranch. i was supposed to be brushing them down, and i got to this one that my boss told me i could try and get him but he most likely wouldnt let me(also said that he was just a plain dumb and mean horse and never cooperates, so.). i decided to try though and they said just to be careful, i wasnt worried that much. i went over and he let me in his stall ok and it took a little while but eventually he let me pet his face. he would jerk a little bit and chomp his teeth together but he wouldnt nip at me or anything. he stopped doing that and i pet his neck and he was fine, infact he was nuzzzling with another horse in the stall next door. i brought the brush up to his neck and kind of pet him with it a few times( i was sitting on the fence while doing this) and then all the sudden he jerks and grabs my stomach in his teeth. I fell backwards out of the stall. i talked to my boss and he said that the horse just nips sometimes cause he doesnt think he's got your attention; i just told him i had gotten bit and that's all.
My stomach is now looking more like a painting than skin. its purple, yellow, green, blue, black, red. The Skin broke a little bit and bleeds sometimes when my pants rub against it-the bite didnt tare my shirt, i think it just broke from pressure not sharpness. It really hurts to bend over- today i tripped and caught myself but ended up crying because of the pain. I cant flex that area at all, just the surrounding muscles. i bet it would hurt anyways... it feels like the muscle got ripped apart. there's lines across it. Not really any teeth marks.
I am going to see a doctor tomorrow for a tetanus shot(cut my foot open on some rusty rods as well as my arm on some old barbed wire----this isnt really my week) anyways i guess i will mention it to him. I'll post what he tells me.
Question: i keep hearing to massauge it, but TOUCHING it hurts really bad... so does wearing jeans, in fact any sort of pressure. does ice really help? i am not a strong believer in pain killers, i just dont like to rely on meds, should i give up that and will they really even help me a ton with the pain? Also does anyone have any ideas on why this horse flipped like that and how i can avoid it in the future?

[Come Shine]

Have you tried using Traumeel on it?

[MSG]

no i havent, what is that?

[Shine]

[QUOTE=I'm so glad he didn't go for my boobs ;)[/QUOTE]


*snork*

There are probably safer options for breast enhancement!:D

[MSG]

ya i was really glad i didnt get nabbed there either, funny i have been thinking the same thing the whole time

[Valentina_32926]

Had one on my thigh for about a year from a kick (no shoes thankfully and weanling horse so smaller than full grown horse).

Massage with something hot/warm like linament to speed up the blood flow to the area.

Massage wherever you think about it - sitting in car at redlight, etc... the more often the better.

I no longer have the mark but it took about a year.

[Come Shine]

no i havent, what is that?

http://www.traumeel.com/Traumeel_com_Home.homotox

This was recommended to me after I got bucked off and had a nasty bump on my leg (compartment syndrome). I swear by it now.

[Ride'emCO]

What Simkie said: Arnica (or Traumeel), massage, and NSAIDs (Aleve, Motrin, I wouldn't take Tylenol as it doesn't bring down the swelling). Soaking in a hot Epsom bath 20 minutes per day will also help. :yes:

[MSG]

ok so thanks guys, i went to the doctor and he said to maussauge it to, and that it wasnt anything to horrible, just a bad bruise. its ok to wear pants now haha. its actually close to getting healed, its yellow only and just some scar tissue where the skin broke. The doctor also said it was looking and hurting so bad because the blood all went to the same place, and since i exercise a lot it spread back out really quickly, so ya. thanks :)

[MSG]

and i did take baths and soak it as well. thanks for all the advice!

[raorn01]

Hello everyone when I was 16 in 1998 I was bitten very hard by a racehorse on my upper left arm near the shoulder but not the actual shoulder so this isn't a Rotator cuff injury. The horse held on and tried to pull me into the stall I jerked in the opposite direction. It was black and blue instantly and tons of little red speckled spots like blood but i wasn't bleeding. I was fine but two years later I noticed I had a lump on that arm and when I raised it above a certain point it would hurt, So I went to a doctor and they said I had a fatty tumor so they removed it, the arm still hurts the first surgery was in 2000, 9 years later it was bugging me bad again so I went to a doctor again and they claimed it was a fatty tumor again. So I had it removed the doctor told me in his 15 years he never seen a fatty tumor return a 3rd time, so I figured I was good, now it's 2011 and I have a lump there again and it's really bugging me again my question is what do you guys think it is. A tumor again or maybe scar tissue? I saw something on here called Graston Technique that Chiropractic do. Do you guys think this would help me or any other suggestions my arm has been messed up for 11 years I really want to fix this, btw I lost no strength or range of motion it just hurts when I use it when I lift it above that certain point, some times when I am playing Xbox 360 and I move my thumb I will feel a quick sharp pain near the injury and my thumb isn't anywhere near the horse bite injury. Sorry for my horrible grammar.

[kdow]

What Simkie said: Arnica (or Traumeel), massage, and NSAIDs (Aleve, Motrin, I wouldn't take Tylenol as it doesn't bring down the swelling). Soaking in a hot Epsom bath 20 minutes per day will also help. :yes:

For the record - Tylenol is not an NSAID. It can help with pain, yes (particularly in combination with some narcotic pain killers - it makes a lower dose more effective than it would be otherwise) but it does not actually have any anti-inflammatory properties.

(Not meaning to pick on anyone, just a pet peeve. :) )