horse spooked galloped on road

[HoofHeartSoul]

ok me and my friend were riding our horses down the road, and on our way back, we are going slightly downhill and there are yards that start becoming above head level , a dog decided to run out and being that the dog was above my horses head (because the yard was uphill and we were going downhill)

my horse spooked and did a fast canter, maybe hand gallop down the center of the asphalt road! maybe for about 500 ft then i pulled into a dirt driveway and he stopped perfectly.

i got home and rinsed my horses legs with cold water,put sore no more on, and let him relax eating in his stall, i gave him vitamin e,a little extra cosequin and a little extra flaxseed.

all seems fine, no swelling or heat, no stocking up.

what do you think i should watch out for as far as injuries in my horse. he is sorta used to riding a semi hard ground (indoor arena gets HARD)

[sublimequine]

I really wouldn't worry about it that much. Don't hunters canter on roads sometimes?

[ImJumpin]

While I wouldn't reccomend long gallops on hard ground, I don't think 500 ft will be an issue. My horse is in treatment for a suspensory injury and we are walking and trotting on the road, per Dr's orders.

[twofatponies]

I think that distance won't do any great harm. I do a lot of trotting on roads. Amish horses trot all over the roads, and they go fast. Of course they build up to it the longer distances. Nonetheless, it sounds like you gave him a nice treatment afterwards. I bet he'll be fine.

[ZiggyStardust]

Keep an eye out for splint problems, esp on the front legs. My horse fractured one after having a lovely racehorse gallop when he got loose and ran down the driveway. I think he already had some calcification in the area and his conformation lends him to bear more weight on his inner front splints, so I think these were all contributing factors. May not bother your boy at all, but keep watch for any swelling in the splint areas esp after you work him the next time.

[HoofHeartSoul]

Yes, i was worried about those, since he turned 16 he has been popping splints (pretty sure from being unconditioned and hitting himself)

he currently has three in a row one one leg and q on the other. they are pretty huge!

but surprisingly wasn't lame when any of them appeared :eek::yes:

so yeah i was worried about those splints and causing new ones or bone fractured from cuncussion.

[fourmares]

My old trainer has a guy that GALLOPS hell bent down the road in front of her house everyday at about 4pm. Flat out race horse gallop, no helmet... who knows if the horse is actually sound, but he's sure sound enough to gallop.

As far as potential injuries. Bruised feet, road founder, splints, stress fractures.

[ZiggyStardust]

Yes, I've read and also heard from the vet that often they won't be lame, even with a fracture, because splint injury is usually not that painful. My guy is a sensitive redhead though :rolleyes: but at least he lets me know when he's ouchy.

I'd think there'd at least be swelling, though, so hopefully if you don't see that, then his splints are okay.

[merrygoround]

Ant lumps and bumps that are going to apear should do so by morning. It is unlikey there will be any problem.

Glad you survived without slipping and going down. Now, that can cause problems. ;)

[HoofHeartSoul]

suprisingly when it happened i wasn't even paniced,

i was still able to think clearly "ok what am i gonna do?" "uh oh all this pounding on his legs!" oh boy hope we don't slip ( the scariest time was when i thought of slipping)

then i told my friend to GO TO THE GRASS! ( or any other surface other than asphalt ) just to get the slipping and falling part out of the way , THEN focus on stopping lol.

and proceeded to "merge" on over to a dirt driveway lol ( they stopped perfectly like gentleman ) after i was Laughing and Laughing out of happy to be alive and the visual of all those cars pulling over to the side and us going down the road and what the cars might have been thinking and the looks on our faces.

when he first started he actually pulled out right infront of a white truck like 5 feet behind us. oh boy.

this will be a good story to tell i guess.

.

[CosMonster]

Yeah, galloping on asphalt isn't a good idea especially if they're not shod for it, but a short one like that shouldn't hurt. I bet he's fine.

Glad you got him under control quickly and neither of you were hurt. Spooks on the road like that are so scary, but it sounds like you handled it really well.

[Shadow14]

I routinely loped Strider over a mile or more of pavement. I felt it helped develope denser bone. Becky Heart the famous endurance rider recommended a mile each time you went out at a good sharp trot

[Trakehner]

Hopefully he was in shape.

You might have a worry about road founder...but it doesn't sound like your boy went a long way.

Splints can happen with any tough impact use...

Trotting is sure better on blacktop than a gallop, and as noted, it's considered a good way of producing good bone...as with anything, just not overdone. I drive at the trot for miles with my horse...he does fine and has always been sound...he's shod and has boron buttons to keep from slipping.

Sounds like a keep-your-fingers-crossed and give a bit of bute occasion. Good Luck!

[Shadow14]

Sounds like a keep-your-fingers-crossed and give a bit of bute occasion. Good Luck!

Why would you give bute?? Do you want to mask a potential problem? Bute has it's place, not something to give occasionally.

[Alagirl]

Why would you give bute?? Do you want to mask a potential problem? Bute has it's place, not something to give occasionally.


not occasionally, but on this occasion. Like when you go to the gym, on a jog and over do it just a tad. Not likely you did great damage but something to take the edge off.

[bit-o-honey]

Just a thought - get off and lead through that section of road if you have to go past that spot again. The horses just did what horses do. Fight or flight. They chose flight. Glad it turned out ok. But next time.....get off and lead them. Don't tempt fate.

[spaghetti legs]

Did you get a new horse DJ?? I remember you had tex and the chestnut mare? I thought tex was a youngster, who's your new guy!

[fourmares]

The reason that you might give bute is to keep any swelling or inflamation to a minimum.

[HoofHeartSoul]

He is Fit ( trail ,hills,arena work regularly and turnout), and we walk along the road often, so at least he was used to it at a walk:lol:

He seems perfectly fine, no heat,swelling,etc. all clean legs . and looked very alert and happy and was standing normal. no digital pulse.

all the arena sand being packed down hard probably helped build a little bone and resistance to hard footing.:D

i thought of giving bute, but then i didn't want to mask any problems so i didn't.

Spaghetti Legs: i think you're thinking of another Dressage_junkie ( there is a Dressage_Junky along with a Dressage_J names ohhhhh I see a DressageJunkie without the underdash! that is who you must be talking about) i never had a chestnut mare or a horse named tex , :no: sorry lol