[JCS]

So I went out to the barn today to drop off a check, and went to feed my guy an apple before running off to my daughter's gymnastics class. Noticed his hind legs looked kinda puffy.... Climbed into the paddock to investigate and find considerable swelling from pastern to hock area, some biggish gashes on the hocks, and... what the hell am I looking at here... BOTH of his hind chestnuts are completely torn OFF. I don't mean just the fingernail-like part, I mean there were open wounds left behind. One of them was hanging by a thread and one was just an open wound. Has anyone ever seen anything like this before? What the heck!?

So, fine, horse has hurt himself in turnout, these things happen. I scampered over to the BO who had just pulled in, and asked if she had seen his legs. Come to find out, she has known since yesterday morning and never called me. My trainer (BO's daughter) discovered the situation when she went to ride my horse on Wednesday morning. To her credit, she hosed, wrapped, and put him in a stall (although he flipped out because he hates being in, so they put him back out). Supposedly the swelling was much better after this treatment. But... but... they never called me, or texted me, or anything. Am I right to have expected to be called in a situation like this?

Secondly, the only hypothesis anyone can come up with as to what happened is that a pony did it. My horse is turned out with a small pony, and BO says she has seen them playing a game where they chase each other in circles with the pony biting at my horse's hocks. (This is the first I've heard of this.) Seems like the obvious answer is that the pony bit the chestnuts. Now, my horse is still out with this same pony. When I suggested they separate the two, BO got very defensive and pointed out that we don't KNOW it was the pony, it could have been something else. Am I being unreasonable here?

[JGHIRETIRE]

I would be very unhappy as well - you (at the moment) can't know for sure the pony did it - but all indicators point to that.
For one thing they didn't call you - BIG NO NO. At least have the decency to call.
And they need to think about another place to put one or the other so it doesn't happen again.

So I went out to the barn today to drop off a check, and went to feed my guy an apple before running off to my daughter's gymnastics class. Noticed his hind legs looked kinda puffy.... Climbed into the paddock to investigate and find considerable swelling from pastern to hock area, some biggish gashes on the hocks, and... what the hell am I looking at here... BOTH of his hind chestnuts are completely torn OFF. I don't mean just the fingernail-like part, I mean there were open wounds left behind. One of them was hanging by a thread and one was just an open wound. Has anyone ever seen anything like this before? What the heck!?

So, fine, horse has hurt himself in turnout, these things happen. I scampered over to the BO who had just pulled in, and asked if she had seen his legs. Come to find out, she has known since yesterday morning and never called me. My trainer (BO's daughter) discovered the situation when she went to ride my horse on Wednesday morning. To her credit, she hosed, wrapped, and put him in a stall (although he flipped out because he hates being in, so they put him back out). Supposedly the swelling was much better after this treatment. But... but... they never called me, or texted me, or anything. Am I right to have expected to be called in a situation like this?

Secondly, the only hypothesis anyone can come up with as to what happened is that a pony did it. My horse is turned out with a small pony, and BO says she has seen them playing a game where they chase each other in circles with the pony biting at my horse's hocks. (This is the first I've heard of this.) Seems like the obvious answer is that the pony bit the chestnuts. Now, my horse is still out with this same pony. When I suggested they separate the two, BO got very defensive and pointed out that we don't KNOW it was the pony, it could have been something else. Am I being unreasonable here?

[HillnDale]

Am I right to have expected to be called in a situation like this?

Am I being unreasonable here?

>Yes, of course.

>Have you done anything unreasonable? You haven't described anything unreasonable. If you were angry while talking to the BO, s/he was probably feeling defensive about being confronted, not at the suggestion that the 2 be separated. That sounds worth a try, or at least worth considering.

[PrimoAmor]

I expect a call whenever bleeding is involved. Period.

I've never heard of a horse biting off another's chestnuts. I also haven't heard of them ripping their own off either. If they know the pony has been biting at your horses hocks they should definitely move one of them. Obviously something happened.

[Tif_Ann]

I would be upset over not being called. However, the circling/biting game ... well, I've seen it before, especially with my ex-stallion. I even caught it on video once:

http://youtu.be/zTVAE8lAdMg

When I've seen it, they are "biting" at the outside of the hock. It's a dominance game - making them move. Occasionally I've seen him go for the front leg and take the other horse down to their knees as well. However, I would find it difficult to see how that kind of normal game play would result in the chestnut being ripped off. Are there teeth marks on either side of the leg?

[fourmares]

I don't know... you horse really only has superficial scrapes. It isn't an injury tbat required your immediate attention. They handled it... what would you have done really if they had called you?

I doubt it was the pony. More likely he got cast somewhere.

[HillnDale]

I don't' think of significant swelling as a superficial scrape - and it could get more significant in a hurry. It's not the BO's decision to make about how serious it is unless they also want to deal with any medical costs.

I thought the story was a little weird, too, but I've never seen injury to both chestnuts simultaneously, which is inherently weird.

[danceronice]

I don't expect to be called for minor bleeding (horses happen) but something that is at minimum really bizarre? I'd have liked a heads-up.

[Ponyclubrocks]

Their failure to communicate and their defensive attitude would have me looking for a new barn pronto.

[ako]

Their failure to communicate and their defensive attitude would have me looking for a new barn pronto.

This. If not feasible right away, I would certainly keep my eyes open.

I expect a call or text if my horse is injured in any way (blood beyond a tiny cosmetic scrape, lameness), not feeling well, lost shoes, or did anything that would require monitoring or future vigilance.

It's hard to trust a BO who doesn't ring or text for this type of thing.

You have every right to be very angry.

[Simkie]

I've also had a horse that somehow managed to remove her chestnuts, and they do grow back. No worries there.

I would be LIVID, though, that the barn felt the horse was injured enough to bring in, cold hose, wrap and keep inside but did not feel the need to call me. SO not okay. If they just think it's a scrape, FINE--you don't have to call me--but if you're concerned enough about the issue to go through the trouble of bringing in, hosing and wrapping, that deserves a call or a text or a smoke signal.

I don't think it's necessarily a "get the hell out of there" error, but I would definitely have a pointed conversation with the barn owner about what sort of things you want to hear about.

[TheJenners]

I would be LIVID, though, that the barn felt the horse was injured enough to bring in, cold hose, wrap and keep inside but did not feel the need to call me. .

This. Obviously they did feel it was a big deal. I don't know about the rest of you, but cold hosing is time consuming and wrapping, etc is a PITA. Rory and Odie (who play hard and bite each other's legs) bang themselves up and at most I smear some on unappreciated triple-antibiotic and turn them back out.

[goneriding24]

I don't know anything about what to do with the BO and the help, so no help there. But I do know, in all my decades of owning many, many horses, I've never had ONE do any such thing on one leg, much less two legs. Matter of fact, I've never heard of such a thing! Are there any other marks on the legs, such as long stripes or strips?? I'd almost think your horse got caught somewhere, by the back legs, and in struggling to get out, might have wiped them off. But a bite?? By a pony?? Why didn't the chestnut just come on off?? Next time you're at the barn, check around the pen/corral/paddock and look for teeny little hairs and disturbed earth.

[Sansena]

Agree.. I'd want to hear about it from the BO/ BM before finding it this way.

But: Just how long were those chestnuts anyway?

[Crockpot]

But I do know, in all my decades of owning many, many horses, I've never had ONE do any such thing on one leg, much less two legs. Matter of fact, I've never heard of such a thing! Are there any other marks on the legs, such as long stripes or strips?? I'd almost think your horse got caught somewhere, by the back legs, and in struggling to get out, might have wiped them off. But a bite?? By a pony?? Why didn't the chestnut just come on off?? Next time you're at the barn, check around the pen/corral/paddock and look for teeny little hairs and disturbed earth.

Yes. The fact that it is both chestnuts is odd. My first thought would be perhaps someone tried to remove them and botched it. Otherwise hard to think of how he could rip off both and doubtful that the pony did it.

[SMF11]

I agree, better communication is needed. However, the barn did the right thing and treated the injury, right? In that case I would not be so quick to leave over this incident. (If there is more than this, then my advice would change).

To me, the issue is that you would like better communication. Why not have a conversation with them about that?

And then, the other issue is how this happened in the first place. I would not *assume* it was any one thing (pony) without having some evidence to point you in that direction.

[BoysNightOut]

I'd be pissed. Not so much as he got hurt in turnout, because it happens, but because they didn't call you.

Little nicks, or scratches I don't feel a need for a call. But if my horse comes in with a bleeding wound, especially if it was swelling, I at least get a text from my BO. That's just ridiculous if you ask me. For all the time they spent cold hosing & wrapping, they could have at least shot you a text or gave you a call.

Hope your horse is on the mend.

[trubandloki]

If I was going to be pissed at someone it would probably be the trainer more than the BO. Trainer found it and treated it, they should have called you.

Being out with the pony would not worry me.

[Liberty]

Yes. The fact that it is both chestnuts is odd. My first thought would be perhaps someone tried to remove them and botched it. Otherwise hard to think of how he could rip off both and doubtful that the pony did it.

That is my thought, too.

[Crockpot]

considerable swelling from pastern to hock area, some biggish gashes on the hocks, and... what the hell am I looking at here... BOTH of his hind chestnuts are completely torn OFF. I don't mean just the fingernail-like part, I mean there were open wounds left behind. One of them was hanging by a thread and one was just an open wound.

Gashes, swollen legs a open wounds? Yes, I would certainly expect a call or some notification if this is accurate.