Jason Maki
12-07-2004, 09:21 PM
I was working on a horse I have shod for several years today. He was at a new barn, and a little nervous. Stick is a nervous T'bred anyway, but has always been sensible, relying on me to stay calm. I met the owner of the barn, but she left to go to a conference. I was left in the barn with an eleven year old. I trimmed him, built the shoes, burned the clips in and nailed them up. He was his normal, fidgity self, but completley normal. When I was sanding the last front foot, the rain exploded onto the sheet metal roof. Stickers freaked, pulled to the end of the crossties, broke one ring( metal, not twine...) and then calmed. I slowly walked to his withers, scratched him and gently called him a big dork. I walked him forward to retreive the end of the tie when I noticed a large bloody spot. My brain said "what the hell'" as my eyes witnesed a 1/4 inch geyser of blood pump from the corner of his jaw. I slammed my hand over the jet and pushed hard. The blood oozed out from under my palm and between my fingers. I yelled for the girl to call the vet, call her mom, or just get an adult!
She left the barn wide eyed, without saying a word. I am now alone with a wouned horse. I began to think, and noted that the blood appeared dark and had not pulsed, but came out in a steady, though large stream. I was fairly certain the damage had occured to a vein. I Applied pressure for 20 minutes, unable to remove my hand to get my cell out mytruck. My hand and arm were covered in blood:the groundd like the floor ofthe Iraqi Minsitry of Truth. The only thing missing were the rats in a cage and "Victory" cigarettes crunched out by hobnailed boots.( A "1984" reference for effect!) I had no idea if the child had run off into the rain, fainted or gone to play XBox. My arm began to cramp, and the blood was no longer seeping out from under my palm, so I slowly removed my hand.
No stream.
I led him to his stall, wrapped the lead around the post that held the gate, sent a little prayer to God, Allah, Jawweah and St. CLem. Apperently they were not listening because as I turned to run to my truck, the blood pulsed out again a full eight inches from his jowel. I slammed my hand over the gusher, wishing I had taught my dog how to retreive cell phones. If it looked like a Mcdonalds Cheeseburger, he would get it right away. He would of course ingest it before I could call for help. Ten minutes later I hear the door open, and the horse owner yells
" Hi, Jason!"
I assume that she knows of Sticks wound, so in my ineffable manner I attempt to releive some stress.
"Hi Pam, the good new is I only cut his throat half open!"
"WHAT!?"
I then realized, a little late, that she had came of her own volition. She had no idea of the gory seen in the barn. Where was the little girl? Maybe she really did run of screaming into the rain?
I calmly explained the accident and the injury, and she called three vets before one was not out on an emergency call. Apperently all of the horses in Western PA had decided to have vicious shaving accidents today! I removed my hand and we used a towel held in place with a polo wrap to staunch the flow of fiery red fluid. I washed my arm and hands in my bucket and went to trim the yearling. His eyes bugged out when I told him he had better behave or I would cut his throat,too! Just as I was going to ask the owner if she had seen the girl, the Barn owner, the little girl and her brother came in the barn. Apperently, she had ran and told her brother that SOMETHING TERRIBLE had happened to Stick and the horse guy said to call the vet. He could not dial from the barn, so had been calling from the house. He had not come out because he had seen Sticks mom come to the barn.
The girl was not lost, the horse did not bleed to death , I learned never work on a horse without break away ties, and keep my cell on my box!
I asked my wife for some compression bandages from her jump bag, but she just stuck her tongue out at me...apparently they do not make those for horses! She said if they did, they would be a towel held in place by a polo wrap pulled tight! :eek: :cool:
"Man, was I pooped", to borrow a phrase!
Jason "Equine first aid responder" Maki
She left the barn wide eyed, without saying a word. I am now alone with a wouned horse. I began to think, and noted that the blood appeared dark and had not pulsed, but came out in a steady, though large stream. I was fairly certain the damage had occured to a vein. I Applied pressure for 20 minutes, unable to remove my hand to get my cell out mytruck. My hand and arm were covered in blood:the groundd like the floor ofthe Iraqi Minsitry of Truth. The only thing missing were the rats in a cage and "Victory" cigarettes crunched out by hobnailed boots.( A "1984" reference for effect!) I had no idea if the child had run off into the rain, fainted or gone to play XBox. My arm began to cramp, and the blood was no longer seeping out from under my palm, so I slowly removed my hand.
No stream.
I led him to his stall, wrapped the lead around the post that held the gate, sent a little prayer to God, Allah, Jawweah and St. CLem. Apperently they were not listening because as I turned to run to my truck, the blood pulsed out again a full eight inches from his jowel. I slammed my hand over the gusher, wishing I had taught my dog how to retreive cell phones. If it looked like a Mcdonalds Cheeseburger, he would get it right away. He would of course ingest it before I could call for help. Ten minutes later I hear the door open, and the horse owner yells
" Hi, Jason!"
I assume that she knows of Sticks wound, so in my ineffable manner I attempt to releive some stress.
"Hi Pam, the good new is I only cut his throat half open!"
"WHAT!?"
I then realized, a little late, that she had came of her own volition. She had no idea of the gory seen in the barn. Where was the little girl? Maybe she really did run of screaming into the rain?
I calmly explained the accident and the injury, and she called three vets before one was not out on an emergency call. Apperently all of the horses in Western PA had decided to have vicious shaving accidents today! I removed my hand and we used a towel held in place with a polo wrap to staunch the flow of fiery red fluid. I washed my arm and hands in my bucket and went to trim the yearling. His eyes bugged out when I told him he had better behave or I would cut his throat,too! Just as I was going to ask the owner if she had seen the girl, the Barn owner, the little girl and her brother came in the barn. Apperently, she had ran and told her brother that SOMETHING TERRIBLE had happened to Stick and the horse guy said to call the vet. He could not dial from the barn, so had been calling from the house. He had not come out because he had seen Sticks mom come to the barn.
The girl was not lost, the horse did not bleed to death , I learned never work on a horse without break away ties, and keep my cell on my box!
I asked my wife for some compression bandages from her jump bag, but she just stuck her tongue out at me...apparently they do not make those for horses! She said if they did, they would be a towel held in place by a polo wrap pulled tight! :eek: :cool:
"Man, was I pooped", to borrow a phrase!
Jason "Equine first aid responder" Maki