We had a horse come into uni today with non-weight bearing lameness on its left foreleg. Owner found it in the paddock like that. Limb was abducted indicating some neurological damage. A few xrays later and we find a fractured humerus. It's being treated for shock and given pain meds overnight while the owner decides what to do. The uni reckon it's possible to treat but that would mean some major surgery and several months box rest, and not loose box rest, the horse would have to be tied up so that it didn't move around too much. The horse isn't young and it's not worth very much. Personally I would euthanase it. I think the chances of a good recovery are pretty low and it's not worth the pain and stress to the horse. What would you do?

Poor horse Well, i think it will be for the owner to decide. The horse may not look worth much to you but it's someones animal and proberly worth a LOT to them. I'd proberly have to weigh out the pro's and cons. It would be a very difficult decision. However whats best for the horse would have to be my option. Without knowing the horse or it's history i can't give you an answer to what i'd do. All depends on the quality of life the horse would have after it's operation. I know of 2 horses that have survived through a broken limb and are still ridden and enjoy life to the full. I suppose it also depends on breed, age, temperment etc. How it's going to cope. I't a hard one

I know it's obviously for the owner to decide. I was just wondering what everyone else would do if it was their horse. It's a 19 year old, not used that much any more, just kept as a pet. Looking at it as a bystander I would definitely say that the cons of keeping it alive and doing surgery outweigh the pros but then again if it was one of my own it would be a horrible decision to have to make. It was in a fairly bad condition though, in a lot of pain and it wasn't nice to walk away for the night. It'll be interesting to see what the owners decide. On an entirely selfish basis I would love to see the surgery but if it was my own horse I wouldn't put it through it. I've seen 2 horses that broke legs as youngsters and were saved, one was ridden and even jumped but I've not seen any full grown horses with broken legs until this one.

I would seriously speak to my vet & ask his/her honest opinion on the situation.
Is the horse insured ?? If not it's going to cost the owner a hell of a lot of money too.

Depending what my vet would say i think i would go down that route as heartbreaking as it is.

My 22 year old TB mare is more of a field ornament that being ridden but i would do all i could to help her & take away the pain.
If this means pts due to the severity of the injury then i would go ahead with this.

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Whether the horse is old or worth much I wouldn't see as an issue - to my mind if you own a horse you take on a commitment to care for it as best you can throughout the whole of its life.

If it was me I would have to weigh up the likelihood of success of treatment, if I thought the horse would cope with tied up box rest, etc. Each horse is different - some would undoubtedly cope and be happier than others.

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