Horse bite question

[erthymom2]

While feeding treats I got bit by the horse i was handling and have lacerations and fracture of my pinkie finger. i'm on anti-biotics now and see the ortho guy tomorrow. She is normally a very sweet and calm horse to handle, and has only ever nipped before the farrier. There was no signs of astress or anxiety before she bit me, and none afterwards either.

but here's my question:
Once she had a hold of my finger, is there a technique I should have used to get her her to release it?? I just calmly spoke to her and tried to distract her with a piece of straw - all the while she was just crunching down on it and working her hold on it more. Just about the time i felt like i was gonna throw up, she let it go and just walked away.

Again, I'm sure she wasn't trying to be intentional or mean, but boy - what a grip them teeth have!!

 

[college town chick]

The technique that might work to get a horse to release on a finger would be to reach in with the other hand as though you were placing a bit/bridling the horse (unless you know how to do this, don't try it -- you could end up with the other hand bitten). If you don't get the finger out before the "crunching" starts I'm afraid you're kind of consigned to wait for an opening *usually when the horse realizes they're not biting down on something they want to eat -- not a good situation!

From the sounds of it the horse didn't do it intentionally (horses hardly ever do -- and when they bite intentionally they make their displeasure known long before the bite), just wanted more carrot. In which case a pound of prevention is worth a ton of cure:

don't feed a carrot whole to a horse (isn't really good practice for the horse either -- big risk of choke for them), place bite sized pieces in the palm of your hand making sure to keep your fingers out of the way (fingers parallel, not pointing at the horse's mouth and not cupped around the object of horse desire, the treat) -- that way your fingers don't get swept up with the carrots and mistaken by those hungry horse lips for just another carrot in the process; also, if a horse starts getting rude, pushy, or grabby about treats don't feed anymore to them (like kids sometimes they can get bratty about getting "sweets") or if you have the treats already, place them in a feed tub for them to eat

Be sure and get a tetanus shot if you haven't already, and hope your finger mends soon.

 

[Wildsky]

OMG, I got bitten a few years ago, by a grumpy pregnant mare... she got me on the upper arm and it took MONTHS to heal, the bruise and such went away after about a month, but the damage internally took alot longer, I remember still having issues with my arm 8 months after the bite.

 

[BeardedChick]

Oh, man, I'm sorry. I had something similar happen to me. Horse vet showed me, during a dental, how to open a horse's mouth to look at the teeth, and the next time I tried it - CRUNCH.

Glad it was your pinky and not your thumb or index finger!!!!

 

[silkiechicken]

Ouch, good luck.

I had a friend who had her fingernail/finger tip split open by a horse who she was feeding sunflower seeds. Horse thought her finger was a seed or something and in and crack went the finger.

 

[Cetawin]

aaawwww your poor finger. Sounds completely unintentional and the poor horse probably had no idea until your finger did not taste like treat.

When you give treats do you give them open palmed? Many times the fingers get grabbed accidentially when they are too near the treat and facing the horses mouth.

Since the chewing/crunching was already going on, it is hard to stop at that point. If it is just a bite down, you can use the bit technique to get the horse to release the hold.

I had a stallion that would bite one particular vet every single time the man got near him. He hated the man for some unknown reason. Anyone else "Max" was fine...even getting stitches, he stood there and behaved himself. But this one vet got bit in the shoulder, upper arm, forearm, and the back of his leg. My grandfather built a cage of sorts for Max to wear whenever that vet was the one coming. It looked like one of those feed bags they wear but was made of wire. But what you are describing sound purely accidental.

Good luck and sorry it happened.

 

[kbarrett]

Sounds unintentional which is usually the case when treats are involved. If you're not familiar with how a horses' teeth are set in the mouth here's a link to some diagrams...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_teeth

Slipping a finger into the mouth is common practice to open the mouth to accept a bit or meds...just remember to go in from the side not the front

I hope you recover fast, I've been on the wrong end of some very nasty bits over the years which did not involve treats

 

[BeardedChick]

Slipping a finger into the mouth is common practice to open the mouth to accept a bit or meds...just remember to go in from the side not the front

I found out our monkey-lips pony can suck your finger into his teeth even if you go in carefully from the side. I do not put my fingers into horses mouths any more...​

 

[kbarrett]

Quote:
I found out our monkey-lips pony can suck your finger into his teeth even if you go in carefully from the side. I do not put my fingers into horses mouths any more...

Some ponies are too smart for their own good! The smart ones are usually the exception to every rule of thumb.

 

[OPIE]

Well I am not sure on a release technique, but 3 months ago I had a sick mare and went outwith my oldest son (17) to feed her Bute in some feed to help her fight her fever. She was laying down and my son had the flash light, there was another mare in the pen who was trying to get at the grain, so I stood between the one on the ground and the other one. All I had on was pair of swimming trunks (and I mean thats ALL!

) well the mare struck to bite the other mare and got me instead.... Guess where? ??
Give up? right on the head of Ol Mr. Winkie himself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It took a second to set in what had happened, but when it did, o my gosh was I screaming!! I pot my hand down there to check things and when I pulled my hand back it ws full of blood! I tried to get my son to help me, but he was rolling on the floor about to p himself laughing so hard! I was yelling "she bit my $%&k!!" over and over again, it wasnt till he saw the blood he realized how seriouse it was. I went to the emergency room ,all the way thinking, " great thats it no more "fun" for me, I will have to wear a dress from know on and sit to go othe bathroom !!!" Well all turned out ok, all I can say is
THANK GOD SHE HAD AN OVERBITE!!!!!


We can azll laugh about it now.