When An Accident Happens .... are You Ready??

Last week my 2 year old filly suffered an injury in the pasture.  The injury was serious enough to require sedation, stitching, bandage changes and a host of other medical procedures.   I approached this situation with as much savvy as I have and maintained that our relationship was first and had to be balanced with the medical procedures she required.  However, during those first days post-injury, I quickly became frustrated at our lack of prior and proper preparation in the area of emergency preparedness.  While in many regards, Jess was a trouper and handled much of it calmly and confidently, but several times the pain caused a real change in her horsenality and I was left feeling overwhelmed.
So live and learn, this situation caused me to think about all the tasks that are important for responsible horse owners to do with EVERY horse in their care (the pasture potatoes have emergencies too!).   The more prepared you are, the more successful you will be when illness or injury adds that extra element to a situation ... pain. 

Physical Preparedness
Think about all the horses in your care and then honestly consider the following questions ....
Can your horse stand still and calm during needling? What about repeated needling?  Often during illness or injury, horses require more than one needling session! 
Can you hose down your horses legs, chest and belly with cold water? Often necessary for reducing swelling and keeping wounds clean.
Can you calmly and confidently load your horse in the trailer in the dark, wind, rain, snow or other common weather conditions for your area? If you had to evacuate or transport an injured or sick horse to a remote equine clinic - your horses need to be able to load in any weather or time of day, not just when the sun is shining!
Can you put your horse in a stall and have them be relaxed and calm for a length of time? Confinement is often necessary during injury.  Do you have a stall or small area to confine an injured/ill horse? Is there a "buddy" to stay with the patient to help them stay calm and quiet?
Can you spray aerosols on all parts of your horse's body?  Some injuries require antiseptic sprays to keep them clean and help them heal.
Can you operate the clippers over all of your horse's body including legs, head, neck, ears and muzzle? Some surgical procedures require the effected areas to be shaved.
Can you pick up all four of your horse's feet and confidently handle all four legs?
Are you physically fit enough to handle an injured or sick horse? These situations can sometimes require lengths of time without sleep and assisting veterinarians with medical procedures can be physically taxing.

Emotional Preparedness
Be very honest with yourself and think about how you handle emergency situations.  It's normal to find these challenging, but understanding yourself and taking steps to cover your shortcomings will help both you and your horses!
Can you act calmly, think logically and make well informed decisions in an emergency situation?
Can you call in some support to help you through especially trying times?
Can you keep safety as a priority in order to help your horse without putting yourself in danger?

Mental Preparedness
There is no doubt we love our horses. Anyone who has owned horses knows that sometime you will have to deal with the natural situations that arise during a horse's life. While not pleasant, these trying times are a reality and deserve some advanced consideration. Sometimes planning for the unexpected means thinking of potential emergency situations and thinking through how you would handle them.  Kind of like preparing your will and buying insurance for ourselves!
Have you analyzed your finances and have a realistic price you are willing, and able to pay, should illness or injury arise?
Are you able to make the decision to humanely end your horse's life if the situation warrants?
If you were to lose your horse suddenly, have you thought about how you would dispose of his/her body?
If you live in an area where natural forces can require evacuation - do you have a plan in place?

My goal for young Jess was to have her come through this injury without any lasting negative responses that will affect her future.  So even though an injury isn't the best time, I was focused on taking the time it takes and putting our relationship first throughout the whole ordeal.  Today at her follow up 5-day veterinary appointment, Jess let me know that she appreciated my efforts by standing perfectly still for her fourth round of needles.  You couldn't erase the smile from my face!  Jess is on the road to a full recover and hopefully only a minor scar as a reminder.