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  Discussion on Kicked in chest
Author Message
New Member:
kalllie

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 17, 2008 - 2:00 am:

My horse has a hematoma on her chest. It is only the size of a golf ball. I feel no heat on it. Have applied cold and it seems to have come down in size. I am wondering if I should keep her still, or can I lunge her/walk her? thank you for your help. Sharon
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 17, 2008 - 2:51 pm:

Welcome Sharon,
If there is no lameness exercise may help pick up the swelling quicker.
DrO
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Member:
spuddy98

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012 - 10:26 pm:

For those using this discussion for reference let me give my experience.

I had a retired racehorse that leaned over a wooden rail in my barn to eat hay. Unfortunately the rail contained a bolt (where calves had been tied years earlier) This leaning on the bolt caused a grapefruit sized Hematoma.

We called our vet days later as we were very concerned about the mass. He recognized it as the Dr. did as a hematoma and cut it open. Woosh, out came blood and clots. he even ran his scalpel inside to remove all the clots. The horse then was turned back to pasture to allow the wound to heal.

Unfortunately, weeks later, she caught the still loose skin somewhere unknown and tore it loose in a "V" shape.

It was summer and the herd didn't always come to the barn so I would go to check on them. There she stood carelessly grazing away with blood ever so lightly dripping on the ground. The V was torn open at least 4 inches on a side. Called the vet back again and he sewed up the chest leaving a drain hole at the bottom. Eventually the wound healed and being a dapple gray, you couldn't even find a scar. The unfortunate thing is the horse finally found a way to fracture her cannon bone which was the injury I couldn't fix.....
Member:
babychop

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012 - 10:41 pm:

Oh God Cris, I'm so sorry!

As for hematoma, my friend's horse dumped her when we were on trail years ago (we were both bareback and someone DrOpped a tree in the nursery, she fell off and I nearly caught her horse half hanging off mine with fingertips just touching the reins of her horse when I got piled into a fence post). Her horse ran up the ramp and into traffic, hit a Cadillac, went down but got up and continued on, followed by my horse. Luckily they were fine, her horse had a big hematoma on her chest (about the size of half a basketball), I had a bone bruise on my leg and my friend had a broken tail bone. Cadillac didn't fare so well - lol. The hematoma eventually absorbed on its own. We horse folk always seem to have stories, don't we?
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