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Re: [RC] snakes - heidiI also ride in an area with a lot of snakes and have always worried about what to do in this event. I would like to know a good protocol to follow if my horse is snake bit while out riding. I am sure someone has a list of things to carry and do in this horrible event. Please share. At the risk of having somebody land on me with both feet for cruelty to snakes, the FIRST thing I do in an encounter with a rattlesnake is get off my horse and KILL the darn thing. Basic physics--a snake HAS to have part of his body on the ground in order to strike, and his strike range is approximately 2/3 his body length--so instead of throwing rocks, I try to get BIG rocks and get in close enough to DROP them on him. A long, hefty stick is also a good weapon--either to smack him on the head, or to pin him while you drop a big rock on his head. When I was a kid, we used to ride with homemade reins that clipped to the bridle with big heavy harness snaps. One one occasion when I couldn't find another "weapon" I took off one of my reins and killed the snake by whacking him with the harness snap. That said, the FIRST thing to do in the case of a snake bite is to stay calm and not hurry. If the horse is bitten on the leg, calmly walk home, or back to the trailer, or wherever your closest bit of "civilization" is. Apply cold if at all possible, and as soon as possible. (If the horse is bitten on the leg and you happen to have streams to cross to get home, stop and let the horse stand in the cold water for several minutes before resuming your homeward trek.) The venom itself is not apt to kill a horse unless it is a REALLY oddball shot straight into an artery or major vein. It WILL cause swelling and infection, as well as some local tissue necrosis. The sooner the horse can get on antiinflamatory drugs and antibiotics the better--but not at the risk of rushing and adding stress and increased circulation to the picture. If the horse is bitten on the nose, you DO have to watch the swelling and make sure that the airway is not occluded--if the swelling is extremely rapid and severe, keeping the nostril open with any cylindrical object is helpful. You don't have to insert anything very far--only a few inches. Pieces of garden hose, the old hair curlers, a syringe barrel--most anything cylindrical of the right size will work. Otherwise, REMAIN CALM (yes, that is worth repeating) and just turn around and go home at a walk. Heidi ============================================================ Common sense should also be a part of the decision making process. If you see someone who doesn't have any, hand them your tool box. ~ Lisa Salas - The Odd Farm ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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