Picket lines

[Jim & Dolly Miller <poquito@flash.net>]

We used picket lines for years until recently.Now we use electric fence
with white tape and tie pink flaging on it so it can be seen better. We
only use picket when we have to. A year ago on a picket line my  horse
layed down during the night  and rolled. We woke to a lot of noise and
someone calling my name .  My horse was down and had the rope around
both hind legs. He received bad rope burnes on both rear fetlocks. Rope
burns are hard to heal in this area. A couple of weeks later he was
limping on a hind leg . The next day he was on three legs ,could not put
any weight on his leg and his hock was about three times normal size.
Carried him to the vet and he said he probably got kicked or something.
Stall rest . Got worse.  Took him back two days later. This time he drew
fluid off to test. It came back showing Strep. infection in his hock.
He was started on shots twice aday. Somedays with a shot in the
hock.This went on for
two weeks.Finally my vet said he did'nt know what else to do and sent us
to another vet.
This vet did a Lavage flush but told me it was to late,the infection had
turned hard and would not flush out. Give him eight more shots of this
very expencive medicine and hope for the best but a slim chance that he
would ever be sound.
This happend last Oct.. He is still about a grade 3 lame and his hock is
still twice the size it should be.He is on pasture and he runs to keep
up with the other horses, when he stops he is on three legs.
He is better than he was four months ago so I keep hoping.......

All of this because of a picket line and a simple rope burn.

Dolly