Information on a Cast Horse

How It Happens

• Here's a common scenario that leads to a cast horse: A horse lays down with her back within a few inches of one of the stall walls. If the horse is very relaxed, she may eventually stretch out from an upright position to lay flat on the ground. The horse sleeps, wakes up and decides to roll. The horse pushes onto her back, stretches, scratches a little and then rolls over to her other side. With only enough room from the wall to roll part way over, the horse's legs come to rest tucked up against the the wall.

What Then?

• Many times a horse who has become caught up against a wall will simply roll back over and be able to get up. However, horses don't always understand the idea of confinement; their brains are not wired to think through this situation. Instead of simply rolling back over where there is enough room to stretch out their legs and stand up, some horses in this situation may panic and start to struggle. Other horses may just lay there waiting to be rescued.

Getting a Cast Horse Up

• When you discover a cast horse, first and foremost, do not panic. Enlist another person to have help if you need it. Stay calm around the horse. Speak quietly but loudly enough to make sure the horse knows you are there. One technique for getting him up is to get a rope that is 20 or more feet long. Carefully loop a long rope around the pastern, or ankle, area of the horse's front leg closest to the wall. Your goal is to tip the horse's weight enough toward you (away from the wall) to give him clearance to stand up. Move back several feet toward the stall door (which should be left open to allow you an escape route) until the rope is taut; continue pulling the rope toward you, slowly and steadily, until you move the horse's legs away from the wall. Once the horse's legs fall to the middle of the stall, he will quickly shift himself into a standing position.

Safety

• Always be aware of your own safety when working with horses at all, but particularly in a situation where they may panic. In the case of a cast horse, you want to always stay out of the way of the horse's legs and head in case she starts to struggle.

  When you are pulling on the rope, be careful not to pull so hard to harm the horse's leg. Once the horse feels his weight begin to shift, she will usually start to help roll herself over.

  After the horse is on her feet again and is calm, walk her around a little and feel her all over to check for injuries.

Problems from Casting

• Horses cannot lay down for long periods of time. After a few hours, pressure from their own weight can cause deadening of muscle tissue. Also, a panicking horse who is cast can easily injure himself by knocking his head on the floor or wall and hitting his body or other legs with his hooves. A horse who was cast for a while and/or was struggling may experience the digestive upset known as colic as a result. Check on him several times for a few hours after he is back on his feet.

Prevention

• Horses can become cast in even the largest stall. However, stalls that are too small for the size of the horse may make casting more likely. Always put a horse in a stall that is appropriate for the size of the horse. An 8-by-10 foot stall may be spacious for an 11-hand pony, for example, but is not large enough for a 15-hand horse. Huge draft horses are often kept in straight stalls where they can lay down but they cannot roll and get cast. If a horse frequently becomes cast, try moving her to a larger stall.