Some of you may have read about the pony, Humble, that died at Devon this year. The details are sad -- it looks like the pony's trainer may have "missed" in delivering an IV injection and the pony was killed instantly. You can read about the details on the COTH Hunter Jumper forum. I'd just like to share this video of Humble. He was so lovely, wasn't he? What a kind face and easy way of going.
I sometimes wonder of ponies at this level are loved by their little girl owners/riders or if they're more often treated as a vehicle for success in competition. I'm sure it varies. I hope Humble was beloved to someone...
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I know for a fact this pony was dearly loved and admired by his owner. This is a very sad story.
ReplyDeleteWe have quite a number of young riders at my barn who qualify for Pony Finals every year. I can definitely tell you that their ponies are spoiled rotten. The girls often go out to the pasture just to hang out with their ponies and feed them treats. Very sad story about this pony's death.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect little pony! Thats so sad :( I bet the trainer feels awful about it.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chronofhorse.com/article/know-risks-you-inject?page=3
ReplyDeletegood article. answered some of my questons
has anyone found what this women injected? i can't imagine it was a legal substance and hope this women is fined/suspended as well. yes she has already suffered a lot by causing the ponies death but cheating should not be tolerated either!
ReplyDeleteVery cute little horse. He didn't miss a single step. May he rest in peace.
ReplyDeletePoor little pony. He looked like a lovely ride and was certainly very pretty. Rest in peace, Humble.
ReplyDeleteI once saw a horse go down after a vet administered injection, so it can happen, but to be frank, the giving of IV's by anyone other than a vet kind of chills me.
I do, like others, have to wonder what was being injected, as that can make all the difference in the world as to the real fault here.
The work ethic, rhythm and demeanor of this little pony is just fabulous!! Oh to have my childhood back and be the owner/rider of a magnificent little beast like this!!! He defied the "pony brat" stereotypes, and that makes me smile because I loooove ponies. :)
ReplyDeleteI worked as a vet assistant for awhile. Fatal air embolisms CAN happen, but are actually FAR more rare than thought. And, they usually resolve in a lung before they block the heart. More than likely, the issues arise from people REALLY not knowing where to inject. The results are usually neurologic when done incorrectly in the neck. Inflammation or abscessing that affects a nerve pathway stemming from the cervical vertebrae will cause differing degrees of neurologic symptoms, from mild to severe stumbling. It can also cause some rear-end lameness, stabbing, and stifle-type issues. Proprioception is usually affected too. But, instant death? Not usually.
I know IM injections of banamine can cause clostridial myonecrosis (look up pics ... this is really quite nasty).
So, whether IV or IM, I do wonder what was in the cocktail that the trainer gave this pony. I sure hope we all find out so we can avoid the same heartache!!
I'm guessing based on the story that it was an IM injection that was accidentally given IV. A lot of meds that are safe as IM can be fatal as IV since you end up dumping a huge load on the heart all at once and it's instantly circulated to the whole body rather than being distributed slowly from the target muscle. Just as a tip that we always use in people and is also true for horses: when you give an IM injection always draw back on the syringe after sticking the needle into the flesh. If you draw back blood easily you're in a vein and you need to reposition, if you meet a lot of resistance when you try to draw back and no/minimal blood then you're good to inject. What Friesianwelshx said about nerve damage is also correct and the main way to avoid those complications is to know what area to inject so you aren't close to big nerve. Super sad about this pony : (
ReplyDeleteThe gossip is that it was Magnesium that was administered too quickly. Not an illegal substance but a dangerous one if given too quickly. It is usually given intravenously.
ReplyDeleteBTW IM injections of GENERIC BANAMINE can cause dostridial myonecrosis, but not the true substance which is made to be administered via IM.
My guess is that she at some point, she gave the horse a sedative before it was due to go into the ring, and that she either picked up the wrong medication entirely, injected an incorrect dose, or injected it incorrectly. I would also guess that some trainers look around the show grounds, ascertain that there are no drug testing officials at that show, and then go inject their horses with - with whatever. I'd guess that because I've worked for trainers who did that -it's a very well established practice and a very old one. Most of the trainers who have been around for a while know all the drug testers and know when they do or don't show up at a given show. Some do this without the owner's or rider's knowledge, some with.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding (right or wrong, LOL) is that most drugs must be tested for fairly soon after the animal dies. Perhaps by the time suspicion of inappropriate medication arose, it was too late. Otherwise it makes it seem as if the USEF is in some way shielding the trainer from being fined or suspended as the 'person responsible'. There should be sufficient checks and balances on USEF proceedings to prevent that, so for at least a little while, I'm going to assume there's a good explanation for the very poor impression this series of events has made on the public vis a vis the trainer and the USEF.
I'd really like to know what the injection was. What kind of injection does a healthy performance horse *really* need at a show?
ReplyDeletegreat little pony, much more talented than the rider in the video. Bute comes to mind, slip that out of the vain and it can be very nasty
ReplyDelete