Snakebite: Avoid It, Treat It, Help Your Horse Survive It

Snakebite! It’s not a common injury for horses, but it does happen. Snakes can be found in almost all areas of the country and in a variety of habitats. You and your horse could meet a snake as you’re traversing a familiar woodland trail, getting a drink from a forest stream, walking through the pasture, or even going into the barn on your property. Snakes in a barn are probably looking for mice or rats drawn by spilled grain, so keeping your barn clean can help to avoid this problem. Outdoors, keep a close eye for snakes in brushy areas or near water. Many snakes are hard to spot because of their protective coloration; fortunately, most species are not terribly aggressive unless they are hurt or threatened.

Some nonpoisonous snake species can bite and leave a bleeding injury on your hand or your horse’s leg, but these bites are no more dangerous than any other scratch you might get. Blacksnakes can grow to an impressive size and will sometimes strike at something they see as a threat, such as a grazing horse that almost steps on them. If you see a snake strike at your horse, it may not necessarily have been a poisonous variety. The minor wounds inflicted by nonpoisonous snakes should be washed with soap and water, just as you would treat any other small skin injury. Keep the wound clean to prevent infection, and be sure you and your horses are current on tetanus shots.

The most common snakes found in Australia are the Brown snake or Tiger snake. Both of these snakes are highly venomous however they generally only attack if surprised or threatened.  In America, rattlesnakes are the most common poisonous snakes you might run across. They don’t always coil or rattle before striking, so you may have no warning that the snake is near. That’s the bad news. The good news is that rattlesnakes don’t always inject poison when they bite; about one bite in five is just done in defense, not to kill prey. The amount of venom injected is designed to kill a small animal that the snake will eat, such as a rabbit or mouse. Therefore, the danger from snakebite is not that the much larger horse is likely to die from the action of the venom itself. Horses bitten on the muzzle will have swelling that may be severe enough to seal off the nostrils. Because horses can’t breathe through their mouths as people can, a blocked airway can be fatal. Rattlesnake bites on a horse’s leg also cause severe swelling that can restrict bloodflow in the area near and below the bite.

The old treatment of cutting an X over the bite and sucking out the venom is not recommended for either humans or horses these days. It was never very effective; there’s a real danger of cutting tendons and nerves; and then there’s the problem of getting your horse to hold still while you go after him with a knife while crawling around his feet. Treatment of a snake bite is best done by a veterinarian who can deal with the horse’s shock and pain and then prescribe anti-inflammatory and antibiotic medications. Most healthy adult horses recover well from snakebites, though the outcome is not as certain in small ponies, horses that are very young or very old, or equines that are suffering from some prior illness or injury.