Do you honestly think its impossible?

I hate it when people say you can't fix a horse that has a broken leg or a serious injury. Sure we can fix people but do you think it's a waste on animals? I know I don't. I want to go to college at the University of Arizona so I can get my Veterinarian's Degree. I might even consider becoming an equine surgeon.

It just drives me insane when people say a horse can't be healed if its broken a bone. Grrr... :roll:

ANYTHING is possible.

The question should be is it right?

What about the pain and suffering that the horse that is unable to understand will have to go through for rehab.

There is no one definate line to draw.

Yeah, anything certainly IS possible. ;)
I don't think it's a waste @ all. Every animal deserves a 2nd chance.

Anything is possible...and as long as the horse will live a normal life afterwards and not suffer during rehab then that horse deserves a second chance.

I know if Sonny broke his leg I'd do everything in my power to get it healed...even if I had to empty out my bank account and beg friends and co-workers for money

It's not IMPOSSIBLE, but very DIFFICULT - ever tried to reason with a horse (stand still and it won't hurt)? For having such big ears, they don't listen too well.

I do agree that efforts should be made... if it's worth it in the end. And there are a ton of questions to consider. Is the horse going to be living a life of pain? Is it going to get severe laminitis and possibly be put down in the healing process? Is it a performance horse that thrives on having a job? I have no problem with the idea of putting an animal down if they're going to be in pain for the rest of their lives. And sadly, it's very hard to successfully heal a broken leg on a horse.
It's also extremely expensive. Is it worth spending $50,000 on a $2,000 pasture ornament? (for some, absolutely) Most of the people out there simply can't afford to pay an extravagent amount, especially for something that may not be ridden again. (not saying only riding horses have any worth, but if the time should come where you have to sell your horses, it's going to be a heck of a lot harder finding a home for it)

Indeed cost is the major reason (sadly), which is way beyond the means of most people that I know, even with equine insurance.

I agree that every measure should be taken to help them heal. Heck, I just dropped nearly $10K on my old guy's colic surgery back in October.

However, I will say that one huge difference between healing a horse and healing a person is that a person can be confined much easier than a horse for such long periods of time...heck we can even strap people down to their beds if they wiggle too much ...not so much with a horse!

And as heavy as they are, it is a lot more stress on their bones than it would be on ours. Just a thought

Yup exactly.

I think that is one of the bigger reasons for not going through with broken bones in horses. Its not like you can cast up there leg and stick them in a wheelcheer for a few months to keep weight off it
Its a lot of stress for them to be using 3 legs if its a leg break of some sort, not like a cat or dog that can cope with a missing leg, horses need all 4.

Horses and all animals really simply don't understand the ' we are trying to help factor '. They will go through the pain and stresses of the healing process not really knowing whats going on, for some its to much ( but of course some can get through it fine ).

Im not sure bout other countries but I don't even think NZ has facilities to cater for such cases properly any way. Wether its certified vetenanry clinics or peoples back yards.

Fractures are one thing, but a full break would proberly be a bit much for the average horse person to cater for.

Yes, it is sad when people say that a horse will not recover and then give up on them. However, did you know that in humans, bones can take 6 weeks to heal - and that's only in children. In adults, they take more than 8 weeks, and that's in a fairly mild break. I expect an adult horse would take at least as long as an adult human, probably more as their bones are so much thicker.

In my opinion, it is cruel to have a horse stand still for that long while it heals, if it heals. Bones don't always heal properly and there can be a weak spot where it healed. This means that stress on the leg could cause it to break again. While it might be ok to walk and trot this recovered horse, cantering, galloping and jumping would be definate no-nos - they put stress on even the bones of healthy horses. We have to ask ourselves, is it fair to put an animal through the long, long healing process when the chances of complete recovery are very slim?

Also, horses that break a leg often experience problems in the leg opposite the broken one because of all the excess weight it must carry. I know exactly how you feel, but sometimes the kindest thing is to put the horse to sleep rather than cause so much more suffering. I do wish there was more we could do for these horses.