What to Do If Your Horse Gets Bitten By a Rattlesnake

It's always best to be prepared in an emergency situation. Rattlesnake bites are absolutely an emergency and being prepared can make all the difference in how well your horse recovers.

Rattlesnakes (and snakes in general) are more afraid of you than you are of them. They very much want to be left alone. They will not chase you or attack you unprovoked. You have a 100% chance of not being bitten by a rattlesnake if you just leave it alone. That being said, if the rattlesnake finds itself somewhere that is not safe for you or your pets/children, then it is best to remove them. 

Rattlesnake venom is some nasty stuff. It causes severe swelling, tissue damage, cardiac damage and in rare cases even neurological damage. The cardiac damage can follow your horse for the rest of its life and may need to be special treatment forever. You can read more about that here.

If you find yourself in the situation where you believe your horse has been bitten by a rattlesnake, then there a few steps you should follow to get your horse the care and treatment they need to get the best outcome for recovery. 

• Call a vet ASAP! You may live rurally and it may take a while for the vet to get to you. So call them as soon as you can so they can start making their way to you. Your vet will most likely give you some advice to help keep your horse comfortable while you wait. They may even tell you to bring your horse into the clinic if they are close by and your horse is not in critical condition. Meanwhile, there are some things you can do to help your horse while you wait. 
• You will want to immobilize your horse so the spread of the venom will be slowed down. They probably won't really be wanting to move around much anyways, but get them in a small stall or confine them in some other way. I would not recommend putting a halter on their face though, because if they were bitten on the face, the swelling can be so severe that the halter will become way too tight and cause your horse even more pain. 
• Locate where your horse has been bitten. The two most common places are a leg or the face. They may not have seen the snake and stepped on it, hence being bitten on the leg OR they may have been curious about something moving around in the grass and stuck their nose where they shouldn't have. Either place warrants veterinary treatment, but the face is more severe because the venom can cause the horse's face and nostrils to swell up intensely and will close the horse's airways. ​​ ​
• NEVER try to suck the venom out! This does not work. It will make you sick and can cause a secondary infection for your horse. 

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It's always best to be prepared in an emergency situation. Rattlesnake bites are absolutely an emergency and being prepared can make all the difference in how well your horse recovers.

Rattlesnakes (and snakes in general) are more afraid of you than you are of them. They very much want to be left alone. They will not chase you or attack you unprovoked. You have a 100% chance of not being bitten by a rattlesnake if you just leave it alone. That being said, if the rattlesnake finds itself somewhere that is not safe for you or your pets/children, then it is best to remove them. 

Rattlesnake venom is some nasty stuff. It causes severe swelling, tissue damage, cardiac damage and in rare cases even neurological damage. The cardiac damage can follow your horse for the rest of its life and may need to be special treatment forever. You can read more about that here.

If you find yourself in the situation where you believe your horse has been bitten by a rattlesnake, then there a few steps you should follow to get your horse the care and treatment they need to get the best outcome for recovery. 

• Call a vet ASAP! You may live rurally and it may take a while for the vet to get to you. So call them as soon as you can so they can start making their way to you. Your vet will most likely give you some advice to help keep your horse comfortable while you wait. They may even tell you to bring your horse into the clinic if they are close by and your horse is not in critical condition. Meanwhile, there are some things you can do to help your horse while you wait. 
• You will want to immobilize your horse so the spread of the venom will be slowed down. They probably won't really be wanting to move around much anyways, but get them in a small stall or confine them in some other way. I would not recommend putting a halter on their face though, because if they were bitten on the face, the swelling can be so severe that the halter will become way too tight and cause your horse even more pain. 
• Locate where your horse has been bitten. The two most common places are a leg or the face. They may not have seen the snake and stepped on it, hence being bitten on the leg OR they may have been curious about something moving around in the grass and stuck their nose where they shouldn't have. Either place warrants veterinary treatment, but the face is more severe because the venom can cause the horse's face and nostrils to swell up intensely and will close the horse's airways. ​​ ​
• NEVER try to suck the venom out! This does not work. It will make you sick and can cause a secondary infection for your horse. 
  

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If your horse was bitten on the leg, the entire leg will swell up and make it painful and difficult to walk. This does not cause immediate threat on your horse's life but still requires veterinary treatment.

This one of our horses who had come in from the pasture looking like this. We had lived on this property for over 10 years and never saw a snake, but we were simply lucky because snakes are everywhere. They just do a great job of avoiding us. So you're still at risk even if you've never seen one around your home or property. 

If your horse was bitten in the face (like this horse on the right), then you will need to act quickly to make sure your horse's airways do not close up and they suffocate. The best way to do this is to get two pieces of tubing you can insert into their nostrils to keep air flowing. You can ask your vet to give you a few tubes you can keep around just for this kind of emergency OR if you are in a real pinch, you can use a cut up garden hose. Cut two pieces that are about 6-8 inches in length and make sure they are clean before inserting them. If you are unsure of how to do this, you can absolutely have a vet talk you through this over the phone.

The best way to get through any emergency situation is to be as best prepared as you possibly can. So make sure you keep some extra tubes in your first aid kit at home, in your trailer and even out on the trail (you never know when a rattlesnake may cross your path). Are you prepared?

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If you are interested in learning more about rattlesnakes, their behavior and how to prevent having rattlesnakes at home, I highly recommend checking out Rattlesnake Solutions.
They are not only a wealth of information but they also offer local removal services and are a great resource for rattlesnake avoidance training for dogs. They also show you how to put up rattlesnake-proof fencing in your yard (or they can install for you). Which would even be a great idea to have for your horse's stall as well!  Check them out HERE.