21 Jan 2019
Vet surgeon says it’s “quite remarkable” that vital structures weren’t pierced after 70cm fence post penetrates Penny’s chest and snaps off.
David Woodmansey
Job Title
A lump in the pony's side indicates the position of the post.
A panicked pony has been treated by a veterinary team after bolting, and driving in and snapping off a 70cm length of post into its chest while trying to jump a fence.
The pony, called Penny, was spooked, throwing its 14-year-old rider, before bolting and attempting to clear the fence, as she headed back towards her own field.
When the pony was caught, a large square-shaped wound on its chest was observed, but the extent of the penetration was unclear.
The animal subsequently presented at Newmarket Equine Hospital (NEH) in Suffolk, where vets noted a bulge pushing outwards beside the animal’s rib cage.
This turned out to be the thin end of the post lodged inside the horse’s body.
Consultant surgeon Matt Smith, who carried out the removal procedure, expressed his surprise that, despite not being visible at the wound site, such a long piece of wood had penetrated so far without hitting vital structures.
Dr Smith said: “I have seen a wide range of traumatic injuries and removed a multitude of foreign bodies, but this was a first.
“When I started to extract the post via the chest wound, it just kept coming. It is quite remarkable that it didn’t damage any vital structures and avoided penetrating the thoracic cavity.”
Having removed the stake and checked thoroughly to ensure no remnants remained inside, Dr Smith then set about reconstructing the wound, while ensuring there was sufficient drainage to prevent development of infection.
Dr Smith is optimistic the animal will return to full function.
