Horse died, other horses eating his blood??

[Celtic_Ravenwolf]

I’m wondering if anyone has seen or heard of this before, as I have not and can’t even find any information on it anywhere on the world wide web.

Friday night I said goodbye to my beloved horse, Lightning. He was 27 years old, and a degenerative bone cyst in his knee finally compromised his quality of life. We put him down ourselves and buried him in the pasture. He was dispatched by gunshot, which was instantaneous. I confirmed that he did indeed die instantly. I don’t know how long it was after the shot (as I was bawling my face off) but after a minute or more the death throes of the nervous system began, during which a large amount of blood gushed from his nose while his hind legs paddled. I know it sounds awful, but my dear Lightning was gone, and the body was just doing what bodies do.

I only even mention this because the next morning I turned my other two horses out onto the pasture. They made their way over to Lightning’s resting place. Once they discovered the blood-soaked grass they both proceeded to EAT IT. For close to 10 minutes they stayed on that spot and ate the bloody grass, really getting into it with their lips.

4 days later they still return to that spot and at least one of them is still eating the grass in that spot. He really doesn’t appear to enjoy it, but they’ve eaten it right down to the bare dirt in spots.

Has anyone ever heard of this?! One theory is that it might have to do with scent, and wanting to remove any trace of blood smell, but for one there is no way they could ever successfully do that, and for another it doesn’t seem to have much evolutionary benefit. I get why mares will eat the placenta - the foal will be on the ground for at least a short time and will be unsteady on its feet for the first little while, nevermind the dam won’t be moving too fast as she recovers from the birth. It makes sense to want to eliminate the placenta so there is no scent or benefit to a predator coming around. But horses in the wild are always on the move - they would just leave the area if an herd-mate was killed.

Another theory is that maybe it is the iron or something in the blood that they are craving? Either way, I’ve never heard of it and can’t find any mentions of anything like this. Probably the weirdest thing I’ve seen a horse do!

[Scribbler]

Well, they also eat fresh manure and raw mud. And fences. And poisonous plants. So while this is rather gruesome basically nothing truly surprised me.

I’m not quite sure why a bullet properly aimed at the brain would cause hemmorage from the lungs. Unless horse was shot in the lungs. Maybe others who have euthed a horse by bullet can weigh in. I’ve only seen euth by injection.

[Celtic_Ravenwolf]

The hemorrhage wasn’t from the lungs, but likely the brain/neck area. He was shot point blank to the parietal area (where you’re supposed to do it) using a .38, which means it was instant brain death. The bullet would cause massive trauma in the cranial vault, utterly destroying the brain which would result in a lot of blood in the cranium. If the bullet passes through into the upper sinuses or back of the throat, is it possible for that blood to drain out. Because he had the nervous system reflex (which happens about 50% of the time), the lungs compress, forcing out the air inside them, which then pushed all that blood out in a sudden gush. It sounds awful, it looks horrific, but it is not an indication of suffering. Touching the eye is a simple way to make sure death was successful, and was done before the reflexes even started.

It’s true, horses eat weird things! But there’s always a reason for it - boredom, hunger or needed microbes for manure, mineral deficiencies for mud/dirt, boredom (sometimes deficiencies) for fences, flavour for poisonous plants. So I’m sure there is a reason for this behaviour, and my analytical mind is desperate to know!

[phoebetrainer]

They will be after the salt. Blood is quite salty and animals often lick (and lick and lick) areas where it has been spilt.

[Scribbler]

@phoebetrainer

They will be after the salt. Blood is quite salty and animals often lick (and lick and lick) areas where it has been spilt.

Ah yes of course. Indeed when I was making up flavored water to get maresy to drink in winter, one effective recipe was salt and molasses. Tasted absolutely disgusting to me, because it tasted like blood!

[sascha]

While I haven’t yet held a horse to be shot, I have held quite a few cows to be shot point blank, rifle touching the head, and have never seen death throes or any bleeding from any orifice including the bullet hole. When it’s done right the cow immediately crumples and that is that. The cow is no more. The only time I have seen death throes is when we have been a little too slow to get the rifle and no bullet gets used and the cow dies on her own, or the cow has been quicker dying than we expected and no bullet gets used at all and the cow dies on her own.

I have no idea about the bloody grass eating thing.

I have witnessed all kinds of different animals hanging out at places where their friends died or at dead animals’ favourite hang outs. I once had a cat sit in his buddy’s favourite chair for 2 weeks

[Wirt]

Vampire horses obviously

[crackerjack55]

My hubby put down one of my horse’s by gun shot here 3 weeks a go. No blood gushed out no death throes. Made the X ear to eye and ear to eye shot right in the middle of X, horse dropped right now and dead. Had hole dug so horse was lead down into hole then shot.

Use a hand gun.

Have also used a 22 magnum which also drops them dead. Dead before they hit the ground.

[otterhound]

My partner has been a huntsman for quite some years and over here most hunts feed their hounds on flesh. Consequently he has shot many, many horses and cows. They always bleed from the nostrils after they’re dead, and they always have some amount of kicking etc afterwards. He is always a bit careful about where he stands immediately after death as he has been kicked by a dead horse before. In fact even an hour or so afterwards, when they are well dead and have been bled out, there is a huge amount of muscle twitching to be seen when the horse is being skinned. So, so far, everything mentioned by original poster is totally normal.
As far as licking the blood - I’m not sure why they do it but it is quite common. I’ve watched horses lick the blood of sheep and cattle that have been shot as well.

[Celtic_Ravenwolf]

@sascha He dropped instantly, no nothing. It was so quick. A second bullet was placed to be sure. I tested for eye reflex immediately - there was none.

We are a family of hunters and ranchers. I’ve seen a lot of death. Paddling happens as I mentioned up to 50% of the time (or close to 100% with chickens!) It is nervous system firing. Even injection euthanasia sometimes results in paddling.

The blood would have been from the bullet’s path - a less downward angle would probably not have resulted in that as it would have gone higher into the neck. There was no blood from the bullet entry.

I wish I knew what the other horses were thinking - if they understand the meaning/source of the blood? I know my standoffish mare is suddenly looking for a lot of affection.

[Celtic_Ravenwolf]

Thank you, @otterhound . It’s reassuring to hear it is normal behaviour, however odd! No one I know has ever seen or heard of such a thing and I couldn’t find much info online either (short of the odd horse munching on chicks should they happen to find them!

[skydy]

Actual chicks? Oh my. I had a gelding that would not tolerate intruders of any sort into his paddock space, He’d take on anything, even large dogs, but was terrified of poultry in any form.

I’ve had no experience with the blood/grass effect but have had different species (horse and dog) exhibit strange behaviors after the death of a familiar animal.

They exhibit behaviors and emotions that we sometimes don’t, and perhaps never will, understand.

The research regarding elephants and their reaction to the death of another of their species is stunning, and incredibly complex.

In my experience, some horses are very much affected by the death of a pasture or barn mate and others couldn’t care less.

I had a dog who’s muzzle went grey in three days after our senior dog (that was with her from the beginning when she was a pup) was PTS.
She laid on her doggy mentor’s grave regularly for 2 weeks. Just what we needed to make us cry all the more.

[sascha]

[QUOTE=otterhound;n10133518They always bleed from the nostrils after they’re dead [/QUOTE]

I can assure you that cows do not always bleed from the nostrils after they’re dead. None of the many cows I have held to be shot have had any more blood from any orifice than the cows I’ve seen euthanized by injection.

Maybe my boss has some sort of magic in his rifle.

[Posting_Trot]

Several years ago there was an article in The Horse about some horses who ate meat, and would seek it out. The article documented horses that reached through a fence to get at road kill, a couple who killed birds (wild or domesticated) and ate them, killed rabbits, baby pigs, etc. and ate them. And so on.
Here’s a link to the story:
https://thehorse.com/151467/follow-up-carnivorous-horses/

[Thylacine]

I’m sorry for your loss

[warriorhorse]

My one horse was put down by gun shot, 357 magnum hand gun. Dead instantly no blood came out nose no death throes. I removed halter lead and no blood in either nostril. Horse was lead down into hole that was dug. Hole slopped down so horse could be walked into it.

I made the X from ear to eye & ear to eye with a black marker. One shot and dead before he hit the ground bullet entered right in middle of X. Hubbys a hunter so is a good aim. Horse we shot was just 3 weeks ago.

Been present for chemical euthanasia and gun shot. Gun shot is a faster swifter death. OP sorry for you’re loss.

[Celtic_Ravenwolf]

@Posting Trot that’s wild! Thanks for posting the article.

@Thylacine thank you. He was with me for 20 years - more than half my life. I miss him so much.

@warriorhorse Lightning was dead before he hit the ground also. I agree with you, having seen both methods gunshot is by far the faster, more humane way to go. As I mentioned above, I think my husband shot at slightly too downward and angle, which led to the blood from the cranial vault gaining access to the sinuses or throat. I feel for your loss as well - it is somewhat comforting to be able to bury them on the property, eh?

[otterhound]

@sascha

I can assure you that cows do not always bleed from the nostrils after they’re dead. None of the many cows I have held to be shot have had any more blood from any orifice than the cows I’ve seen euthanized by injection.

Maybe my boss has some sort of magic in his rifle.

Sorry - I was referring to horses in this comment.

[Magicboy]

I’m sorry for your loss but thank you for this post. It had a lot of info that I didn’t know

[CHT]

I wonder if they also want to get rid of any trace of blood to reduce the risk of predators smelling it and coming along?

Horses also like to lick pus and snot: we had a horse get two molars removed. The upper one resulted in a pussy nose for 6 weeks until the plug was removed. Other horses licked her stall and her face when ever possible.

Another horse cut his artery (lower leg) last winter, and lost a lot of blood. the horses in his paddock cleaned up the bloody snow very quickly. (horse recovered). The horses all have access to salt, so I don’t think they are just after the salt in the blood.