Welfare considerations in equine emergency casting and immobilization, covering field anesthesia for emergency procedures, cast welfare during recovery, and management of horses in extended immobilization.
Emergency casting for horses represents a high-stakes welfare intervention where the decision to proceed requires careful consideration of likely welfare outcomes across the entire recovery period, not just immediate survival. A horse that survives emergency casting but faces months of painful recovery with poor prognosis for adequate quality of life may be less well served than one euthanized humanely at the time of injury. When casting is the appropriate welfare choice, the quality of nursing care during recovery is paramount — preventing pressure sores, maintaining appropriate sedation for cast changes, providing social contact, managing pain proactively, and monitoring neurological status. The welfare challenge is extended over weeks to months, requiring sustained commitment from veterinary and nursing teams and honest ongoing assessment.