Top National Hunt horse Shishkin has been put down following an accident.

The dual Cheltenham Festival winner, who was trained by Nicky Henderson and owned by Joe and Marie Donnelly, fractured a hind leg after becoming cast in his stable on Sunday evening (28 April).

Mr Henderson said: “Tragically we’ve lost Shishkin this evening after he got cast in his stable and fractured his hind leg. Everyone involved with Seven Barrows, particularly his owners, Joe and Marie Donnelly, Jaydon [Lee, Shishkin’s groom], Nico [de Boinville, Shishkin’s jockey] and George [Daly, Mr Henderson’s assistant] are obviously devastated that such a great horse, friend and warrior has gone.”

Shishkin won 14 races from 21 starts, earning £798,668, with his career highlights including victories in the 2022 Clarence House Chase at Ascot, the 2021 Arkle at Cheltenham Festival, the 2020 supreme novices’ hurdle, also at Cheltenham Festival, and the 2023 Ascot Chase. The 10-year-old was due to have a tilt in the Punchestown Gold Cup in Ireland on Wednesday.

“He was due to leave for Punchestown tomorrow morning but sadly this is now not to be,” said Mr Henderson.

“He was an absolute superstar and his CV is testament to that – except the King George is not in it, even though we believe it should have been,” Nicky continued, referencing the fact that Nico de Boinville was unseated from Shishkin at the second last in the 2023 King George when in contention. “The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and the Arkle were his Cheltenham highlights, but the battle with Energumene in the Clarence House at Ascot was probably his greatest.

“This is a very sad night. He was our star and we will never forget him. Thank you Shishkin for the wonderful memories.”

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The owner of a horse who became cast and whose recovery was hampered by the banks aimed to prevent him getting stuck at all has sworn never to use them again.

Like many others, Gill Fuller had always banked up the sides of beds, having been told they would help stop horses becoming stuck against stable walls.

But when her part-bred Irish draught gelding Malley had a badly placed roll on 6 January, she found otherwise.

“Luckily, I was still there when he did it,” Gill told H&H. “I’d put fresh straw in and he decided it looked inviting.

“He flipped right over and that was it; he was wedged against the wall.”

Not only had the banks not prevented Malley’s plight, they made things worse when it came to getting him upright.

“I was lucky there were a couple of other people around, and that he just lay there grunting quietly,” Gill said. “We got lunge reins round his legs but couldn’t roll him over, and even when we managed to move him away from the wall, because of the banks, his legs were still angled upwards, and he couldn’t get them underneath to get up. I think without the banks, he would have been able to.”

Continues below…

‘They won’t stop horses getting cast’: vet’s warning over bedding banks

‘They are almost entirely decorative, and may be making things worse’

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After a lot more heaving, Malley was manoeuvred into a position in which he could get to his feet, and Gill said she will never bank a bed again.

“He was fine; I put him on the school and he had another roll to prove he was fine, and that was it,” she said. “But no more banks.

“I put a post on Facebook because it had changed my view, and it was interesting how many people said they knew it was a risk but still did banks because it looked good,” she said.

“But so many other people have said they’d always been taught to have banks; it was a real eye-opener.”

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An equine vet is warning horse owners that building banks against the sides of a stable will not necessarily prevent a horse from getting cast.

Dr Kieran O’Brien, a senior vet at Penbode Equine Vets in Tavistock, Devon said although it is traditional to bank the bedding, “the evidence suggests this will not usually have any beneficial effect other than providing some protection if a horse does become cast”.

“They are almost entirely decorative, and may be making things worse,” warned Dr O’Brien.

Other downsides to banking bedding are that fungi will grow in the undisturbed areas.

These can release spores into the stable air, which are breathed by the horse and might cause airway inflammation, pointed out Dr O’Brien.

The experienced vet and H&H contributor posted his bedding article on the practice’s Facebook page, and thousands of people viewed the post.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the response,” said Dr O’Brien.

Some commenters suggested banks were created not to cushion the horse when it gets cast but to encourage the horse to lie in the centre of the stable.

“Video recordings of sleeping horses have shown when they are rising they often make a rolling motion when they stand up. This could explain why they are found cast against the side of the stable in the morning, often in spite of the presence of banks” said Dr O’Brien.

To prevent casting he said the best solution is to fix a wooden batten or rubber anti-cast strip about one metre from the floor around the stable walls.

The horse’s feet will be able to get a grip on the strip, and it can then push itself away from the wall.

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“People will still use banks for cushioning effects but it’s important if you do use them the bedding in the banks is kept fresh so fungi don’t proliferate there,” he said.

The size of the bank is also important.

“The bank won’t stop a horse getting cast unless it is very big and wide, and most are neither,” Dr O’Brien said.

Do you agree, or do you build banks for other reasons? Email hhletters@ti-media.com for a chance to see your views in H&H magazine and win a bottle of Champagne Taittinger (please include your name and address; letters may be edited)

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You are more likely to hear a horse getting “cast” than to see him. An overenthusiastic roll and suddenly he goes all the way over, ending up stuck against the stable wall without enough room to get his legs underneath him.

Fortunately, most horses are quick to sort themselves out. A short burst of panicky leg thrashing is enough to push a horse away from the wall and allow him to scramble to his feet. His owner hears an almighty clatter from the stable but, by the time they arrive, the horse is already up.

Once up, the horse is usually fine. Eyes and limbs appear to be vulnerable in the struggle to stand, but injuries are surprisingly rare.

Just occasionally, however, a horse becomes thoroughly wedged and needs help to be freed — or is down and unable to rise because of illness or injury. Colic is probably the most common example of this. Horses rolling with abdominal pain frequently get cast, but it can be hard to tell if there’s a problem until they have been helped up. Unlike a horse who has simply been stuck, a horse with colic is very likely to get straight down to roll again.

Other reasons a horse may be down and unable to get up include neurological problems, a serious limb or pelvic injury, or generalised stiffness and loss of strength. The possibility of injury or illness means it is important to check a cast horse for any obvious signs of injury before trying to free him, taking care not to put yourself in danger.

Old horses with stiff joints can find the effort required to get up painful, so they may remain lying down for longer than is natural. Horses are too heavy to remain down for extended periods, especially on a firmer surface, as doing so can lead to a lack of blood supply to the muscles they need to use to get back up again.

The solution is to roll the horse immediately onto his other side, which does not have “pins and needles”. In the longer term, a maintenance dose of an anti-inflammatory, such as phenylbutazone (bute), can be helpful to keep such horses mobile. It is a sad fact, however, that increasing difficulty in getting up is one of the common reasons for older horses being put to sleep.

Room to roll

If a healthy horse repeatedly gets cast, it is often because of poor stable design — either a stable that is too small or has corners narrower than a right angle.

A stable for a 16hh horse should be a minimum of 12x12ft, and bigger if the horse is larger. It is the length of the sides that counts, not the floor area — a long, narrow stable is just as bad as one that is too small overall.

Large stables also have their hazards and should be assessed for any areas where a horse could get trapped when he rolls.

Crew yards (communal stabling arrangements) are often fronted with a barred gate, but these are difficult to hang flush with the floor and can leave a gap a horse could get a leg under. Diagonal crossbars on a gate can also be a danger, with a leg becoming trapped in the corner angle.

One solution is to keep bedding away from the front of the crew yard to discourage rolling. Haynets should be tied up high to prevent entanglement and attached to a piece of frayed baler twine or other breakable device, not directly to a bolt or bars.

Pile it high

Some horses, usually the frequent and enthusiastic rollers, seem to specialise in getting cast, even in well-sized stables. If the horse can be bedded on straw, banking this up thickly around the walls is an effective measure and prevents the horse getting his body too close to the wall if he does roll right over.

Straw is not always suitable, however, usually because of its high dust content, yet shavings and other bedding types don’t lend themselves well to banking. An anti-cast roller, worn over a stable rug, is one solution. The metal arch at the top prevents the horse rolling right over, but the surcingle may not be particularly comfortable or may slip.

It can help to fit anti-casting strips — rubber strips about four inches wide, fixed around the stable walls in a horizontal band, about a metre from the floor. The idea is that instead of scrabbling ineffectually against a smooth wall, the horse can gain purchase with his feet under the strips and push himself away.

Freeing a cast horse

The most important part of freeing a trapped horse is staying safe yourself. A horse lying quietly one moment can suddenly thrash his legs violently, or half-rise and then fall over again. Ending up underneath him is certainly not going to help matters.

Never bolt the stable door — leave it ajar — and take care not to position yourself so that the horse is between you and the exit.

Always work from behind the horse’s body, not in front of his legs, making sure that you don’t get stuck in a corner or between the horse and the back wall. Avoid the dangerous kicking zone.

Method one

The aim is to pull the front end of the horse around to create enough room for him to get his forelegs down. Two people, each gripping a double handful of mane (pictured, above centre) and pulling in unison, can usually pivot the head end around just enough for the horse to be able to free his forelegs and scramble up.

This technique only works if the horse has some space in front of his head or is angled across a corner. Don’t try to move his hindquarters — they are too heavy, and pulling on the tail at an angle can damage it.

Method two

An alternative is to roll the horse back over using ropes (ideally, two lunge lines) on his legs. This method needs care, as it entails pulling the legs over towards you — and the horse will invariably lurch up in an uncontrolled way as soon as he is rolled.

Lean over the horse’s body to position the lines, rather than going in front of or behind his legs. Loop the middle of each line once around the pastern (pictured, above right) — this loop stops the line slipping up the leg, but allows it to come free as soon as the horse is up, avoiding the danger of a panicked horse with a line tied to his leg.

Loop one line around a front leg and the second around a hindleg. Use the lower legs front and back, if you can, as this means the legs are then pulled towards the horse’s body and not away from it, leaving him less likely to kick out when rolled. It takes more strength to pull the horse over using the lower legs, so you may have to settle for ropes on the upper limbs.

At least two sensible adults are needed to pull over a full-sized horse. An additional safety measure would be to fit a headcollar to the horse, with a long line attached, so that a third helper can stand near his head and steady him as he gets back on his feet.

Ref Horse & Hound; 15 November 2018

US international eventer RF Smoke On The Water was put down yesterday (1 May) after becoming cast in his stable just days after taking 5th place at his first CCI4*.

The 9-year-old had just embarked on his summer holiday after finishing on his dressage score at Rolex Kentucky, which surely would have put him in the running for the FEI Alltech World Equestrian Games this summer.

His rider Marilyn Little posted the news on her Facebook page.

“During a late-morning habitual roll in his stall before he went out for the day, Smoke became cast against the wall and was struggling,” she said.

Although staff were “immediately in his stall to assist Smoke in righting himself”, he sustained a fatal injury.

He was transported to an equine hospital, where he was diagnosed with “undefined traumatic injury to his central nervous system, possibly due to damage to the cervical or lumbar spine”.

Marilyn described the Manders’ talented grey as “an incredible horse that touched so many with his heart and life-loving outlook”.

“For me, Smoke was the most elegant of partners, a loyal team-mate and a truly wonderful friend,” she said. “For others, he was a magnetic presence that you sensed was sure of himself in every way; his charismatic persona, can-do attitude, super-sized talent, prankster character and acute awareness of his own stunningly good looks couldn’t help but make you smile.”

She said he “squeezed every ounce of fun out of every day” and called him “the mightiest champion with wings on his feet”.

Tributes poured in on social media after Marilyn made the announcement at 10pm last night.

Fellow US rider Sinead Halpin, who finished 4th at Kentucky, tweeted: “So gutted for Marilyn and America…Smoke was the real deal… All class. So very very tragic.”

Sussex-based US eventer Liz Halliday wrote: “So so sad to hear of the loss of the Marilyn Little’s RF Smoke On The Water. What an incredible little horse with a big heart.

The US Eventing Association said that it “sent its sincere condolences to Marilyn and all that knew Smoke”.

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If your horse is lying down and won’t get up, it is likely there is something wrong. A healthy horse that is lying down simply to have a rest will be able to stand up again by himself without difficulty, unless he is cast (stuck against an object such as the stable wall). It is important to know how to help a cast horse stand because if he is left lying down and unable to move for several hours, he will sustain muscle damage.

Before you try to help the horse stand up, consider why he may have gone down:

• It may sound obvious, but is the horse breathing? There is the awful possibility that the horse may have died. If you are unsure, check to see if there is any response when you touch the eye. The horse’s eye will remain open after death, while the horse’s eye is typically closed while sleeping. If the eye is open and responsive, then check the ABC (airway, breathing and circulation).
• Is there any obvious injury, particularly to one of the limbs, preventing the horse from standing? It can be difficult to spot a fractured limb tucked underneath the horse.
• Is there any sign of disease such as colic or laminitis, which may make a horse reluctant to stand? Look to see if there are signs of the bedding being churned up. In such cases they will often get up with help and persuasion.
• Could the horse be foaling?
• Is the horse dull and non-responsive, suggesting some kind of brain damage? It could be that the horse has hit his head, although an equine herpes infection is a possibility.
• Is there a physical obstruction preventing the horse from rising? If so, you may need the vet or the animal rescue department of the fire brigade to help move the obstruction first, before trying to get the horse to its feet.
• Has the horse been healthy? An important thing to consider is whether the horse was normal before he went down. For instance, if he was off his feed and had a high temperature, he may have an infection. If he was galloping across the field and then fell, it is more likely to be an accident.

While these may all sound like obvious considerations when written down, the sight of a horse down can be distressing, which means owners aren’t always able to think clearly when it happens.

How to help a cast horse to stand up

If you are faced with a cast horse, you should immediately summon help. With luck, the horse will wriggle around and free himself before assistance arrives, but if this is not the case then you will need to take action.

When moving a horse that is down, take care that neither he nor you gets hurt. Old, arthritic horses or ponies may go down and then be too stiff and sore to stand, yet if they are rolled over, they can often stagger to their feet.

Remember that even a horse you know well can be unpredictable when trapped or distressed. A cast horse can seem deceptively subdued, and then panic and struggle dangerously, regardless of anyone in the way. You must always be very careful to avoid injury when helping a cast horse to stand, so wearing a hard hat, gloves and sturdy footwear is wise.

The simplest way to help a cast horse to stand is to manoeuvre them away from the obstruction, such as a wall, by placing a towel around the horse’s neck, then pulling on that just enough to get the head and front legs away from the wall. You may only need to move the horse a short way before it can stand by itself. Placing another towel under the horse’s head will help to protect the underlying eye during the process. Take care to stand behind the horse’s back to avoid being kicked.

If this isn’t possible, an alternative option is to loop a lunge line or long rope over the horse’s foot just above or below the fetlock on the lower limb nearest the wall. It is safest to do this by leaning over the horse’s body to avoid getting within kicking range of his feet. Pulling his forelimbs round with a rope may permit a horse to right itself.

Sometimes the horse will need to be flipped over, using ropes around both back and front legs to move the horse away from the wall. If using this technique be sure to stand well back and allow the horse to get up on his own. Then, reassuring the horse to keep him calm, carefully remove the ropes.

Once the horse is up, check him over carefully for injuries, and continue to keep an eye on the horse for a couple of hours afterwards, in case he has colic. Always remember that he may have an injury on the underside that prevented him from rising by himself, so check for signs of any problems that may be invisible when the horse is turned over or stands up.

If a horse has a tendency to become cast on a regular basis, you may find moving to a larger stable helps. Alternatively the addition of anti-cast bars on the stable walls can give the horse something to push against if they do roll too close to the wall. Banks may help discourage a horse from rolling close to the wall, but they will not prevent a horse from becoming cast.

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With the arrival of autumn, and winter on the horizon, the majority of horses will be spending more time in their stables, which can lead to problems such as RAO, capped hocks and thrush. However, in certain cases, these conditions can be avoided by simply changing your type of horse bedding.

Capped hocks and elbows

If a horse has insufficient bedding in his stable, he may suffer from capped hocks and elbows, caused by bruising over the point of the hock or elbow joint, both of which contain lubricating joint fluid.

In serious cases, the joints can become very swollen and sore, and the horse may also be lame. A combination of rubber matting and a covering of additional bedding such as straw or paper usually helps to alleviate the problem.

Colic

Horses who eat their bedding through hunger or boredom may become prone to colic. A common cause of bedding-related colic is a horse eating dry bedding, which then expands in the stomach causing discomfort, inflammation and possibly a blockage. Choosing a non-palatable alternative such as cardboard or shavings should deter the horse from nibbling his bed.

Getting cast

Horses who enjoy rolling may become cast. This can cause injury and swelling to joints and limbs, as well as potential back damage. High banks and a thick layer of light bedding such as straw will go some way to alleviate injury if your horse does become cast.

RAO

Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), formerly known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is a common respiratory disease similar to asthma in humans. In most cases, RAO is caused by hypersensitivity to mould spores in the horse’s environment. It is a management issue. The horse’s respiratory tract responds to allergy-inducing particles with a narrowing of the airways and reduced breathing capacity. Many horses with RAO are kept outdoors, while stabled patients are commonly given rubber flooring and/or dust-extracted bedding to reduce spores.

Urticaria

Some forms of the skin irritation urticaria can be caused by an allergy to bedding or mould, which results in the appearance of rashes or bumps on the horse’s body. It is usually a temporary condition, alleviated when the offending bedding is removed and the stable cleaned and disinfected to eradicate mould spores.

Slipping

Shod horses with smooth stable floors and a minimal amount of bedding may be prone to slipping in the stable, resulting in musculoskeletal trauma or strain. Rubber matting is an ideal solution to provide grip for the horse when getting up or lying down, especially if a covering of additional bedding is provided on top.

Stiffness and injury

Some horses with stiff joints, or those with limited mobility through injury, may suit certain types of bedding. For example, rubber matting may not provide enough comfort for the horse who is immobilised for long periods, while some types of bedding can become tangled around limbs or make dressings or wounds messy and unhygienic. Light, clean types of bedding, such as chopped cardboard, are good choices for equine patients.

Thrush

Horses suffering from conditions of the foot, such as thrush, need clean, dry stable bedding in order for the foot to dry out and recover. With this in mind, bedding such as hemp or wood fibre, both of which drain down to the base leaving a dry top layer, may be good options.