Fortunately, most of us will never have to deal with a horse who has suffered a brain trauma. We may, however, have ample opportunity to witness firsthand the protection that the equine skull inherently provides. It's always going to be alarming to see a horse hit his head during a harrowing spill. But knowing the trouble signs to look for and the appropriate action to take can help you keep a cool head when you're confronted with a horse who may have injured his own.
EQUUS thanks Robert J. MacKay, BVSc, PhD, professor and chief of large animal medicine at the University of Florida, and Stephen Reed, DVM, Jenne Professor and head of equine medicine and surgery at Ohio State University, for their assistance with this article.
This article first appeared in the May 2005 issue of EQUUS magazine.
