Bleeder

The word “bleeder” is used to describe a horse that bleeds from the nostrils during or after a period of hard work. This can be frightening for any horse owner, especially those who have never had a bleeder horse or heard of one before. The amount of blood varies a great deal from case to case, from just a small amount to a gushing of blood that may be life threatening.

Symptoms and Types

• Blood in one or both nostrils

Causes

• Bleeding from the lung (pulmonary hemorrhage) due to exhaustive work or exercise
• Ethmoid Hematoma (a growth in the back of the nose)
• An infection in the guttural pouch (air-filled pouch in the auditory pouch)

Diagnosis

Tests will be run to see if there is a problem with the heart (which can lead to bleeding) and if not, what the source of the bleeding is.

Treatment

Treatment can only be determined after the cause of the bleeding has been discovered, as there is no real treatment for the bleeding, only for the root cause of the bleeding itself.

Living and Management

Depending on the cause, different steps must be taken after treatment to ensure your horse is healthy and the bleeding stops. A bleeder horse usually has some significant health problem behind the bleeding. Depending on whether the bleeding is due to pulmonary problems or an infection, rest and relaxation as well as continuous treatment are necessary.