Question: We keep hearing about rattlesnakes being found in our neck of the woods (Northern Pennsylvania). What can we do to keep our horses safe? We trail ride quite a lot and our horses are always at pasture. Thanks for your time.

Answer: Pennsylvania is home to three species of venomous snakes; northern copperhead, eastern massasauga rattlesnake, and timber rattlesnake. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has a brief article about the twenty-one species of snakes found in the state. Read about “Snakes in Pennsylvania”. 

Most horses that are bitten by snakes are bitten on the nose or muzzle as they lower their heads to investigate the snake. Because resulting swelling may close one or both nostrils, this is the most dangerous site for a bite and may even cause suffocation. Horses can also be bitten on the legs when a horse treads on or steps too closely to a snake. Bites on the leg may not actually swell because there is little muscle tissue in the lower legs. Bites on the neck are also a frequent occurrence. Signs of a venomous snake bite often include: breathing difficulties, swelling, lameness, pain, tissue damage, and puncture marks.

Some general guidelines to follow if your horse has been bitten by a snake can be found in the article “Rattlesnake!” by Willis Lamm in the TrailBlazer magazine. By keeping calm, moving safely away from the snake, and trying to keep your horse calm (to prevent poison from traveling through the horse’s system any faster than it already is), you could help prevent serious tissue damage or even death. Try to identify the snake if safely possible, contact your veterinarian, and follow his or her directions. Never try to cut the wound and suck out the venom, as this often causes more damage than good. Your veterinarian will most likely give the horse anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-venom, and possibly even a tetanus booster.

The AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) has detailed a disaster response guide that includes what actions a veterinarian should take when a horse is bitten by a venomous snake. To view this PDF file (you will need Adobe Reader), click here. To learn more about keeping you and your family safe from snakebites, read this article, “Snakebite Prevention and First Aid” by the AAFP (American Academy of Family Physicians).

While there are a wide variety of products claiming to act as snake repellents, I am not aware of any that have been researched.