When a Stud’s Bad Heart Saved His Life
- September 24, 2026
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- Jan Swan Wood
Posted in: Featured, Horse Care, Horse Training, Ranch Life, Uncategorized
When we were running a band of mares and breeding some outside mares, we had two stallions. The
senior stallion was Duncan, who we got when he was in his 20s and used until he died at 28. The other
was Spider, a stud we’d raised. Both were gentlemen to handle, well broke, and just plain nice studs. They were, however, studs so we handled them with respect.
Our place didn’t have room to turn studs with mare bands so they each had a nice big pen and a barn of their own. During breeding season, the studs were sure on the muscle and would shout insults at each
other from across the water lot that separated their pens. The trash talking was louder from Spider’s side
of things as he was the noisier of the two studs. Duncan did a lot of posturing and the rivalry was strong
between them.
Due to years of living in box stalls, horse trailers and around the dust of arenas and the show ring, Duncan had some breathing problems that, over time, had caused him to have heart issues. Occasionally, he would even get a little worked up during breeding and his bad heart would cause him to pass out and he’d fall to the ground. A syringe with a dose of dexamethasone was always in the pocket of whoever was handling him so he could be main-lined to save his life if he didn’t recover on his own. It was just how it was with him and his genetics and disposition were such that he was worth the effort to breed him. Aside from this, he was the epitome of the healthy, happy, aged stud.
Spider was in the prime of his life when Duncan was past his mid-20s. Both were sure they were the
king of the hill around the place though. They’d glare at one another from across the water lot that
separated them. Spider behind his heavy plank fence, Duncan behind his pipe fence.
Breeding season was over for the year and the mares were all settled and content out on pasture, so it had gotten considerably quieter around the corrals. We had to leave for the day, so chored early and left.
Like all people with chores morning and night, we got home before dark. As we drove by the pasture
where the mares and foals were, there was an extra horse out with them. By golly, it was Spider! Oh no…
Whether a gate hadn’t gotten latched with all of the safeties that were required on Spider’s pen (he was a Houdini to keep in the corrals) or what, we didn’t know. As we headed for the barn to grab a halter so he could be recaptured, we checked on Duncan who would have been across the pipe fence from Spider as he’d made his way out to the pasture through the water lot. Duncan was walking around and came to the fence to us as we approached. At a distance he seemed fine, but then he turned his head.
His throat latch right behind his jaw was torn wide open, with his windpipe and pulsing artery exposed. A big chunk of flesh hung down, dried blood was all over his neck and chest, and he had dried sweat on him as well. The ground was torn up on both sides of the fence where the studs had fought over the fence. Spider, with his young and perfect teeth had obviously had Duncan by the throat and was well
on his way to killing the old horse when Duncan’s over stimulated heart had caused him to fall over to the
ground. The fall must have torn him loose from Spider’s grasp and once he was on the ground, he was out of reach. The mark of his body on the dirt was clear, along with a pool of dried blood.
At that point, perhaps the mares arrived or Spider decided he’d won the battle and went looking for them. We don’t know. Once out in the pasture with them, he had no reason to return to the water lot to
resume his fight for the mares.
Duncan’s old ticker must have restarted itself as he hadn’t died, obviously, and other than some bite marks and spots on his legs from striking at the fence, was moving around well. Spider had a puffy knee
from hitting the fence but no teeth marks, mostly because Duncan had hardly any teeth.
More safety catches were added to Spider’s gate and they never got together again. The miracle is that Duncan didn’t get his main artery perforated when Spider grabbed his throat and that, for a twist on the plot, the passing out from his bad heart had actually saved his life.
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Posted in: Featured, Horse Care, Horse Training, Ranch Life, Uncategorized
About Jan Swan Wood
Jan was raised on a ranch in far western South Dakota. She grew up horseback working all descriptions of cattle, plus sheep and horses. After leaving home she pursued a post-graduate study of cowboying and dayworking in Nebraska, New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota....