Riding into Rattlesnake Season

I try to write a annual warning on Rattlesnakes each spring. Much is the same on Rattlesnakes across different geographic areas - such as don't handle Rattlesnakes! - while the predominate species of Rattlesnake may be different across the country, down here in the desert Southwest, we mostly see Western Diamondbacks, Prarie Rattlers and sometimes in the rocky, mountainous areas Rock Rattlers, which are usually much smaller (and harder to see). 

When temperatures begin to warm in April, the rattlesnakes come out of hibernation. They remain near the den entrance for a few days to a couple weeks, hunting at night then moving off usually no more than a few miles from their winter dens.

During the mornings Rattlesnakes will seek the Sun to warm up, moving to shade for the hotter parts of the day, then back out into the Sun at the end of the day before moving off to hunt at night. In periods of higher winds blowing sand and dust, Rattlesnakes will seek protection as they have no conventional eye lids to protect their eyes.

It is a old myth that Rattlesnakes will always rattle if you are close, and always rattle before they strike. Often the first horse and rider, and maybe even the second will pass, before a Rattlesnake may rattle, which is an attempt to warn you off.

A Rattlesnake's young are born alive. The female Rattlesnake doesn't reproduce every year, usually just once every two to three years. An average Rattlesnake litter is anywhere from 4 to 10 babies, usually born as early as late June/early July through as late as September. Born, on average, around 10-12 inches long and without a rattle, only a button, the baby Rattlesnakes are fully venomous and are more dangerous than an adult Rattlesnake since they do not control the load of venom they inject, cannot rattle to warn you off, and are much smaller in size and harder to see.

Rattlesnakes acquire a new rattle each time they shed their skin, called molting. Sometimes this can happen a couple times a year, therefore number of rattles is no indicator of age.

Horses, because they investigate things with their head and nose, are often bitten on their muzzles. One of my horses, years ago, was bitten on the corner of his cheek and jaw which I attributed to his fast but not quite fast enough spook. Being bit on the nose can be life threatening as there is the possibility of the nasal passages swelling shut and cutting off air supply so the horse cannot breath.

I carry a 10 inch length of plastic tubing (nasal-gastric tubing is best but some people use sections of garden hose) so I can keep the air way open is my horse is bit. Ensure that the ends are beveled so as you insert the tubing into the horse's nostrils you won't cut his soft tissue up. Vaseline can be used to coat the tubing. I carry pieces of tubing lightly coated with bag balm and vacuum sealed in a small bag and placed into my saddlebags. If there is a substantial length of time between when the horse was bitten and you accessing some tubing, the nasal passages may be too swollen to emplace the tubes,...or they may not swell very much at all depending upon the amount of venom injected. In any case,...repeat, in any case call your Vet and get him/her enroute to you. I would not hestitate giving any of my horses a dose of banamine, but I suggest if you keep Banamine on hand then to get the advice of a Vet before giving it to your horse.

This will make some reptile lovers mad, but if I encounter a Rattlesnake fairly close to where livestock or people are,....I kill them. If we are far away from civilization, I leave them alone. Last year I did not even see, let alone kill, even one Rattlesnake and I averaged two rides into the desert a week. The year before that I saw and killed two and the year before that 4.

There is a Rattlesnake vaccine available for horses. I have not given it to any of my horses, and don't believe I will in the future. But it is an option. I believe it requires a series of three shots followed by boosters every six months.

Chances are that most people will never encounter a rattlesnake, but there is always the chance, so be careful and have a safe ride.