My gelding got bit by a rattle snake this evening. He is at the vet's tonight and I'll bring him home tomorrow. If anyone has had this happen, I would love to hear about what you did to help them recover. I am a little worried that the vet was unable to put a catheter in tonight to run fluids. They will try again in the morning, though. We have had cows get through it just fine, although one did lose half her foot, so I do have some concerns. 

I have no experience at all, just want to offer prayers.  One of the reasons I would want to rent a horse to ride out west.  We have a few timber rattlers but thankfully not many.  Good luck.

I had one bit by a copperhead on the nose.  It was scary because of the swelling and her breathing

but she pulled through.

Positive thoughts you will have the same outcome.

He is doing really good. His leg is really swollen to above his hock, but hydro therapy and and a sweat, along with yard turnout is doing a good job of keeping it down. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. The vet is surprised about the swelling- it's not as bad as most horses and has gone down easier and sooner than most. I attribute prayers, reiki to the swelling being controlled fairly easy. 

I've seen a couple horses, a cow, and a dog who were bitten, but I don't know for sure what bit them. From what I've heard, lots of cold water and a shot of Dex helps.  Watch for secondary infection.  Might even need to consider a tetanus booster. 
Funny story.  Last year I was standing out in the yard and my 16 year old golden retriever was next to me.  She squatted to pee and right when I looked over at her, a 2 foot coral snake slithered out from between her legs, and up over her tail. I fetched a shovel and killed it, but it was a pretty, harmless little thing.  Just remember: "Red touch Yellow, kill a fellow.  Red touch black, good for Jack."   Snakes have always fascinated me.

You transplanted Yankee! It goes like this: "Red on yellow kill a fellow. Red on black throw it back."

JK. I know you're a Texan to the bone, now.

Here it's   Red and Yellow Kills a fellow

                  Red and Black, Friend of Jack

We have alot of those pretty and very VENOMOUS snakes out here, along with copper heads and rattle Snakes..

I'm good when it comes to snakes as long as I know they are there, unless they creep up on me and then I get a bit goosey, Snakes Fascinate me too, I dont like killing them unless they are a threat.   

How is your gelding doing GLP? 

A friend (Years ago) had a gelding bit in the face and I have had one bitten on the back leg, Mine was not to bad since the rattler didnt release to much venom at the time of the bite, his leg swelled up really tight and his skin did spilt but he healed up pretty good after a couple of round's of antibiotics, left a pretty ugly scar from the spliting of the skin. 

He is doing good, the swelling is going down a little every day. I am doing hydro therapy, DMSO/furacin sweat, antibiotics twice a day, and banamine. I put him on THE ulcer meds and a probiotic. Really, turning him out so he can walk around a lot seems to have helped the swelling the most. 
i have a friend whose horse was bit on the nose. He ended up with pleurisy in the middle of one of our hottest South Texas summers. He was so miserable! But my boy is doing incredibly good compared to her horse. Rat snakes, blue indigo and fatter snakes are all safe at my house, but rattlers are killed on the spot.