In a rare and shocking incident in Surat district’s Mangrol village, a horse accidentally bit off part of its owner’s thumb while he was feeding it a carrot. Doctors later successfully reattached the severed thumb through a complex four-hour surgery.
The injured man, Salimbhai, a native of Mangrol who currently resides in the United Kingdom, is known for his love of horses and owns four of them at his farmhouse. He frequently visits India to care for his animals and had recently purchased a new horse worth around ₹12 lakh, which he had been training.
The accident occurred when Salimbhai was feeding a carrot to the horse. While grabbing the carrot, the animal accidentally bit off a portion of his right thumb.
His family immediately rushed him to a hospital in Surat. However, the severed thumb remained inside the horse’s mouth. Family members and farm workers managed to retrieve it nearly an hour later. The thumb was then preserved in ice and transported to the hospital for emergency treatment.
A team of doctors at a private hospital in Surat’s Adajan area performed a four-hour microsurgical procedure and successfully reattached the thumb. Hospital sources said the surgery was successful and Salimbhai is currently in stable condition.
Doctors credited the timely medical intervention and proper preservation of the severed thumb for the successful outcome. Family members said Salimbhai is recovering well and hopes to resume caring for his horses once he has fully recovered.

