Captive Bolt Use.
Glad the Captain appears to have survived okay.
I have flown horses (among other animals) all over the world on dedicated freighters. The captive bolt pistol (in its carrying case) was always issued to the Captain and after literally hundreds of flights never had cause to hand it to a groom to use. The grooms seem to love and care for their charges and normally had the ability to keep them completely calm.
I can only recall one flight where a racehorse "kicked off" but the (very good) KLM pens have good solid sides and although it was noisy there was no need risk of damage to the aircraft, the groom did calm the horse in time. I have never carried horses without grooms in attendance.
Such was the care given by the grooms I could not envisage a groom actually using a captive bolt on his charge.
We never carried vets - the animals were only inspected by vets prior departure and after (each) landing.