If you are in any doubt at all about your horses health you should ask your Vet for a visit, this might result in diverting any serious problems from developing. If your horse is lame, see the lameness section below.
General Health
Take your horses temperature and pulse and study his rate of breathing. If your horse has a temp of more than 39c (102f) and his breathing is more than 50 beats per minute then you may have reasons for concern.
To help keep your horse calm during treatment you could try using
Bach Flower Remedies, ( I found them invaluable when competing)
Injury
Any injuries should be treated immediately to lesson the chance of infection setting in. If it’s minor you can
treat your horse yourself, but anything that looks major get the Vet out immediately. Depending on the type of wound they have received you will have to treat it accordngly, there are 5 main types of wounds that you will have to deal with.
- Puncture wounds - These can be caused by nails thorns etc, the surface area might look small but the internal wound could be deep. These are always serious as they can penetrate your horses joints and cause an infection.
- Clean cut wounds - Possibly caused by a sharp implement such as glass.
- Bruised wounds - These can be caused by kicks, stumbling. or over reaching.
- Torn wounds - A tear in the skin possibly caused by barbed wire or a nail.
- Galls - These can be mostly avoided by having clean and proper fitting tack, otherwise they will rub and cause galls.
Clean cut wounds that need to be assessed by a vet immediately
- If the wound is pumping blood in spurts, this could be an artery that has been damaged.
- If the wound is deep, severe lacerations.
- If there is clear, amber coloured discharge, could be tendon or joint oil.
- If any underlying structures can be seen such as bone tendons etc.
- Your horses anti tetanus jabs are not up to date.
- If stitching is required.
- If antibiotic drugs need to be administered.
In all cases requiring veterinary attention, take no further action other than controlling the bleeding and preventing further damage. Do not apply any antiseptic dressings as this might be contrary too what your vet will use.
Lameness
Try and locate where the injury is, this is usually apparent due to heat in the area and or swelling in the affected area. This can range from foreign bodies being lodged in the hoof, make sure you pick it out carefully and clean around the frog area, it might be something quite small, so check thoroughly. Cuts or sores on the leg, a cracked hoof. These are the main reasons for lameness in horses. If the lameness persists for more than 24 hrs call the vet. And box rest your horse.
Depending on whether you are in a livery yard or not, maybe the farrier is about shoeing another horse, they are usually happy to help with hoof problems. I had to have a shoe replaced as my mare had thrown one. I had to go to work, my farrier helped himself to my mare in the field realised she had a problem when he tried to shoe her, he found that she had a small abscess starting and he had placed a poultice on the hoof for me. Excellent, no call out fee for the Vet and my mare sorted. They are invaluable, always treasure your farrier.
.jpg)
