You know how it goes; put a horse and a pointy stick in a 1,000 acre field, and he will not only find it, he’ll impale himself. So, since it’s a matter of when not if your horse gets a nasty looking cut, you usually don’t need to panic, especially if you can identify the type of wound it is, and if you’re familiar with the steps you can take to keep the situation under control.
While the goals in all cases are the same: to stop the bleeding, protect the injury, and prevent infection, here is a list of the terms used to describe different wounds (especially important if you need to call your veterinarian), and a general treatment program:
¨ Partial thickness wounds
Caused by a sharp or jagged object
They do not penetrate through all layers of the skin
The cut edges stay close together
Typically, the bleeding is minimal and controlled easily
¨ Full thickness wounds
A sharp object cuts through all layers of the skin and may also penetrate the deeper underlying tissue
The skin edges will gape open
There may be profuse bleeding
¨ Abrasions
Usually involves only the skin and hair
Usually caused by friction i.e., a rope burn or pavement abrasions from falling
Damage may take 5-10 days to determine the severity
Puncture Wounds
Commonly caused by a sharp object such as a stake or nail
Generally do not create much blood flow, unless a major blood vessel has been penetrated
Contact a veterinarian if the situation involves eyes, muscles, bone, or is located over a tendon sheath or joint, or, the horse is lame on the injured limb, has a fever, or if the wound is likely to have penetrated the chest or abdomen.
Stopping the Bleeding
The Pressure Bandage
¨ If the wound is on the body, apply steady pressure with a clean bandage or towel for five to fifteen minutes
¨ If blood is spurting from the wound before pressure is applied, or if after several minutes the blood is soaking through the pressure bandage, call a veterinarian
¨ For leg wounds, take several pieces of clean linen or sterile gauze and position them over the wound before bandaging. Make sure not to wrap the leg too tightly; you potentially can cut off the circulation
¨ Loosen or remove the bandage if there is swelling below the point at which it is applied
Tourniquet
¨ A tourniquet is used in the event of a spurting arterial wound
¨ Applied on the leg or tail, it should be placed above the wound
¨ Using gauze or a piece of cloth, loop it around the limb or tail and then tighten it by hand or with a long cylindrical object (a stick will work) positioned inside the loop.
Keep twisting until the squirting stops, and call your veterinarian
¨ Release the tourniquet every 30 minutes for 5 minutes to allow blood to enter the site (limb or tail) if your veterinarian can not arrive within an hour
Treatment
Do not remove the bandage to clean the wound if the bleeding is severe enough for you to have called the veterinarian – just wait for his/her arrival
¨ Once the bleeding has subsided, the wound should be cleaned. Hose it with a moderate flow of water to flush out the dirt and debris (use a clean wet cloth for wounds on the face)
¨ If the skin edges are separated, muscle damage or tendon injury is present, it would be necessary to contact your veterinarian for deep tissue evaluation and suturing
¨ Do not apply antiseptics, detergents, creams or powders - they interfere with healing; however, a mild antibiotic ointment may be applied to prevent the area from drying out. Note that povidone iodine (Betadine 10 percent solution), chlorhexidine diacetate 2 percent solution (Nolvasan) and 3 percent hydrogen peroxide are too caustic and can damage sensitive tissues
¨ Bandaging is most effective on leg and foot wounds (wounds on the face and upper body are often too difficult to manage). Be sure to place several sterile gauze pads over the wound and pad the leg well - pillow wraps or double sheet cottons are best - to prevent the bandage from becoming too tight
¨ Your veterinarian should determine if systemic antibiotics are needed
¨ Be sure your horse is up to date on his tetanus vaccine (within the year)