Treating Simple Injuries On Your Horse

Every horse owner should be able to treat minor injuries on their horse.  These range from cuts and scrapes to minor puncture wounds.  Major cuts and wounds that require stitches need to be looked at by a vet immediately.  

The first thing you need to do is clean the wound.  Hydrogen peroxide is good for washing the wound without causing a pain burn like alcohol.  You should not wash the wound everyday with hydrogen peroxide, as this will actually slow down the healing process.

Next you should put an ointment on the wound, something like Neosporin works great, it keeps the bacteria out and promotes healing and minimizes scaring.  If the wound is on his leg, you should wrap the injury with a leg wrap, as this helps keep dirt and bacteria out of the wound. Keep in mind, some parts of the horse just can’t be wrapped.

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One of the most important things you can do is keep the wound clean.  After the first day, just wash it with cool water to get rid of any dirt or build up of ointment.  Apply new ointment and place a bandage on the injury.

For many injuries, just running cool water across it will provide some relief to your horse.  The cool water will lower the temperature and inflammation in the injury.  This is especially true for a leg injury.

Start at the lower extremities, down by the hoof, and slowly work you way up the leg.  This will help with the rehabilitation of many injuries.  Do not be surprised if your vet recommends that you give your horse a bath everyday after he has injured himself.  

Again, these wound care tips are for minor injuries only.  If it is bleeding, or has a gapping hole, get your vet out immediately.  If it is going to need stitches, get your vet.  Use common sense.  Most first aid treatments you would use for minor wounds for yourself are the same type of treatment you would use for your horse.