First Aid for Wounds
When your horse suffers a laceration, there are three goals you should attempt to accomplish: 1) prevent further injury 2) limit contamination 3) minimize blood loss.
Adequate restraint and calming the horse down is important to prevent further injury. For example, if the horse has a leg caught, it is best to halter the horse and help them free their leg. When doing this be careful not to put yourself in harm’s way. Once the animal is restrained and calm the other two goals may be accomplished.
Lacerations inevitably bleed and most will become contaminated shortly after they occur. If the horse will allow, the best way to clean a wound is to use regular water out of a garden hose and rinse the area thoroughly. After cleaning the debris from the wound and surrounding area, application of a clean, dry dressing of cotton and gauze held firmly in place is the best way to control the hemorrhage and keep the wound clean. If cotton and gauze are not available, an improvised bandage of clean cloth held firmly in place may also be used. The bandage will serve three functions – protects the wound, prevents further contamination, and will decrease hemorrhage.
Use of topical antiseptics, ointments and powders is discouraged! These substances increase the possibility of additional contamination and cause chemical irritation to the tissues. These products can also make subsequent cleaning and debriding difficult if the laceration is suitable to be sutured. Overzealous application complicates subsequent wound care and delays healing by inducing a foreign body reaction.
The most ideal way to manage these wounds is to adequately restrain the horse to prevent further injury, thoroughly cleanse the wound and firmly apply a clean, dry bandage to the affected area until veterinary assistance arrives.
