Ongoing Care For Horse Cuts And Lacerations (1 of 2)

This information is presented as general guidance. It is not intended to replace the services of a licensed veterinarian, or an "on the scene" evaluation. Please remember that as with treating any medical condition, the first and most important principle is to do no harm. Do not do anything that you feel might make the condition worse or result in a new injury. If in doubt, better to err on the side of calling your veterinarian!

Help Topics :

If Your Horse Received Stitches

If the wound was treated with stitches make sure to check the stitches daily to see that they are clean and still in place. A topical treatment, such as Schreiner's Herbal Solution ® can be applied over the stitches once or twice daily to help heal the area more quickly.

Click below to see:
Schreiner's ® products
avaliable from Fox Meadow Market

(Back to top)

Bandaging For Cuts & Lacerations

Wrapping the wound may be necessary, particularly in the early phase of treatment or if there is bleeding. However, it is critical that the wound be allowed to "breathe." If you decide to bandage, use gauze and porous tape, and do not wrap the wound so tight as to prevent adequate circulation.

If the wound requires a heavy bandage that does not allow for air circulation consult with your vet about the use of antibiotics as their use is usually warranted in situations where a wound is in an anaerobic (lack of oxygen) environment.

(Back to top)

Tips For Bandaging Horse Legs

When applying any sort of bandage to the lower leg, the bandage should be wrapped so that the flexor tendon is brought to the inside of the leg to minimize stress and support the tendon. Wrapping a leg backwards can put excessive strain on the flexor tendon that can cause damage to the tendon.

An easy way to make sure that you are wrapping in the correct direction is that a right leg is wrapped in a clockwise direction and a left leg in a counter-clockwise direction. Another way to make sure that you are wrapping the correct direction is to follow these simple directions:

3 easy steps to wrapping a leg for the directionally challenged:

- Start off with the edge of the bandage over the front of the cannon bone
- Bring the roll of the bandage to the outside of the horse's body
- Now bring the roll back towards the horse's tail before passing it around the inside of the horse's leg.
- Pull lightly to tighten the bandage as it comes across the front of the cannon bone
- NOTE: This is the only safe place to pull on the bandage
- NOTE: Tugging on the bandage over the sides or back of the leg can cause tendon damage!

A REMINDER: For even tension across the length of the bandage the rolled part of the bandage should always be facing away from the horse's leg.

(Back to top)

NEXT PAGE... (Ongoing Care For Horse Cuts And Lacerations Part 2)