Horse First Aid

The horse owner must not attempt to be his own veterinarysurgeon. There are however some first-aid skills and nursingpractices that should be developed by those who look afterhorses.

Wounds

Wounds fall generally into three groups:

1. Incised wounds. Cuts made by a knife, a tin or a piece of glass.

2. Tears. Wounds made by barbed wire or jagged metal.

3. Punctures. Penetrating wounds like those made by a nail in thefoot or a thorn in the knee.

In the case of incised wounds and tears, stem the bleeding byapplying a pad of gauze, or any other clean material, directlyonto the wound and hold it there until the bleeding stops. Cleanthe wound thoroughly with salt water (one teaspoonful of salt to600m1 (1 pint) of warm water); do not use antiseptics,disinfectants or detergents. Apply an anti-biotic powder. Thewound may need to be stitched, which will require the services ofa veterinary surgeon. An anti-tetanus injection may be required.In the case of puncture wounds, stem the bleeding and dressthe wound with an anti-biotic powder. In order to removeinfection from this type of wound it may be necessary to apply a
poultice. Such wounds are particularly dangerous due to thepossibility of tetanus.

Poultices

These can be applied to relieve pain, heat and swelling, and todraw infection from a wound, on any part of the horse's body towhich they can be safely attached. A poultice can be made fromkaolin paste, bran or a patent impregnated gamgee such as`Animalintex'.

A kaolin poultice is suitable to apply to a leg where there isheat or swelling, for instance in the fetlock joint or the backtendons. The kaolin paste is heated in its tin, with the lid off, untilit is hotter than can be borne on the hand. The paste is thenspread with a knife onto a piece of gamgee cut sufficiently large tocover the area that is to be treated. (The paste should be a littleover an eighth of an inch thick on the gamgee.) It is then appliedwith the kaolin paste towards the leg, covered with somewaterproof material and secured with a stable bandage. Thepoultice must not be allowed to dry out and should be changedevery twenty-four hours.

`Animalintex' is a very useful poultice which consists ofgamgee that is ready treated. It has to be soaked in boiling waterand when it is of a suitable temperature, it is applied in the sameway as the kaolin poultice.

A bran poultice is suitable to apply to the sole of the foot. Firstthe leg should be bandaged from below the knee down to thefetlock joint, and the heel smeared with grease to preventchapping. A small bran mash should then be made to which hasbeen added a handful of Epsom salts and some non-irritantantiseptic. The mash is put, hot, into a strong plastic hag and theaffected foot put into the bag so that there is about two inches ofbran under the sole. The foot and the dressing should then,ideally, be put into a poultice boot. If this is not available the footcan be put into the corner of a sack which is secured around theleg with a second bandage, the surplus sacking being removedwith scissors. Whilst this poultice is in place the horse should bekept on a short rack, ie tied up so that he cannot bite at thedressing or walk around too much. The poultice should berenewed twice a day.

In the circumstances where one foreleg is being treated and there is a possibility that extra weight will be supported on thesound leg, it is a useful precaution to fit a support bandage to thesound leg.

Tubbing

This is a method of applying a type of poultice to the foot,particularly the sole, where it will have a drawing effect oninjuries. A wooden or strong plastic bucket should be used,about one-third filled with warm to fairly hot water, to which ahandful of Epsom salts is added.

The foot is put carefully into the bucket, and kept there for tento fifteen minutes. Cold water can be used to reduce pain andswelling, but it is more effective to stand the horse in a cold,running stream where possible. Tubbing should be carried outtwice a day until relief is obtained.

Cold water treatment

Pain, heat and swelling can sometimes be relieved by theapplication of cold water. This can be done in a number of ways.Where the feet or the fetlock joints have to be treated, as in thecase of laminitis or strained fetlocks, it is useful to be able to standthe horse in a cold, running stream for twenty minutes or so. Forthe treatment of the forearm, knees or tendons, running coldwater from a hose over the injured area for twenty minutes two orthree times a day will often be very effective.

In circumstances where neither of these practices is possible,cold water bandages can be used, being changed every half anhour or so. (The application of a hot bandage is often useful too;the water should be as hot as the hand can hear.)

Steaming

Nasal congestion can be relieved by steaming. A handful of hay isput into the corner of a sack and a teaspoonful of Friar's balsamor oil of eucalyptus is added to it. Enough boiling water is thenadded to make an inhalant and the sack is held over the horse'snose while he is encouraged to inhale the fumes.

Horse Veterinary First Aid Cabinet

Veterinary first-aid equipment should he kept in all well-runstables. It is unnecessary, and usually wasteful, to keep large stocks but the following list will provide adequate cover in case ofemergency:

7.5cm (3in) cotton bandages x 4.7.5cm (3in) support bandages x 2.Gamgee I roll.

Medical gauze 1 roll.

Cotton wool 1 large roll.

Surgical lint 1 roll.

7.5cm (3in) adhesive tape 1 roll.

Wound powder, usually in a plastic puffer bottle.

Anti-biotic aerosol spray.

Colic drink. This can be provided by the veterinary surgeon,together with directions for its use.

Epsom salts 225g (8oz) packet.Common salt 225g (8oz) packet.Vaseline, a small jar.

Kaolin, or some other type of poultice.Scissors with round ends.

Clinical thermometer.

The quantity of each item that is stocked depends on the numberof horses that are kept in the stable, and the type of work onwhich they are employed. Other items such as cough electuary,Friar's balsam and amoricaine powder tend to deteriorate andare best purchased as and when they are required.

These items should be kept in an easily accessible but secureplace, and, of course, in hygienic conditions. It is helpful to keepthe telephone number and address of the local veterinarysurgeon on, or in, the first-aid cabinet.