If you own a horse, you need to be ready for the contingency of injuries. Horses often get injuries in the customary course of the day. It can be from fencing, a barbed wire, glass, metal or nails, stepping on jagged objects, get stuck or run into things. Sometimes they get graved injured. Deep cuts, puncture wounds, open sore injuries etc. ask for antibiotics. In this case, a lot of care and attention are required but in case of horse minor injuries, you can help your horse to be healed.

How to Determine if Horse is Having A Minor Injury

Usually horses have bumps, bruises, scratches, strains, ingesting harmful vegetation, an accident and kicks. If prompt action is not taken in time, these minor injuries can become serious. Such injuries are healed quickly, sometimes at their own. The injured areas are usually inflamed. Swelling, pain and heat in the affected area show the problem. Limited work helps in getting the injury better. Best results can be seen by hand walking.

Some Minor Injuries of Horses:

Girth galls : These occur where an ill-fitting girth rubs the horse’s side. The injured area should be treated with a saline solution or an anti-biotic powder. The girth must be kept clean and soft and should fit the horse without pinching or rubbing and with the underlying skin being free from wrinkles. The area in which girth galls are likely to occur can be hardened by the topical application of methylated spirit. The horse should not be saddled again until the girth galls are healed.

Sore buck : This is sometimes caused by a dirty or ill-fitting saddle. It may, occasionally be caused by bad riding. The treatment and prevention is the same as for girth galls with particular care that both the saddle and numnah fit correctly.

Over-reach : It occurs when the heels of the forefeet are struck by the toes of the hind feet. There are a number of reasons for this but it usually happens when horses are ridden too fast and out of control or when the tired horse is galloped through deep or difficult going. It is of course also sustained as an accident when one of these conditions is responsible. Prevention is best achieved by avoiding these circumstances. Surgical shoeing may help and the fitting of over-reach boots is very effective. Treatment of an over-reach is the same as for any contused wound.

Abrasions : Abrasions generally occur when a horse falls and skids, skinning its hip, leg or shoulder. If it is a simple abrasion, you can perhaps take care of it yourself but make sure there are no fractures, punctures, lacerations or other more serious injuries before treating the skin scratch. Flush it with lots of saline to remove pain causing particles. Apply a disinfectant. Hose the affected area with cold water to lessen swelling and pain.

Sprains and strains : Strains and sprains in tendon and ligament are frequent injuries in the lower limbs of performance horses. Most commonly injured are the tendons and ligaments that run from the knee down to the foot. Proper care and rest help in overcoming them.

Lumps and Bumps : Lumps and bumps are common in horses. They range from the diameter of a pea to that of a walnut. Three common types of lumps are sarcoids, melanomas and collagen granulomas. They can be cured in various ways.

Horse First Aid Kit

1. Towels in case of bleeding
2. Rolls of bandage
3. Surgical and duct tape
4. Scissors
5. Leg wraps
6. Spray bottle
7. Ointment
8. Large syringe
9. Sterile saline solution
10. Disinfectants
11. Tweezers
12. Q-tips

If your horse is injured, immediately stop using it. After some time the horse can be made to do limited, light activity. After proper treatment the soreness and swelling along with temperature in the injured area will begin to drop. Be careful about any new change in your horse's body or its behavior to discover its injury. Horse minor injuries can easily be cured.