First Aid for Trail and Home

badly bruised sole. Clean the hoof well before examining it as punctures small in diameter can be hard to see but are very serious due to the possibility of the horse contracting tetanus. If you do find a puncture it needs to be cleaned disinfected as deeply as possible packed and wrapped and the horse must be walked out to where it can be examined by a vet. On longer trips we often carry penicillin and always use it for horses with puncture wounds. If there is no puncture or visible damage you can press on specific areas of the sole very firmly with your thumb or a blunt thumbsized object to check for tender areas that might indicate a bruised sole.
If no lower leg injuries can be found then I get really worried as shoulder injuries from extended tendons do not have a good prognosis. Thirty years and a hundred horses in our trail string later I still think about Red a big bay MorganPercheron cross who was completely reliable and infallible or so I thought until he unexpectedly came up with a limp from a shoulder injury. Even after a year of rest he favoured that shoulder after an easy ride and another two years didnt change anything. Very sadly he could no longer be ridden. You can check for a shoulder injury by stretching the foot and leg forward and upward. If an injury is present in the shoulder the horse will react by lifting its head up and back. The horse should never be tied when you do this.
There are other reasons a horse may come up lame on the trail such as founder and laminitis but in the case of any lameness you need to restrict movement and reduce the weight carried by the horse. If we are on a long journey and a horse comes up with a pronounced lameness we make plans around the injury meaning we make camp in the closest possible site. It doesnt have to be a great campsite just one that will allow the horse to have a few days off.
If lameness strikes on the trail far from your home or trailer and you suspect an ankle sprain probably the most common cause of a limp on the trail stand the injured leg in water the colder the better. The cool water will help minimize heat and swelling.
Your next move should be to immobilize the leg with a tensor bandage. At times I have split kindling and used a wooden splint along the sides of the bandage to further reduce movement. It is very important that the bandage not be wrapped too tightly as reduced circulation can cause further damage.
Once you have cooled the leg and immobilized it with a bandage then if home or the trailer is within reasonable walking distance walk rather than ride out to reduce the amount of weight on the injured leg.
The time to really worry about lameness is when the limp is pronounced