First Aid for Trail and Home

and there are no external signs of injury. Sometimes a sprain does not swell markedly and diagnosis is difficult. In any event a vet needs to be called as soon as you get home as there are a host of possible causes for lameness including laminitis tendon issues navicular shin splints ringbone and other serious maladies.
Head Injuries
Accidents can happen on the trail and blows to the head are not uncommon with horses as they kick about through the course of their lives but a horses skull structure is very dense and protective and deaths from blows are uncommon. Treat a wound to the head and neck area as you would any wound. However looking at a head wound may not tell the extent of internal injury. Brain damage can be assessed by observing the horses behaviour. Stumbling poor balance shying at sudden movement such as hands being moved and bumping into things can all be indicative of brain damage.
Horses do get concussions and can lose consciousness and be out cold for many minutes with no apparent ill effects. Nonetheless if a concussion or brain damage is suspected a vet should be called immediately and they may prescribe an antiinflammatory. A horse that is likely to recover from what appears to be brain damage will show dramatic recovery within 24 hours.
Rope Burns Rubs and Scalds
Trail riders who pack horses will likely face rope burns rubs and scalds more often than other riders simply because the horses are used over more challenging terrain and carry loads wrapped with ropes that may loosen and entangle. These loads are dead weight that rock and sway and are far more likely than a rider to cause rubs scalds and blisters. Picket lines and hobbles may also cause rubs. Always use a soft cotton or nylon rope that is forgiving by nature and when hobble training a horse use a hobble that is wider than normal 18 to 20 inches.
Generally rubs are not serious and are often not treated unless the skin is broken. However if the horse has significant cinch rubs or hobble burn or a blister from a load then you are faced with the possibility of being forced to retire the horse until it recovers which is not a desirable option when you are two days out on a wilderness ride.
Rope burn and hobble rubs often occur in the pastern and fetlock or lower leg area and should always be treated with a good salve that sticks well heals well repels insects and keeps the rubbed area supple. Repelling insects and keeping dirt out of the rub is key. We rarely bandage lower leg rubs on the trail because the wrappings just do not last on wilderness rides and there is not much advantage to wrapping a rub unless it is a very aggressive rub with excessive bleeding and broken skin.
Saddle rubs in the wither area require careful attention. Increasing swelling in the wither area may indicate the presence of an infection or