Treating Minor Horse Wounds

Minor Cuts

Cuts can be more serious. Their severity depends on their location, how contaminated they are when you find them, and how deep they go into the tissue. If the cut is small and shallow, it can be flushed out with saline or clean water. Ask your vet though, before applying any ointments or salves to an open wound. If you're not careful, some ointments actually delay the healing process. Deeper cuts may need dressing to keep the tissue clean during the first week or so of healing, although it can be difficult to keep a bandage in place on some areas of the horse's body. On legs, a gauze dressing kept on with a regularly changed leg wrap usually works nicely.

Check cuts twice daily for any signs of swelling or foul discharge, as these signs can indicate infection. Depending on the length and depth of the cut, it may have to be stitched by a veterinarian. Stitches will decrease overall healing time and reduce scarring. If you can, clean the area of any dirt, and wait for the veterinarian. Again, consider your own safety first. If the horse won’t tolerate you touching the area, the vet may need to administer a sedative to keep the horse calm during treatment. A horse with a deeper cut would also benefit from a tetanus booster.

Deep Cuts

Larger, deeper cuts will require veterinary treatment. Wire or splintered fence rails, firm branches, and other sharp objects can cause deep cuts. Situations for which a veterinarian should be called immediately involve any large wound, a wound with excessive bleeding or bleeding that will not stop, wounds involving a joint or eye, or a wound that is resulting in visible pain or lameness in your horse. Additionally, if any other situation involving a break in your horse's skin causes you to worry, there's no harm in calling your vet for medical advice.

Some large lacerations may develop a complication while healing called proud flesh. Also called equine exuberant granulation tissue, proud flesh is excessive tissue that can impair normal healing of the wound, and which can be unsightly. Proper wound management (including bandaging) can help to reduce the development of proud flesh, and if it does develop, your veterinarian can help to reduce its growth.