Please share your knowledge with me - basic horse care / first aid

[Vanillapod1980]

I have just started sharing a pony and would like to learn more about horse care. I know the basics of grooming, etc but one thing I know little about and would like to learn more about is first aid - dealing with cuts, sores, signs of illness, injury etc.

Please share you knowledge and help me learn!

I would like to add that my pony is kept at a large yard with full time experienced staff so if there is anything I am unsure about I always ask them and tell the owner, so at the moment if she had a cut I would tell someone and get them to look at it, I would not attempt to deal with things myself until I have more experience.

Thanks

Congratulations on the share.

Actually, the best way is to have those more experienced on the yard confirm what's wrong if you think something is, tell you how it should be managed and have them watch you or help you deal with it rather than them dealing with it directly IYSWIM?

That way, you build up experience, and confidence, but minimise the risk of making something worse, rather than better for the pony.

Might also be worth seeing if your local horse rescue or BHS offer general first aid training classes.

Also if there's a horse at the yard you're at that has an injury, ask if you can watch whilst they treat it

I find my experience is patchy depending on what I have come across!

Soooo:

• for cuts, clean with running water, disinfect with something like hibiscrub and either wait for the vet if serious or allow to dry and heal in a clean area if not serious.

• if your horse is lame, check the hooves for stones. Taking the stone out often makes this better. If you find a nail in your horse's frog don't take it out, hold the leg in the air and wait for the vet (who needs to see where the puncture is).

• if your horse is mildly lame on a surface but fine on hard it's probably a ligament injury, if it's mildly lame on the hard but on a surface it's probably a tendon. Call the vet and ask for the ultrasound machine!

• learn how to bandage legs and how to put on cushion pads or diapers and bandages to the hooves of laminitics.

Another thing to figure out and learn, is when your horse is feeling 'not quite right' (ie minor lameness) from the saddle. Catching lameness early can save you a lot of trouble in the long run. However, this takes time and knowledge of your horse's way of 'going'. It can be best felt from the trot in the saddle, and if he/she feels 'off', jump off and lunge (at the trot on both reins) to see if you can see which leg or body part might be affected. It does takes some practice, and someone more experienced to help you learn is invaluable.

Thanks all!

Yes identifying lameness is one thing I was concerned about - not sure I am a good enough rider to identify minor lameness? However I only hack in company (never alone) or ride in the school so there are always other people I could ask if unsure or who would hopefully point out my horse is slightly lame if I did not notice myself

Really want to improve my knowledge in this area - can anyone recommend a good book/website?

Also will get my own basic horse first aid kit - what should I buy?

salt
soap/hibiscrub
TCP
cotton wool
wound dressing
Animalintex
crepe bandages
stable bandages/gamgee/fibergee
claw hammer for removing shoes

as for spotting lameness, have someone run the horse away from you and towards you in a fast trot without restricting their head movement.
if the head moves up and down in trot then they are not sound in a front leg. The head will nod up as the bad foot hits the ground.
as the horse is trotting away from you, their hips should be level, if one is being carried higher, then this is the lame leg.

There are so many books on horse care and even more websites, not all of which give good info. I am a big fan of 'Veterinary notes for horse owners' Summerhayes but it is a bit old fashioned tbh

oh and add to that list some wound powder!

Also, check for heat, when picking feet out run hands down legs feeling for anything unusual, or any hot spots. Heat in the hooves can mean lots of different things but sudden lameness in one foot with heat in is usually an abcess.

I also have duct tape in my first aid box, and cool gel, aloe vera, arnica, and whitch hazel.
Plus purple spray, sterile dressings, thermometer. I

Cold hosing injuries (like swollen tendon etc) helps.

Everything listed above for first aid kit, along with an ice boot.

For lameness, it's not always a case of being more 'experienced' but of knowing the horse. You'll get to know what 'right' feels like with your horse, so you'll then pick up quite quickly when that feeling isn't there.

Also on lameness, lack of heat doesn't mean there isn't a potentially serious injury - one of mine tore a tendon, but it wasn't warm, just swollen. I stopped riding when it swelled, but took a couple of days more before he became obviously sore.

Definitely watch everything you can - vet visits, dental visits, saddle fitters. It's amazing what you can learn just from watching

P.s if you watch sometimes you get to do fun stuff
I've held semen for AI, felt a horses teeth while they had a gag in, given injections...
Good vets talk and explain too, so when we had a vet scan a mare, he explained the ovaries and the follicles and pointed everything out on the ultrasound

Oh and horses with colic often lie down, and look at their stomach. I would call a vet (straight away) for colic, an arterial bleed, a horse that couldn't weight bear or was severely lame. Also have to be cautious with small puncture wounds as they can affect esp if near a joint. It's worth checking your horses normal temperature, pulse and respiration rate so you can spot things out the norm

Lots of useful information here

Also look at advice under health and welfare advice

You could also work towards this

I've held semen for AI Definition of fun varies ha ha! Sounds interesting though!

Burberryqueen has a great first aid kit recommendation!

I always keep loads of salt in. Breast pads and nappies make excellent poultices for minor infections. Vetwrap. Duct tape is great if you need to poultice a foot.

Dermagel is one of the best things in the world for minor wounds. It is about a tenner and comes in a tube like toothpaste. Brillian stuff which lasts for ages.

Purple spray and iodine.

Best to watch other people, if you are in any doubt always ask someone. If my horse needs attention i generally always ask someone at the yard to take a look and ask them what they think.

Find a vet you can get to know and trust. Mine is ace, she is happy to give advice over the phone.

Hoof abscesses are common, especially in horses and ponies that live out. I think one thing i have learned is not to panic!