Basic Life Skills for Horses

As a horse owner, have you taken responsibility for your horse’s ability to handle potentially stressful situations? Are you prepared for the inevitable emergency situation? Taking the time to evaluate you and your horse’s ability to handle these situations BEFORE they happen will help ensure better outcomes. Here is a list of basic life skills important for all horses, regardless of age or location!

  1. Basic handling, including catching, haltering , and leading your horse. You should be able to touch your horse’s body and legs and pick up all 4 feet. If you cannot catch your horse, how can your veterinarian examine him? If you never catch your horse, waiting until he is sick or wounded will not make the situation easier. If you cannot touch your horse’s legs or pick his feet, it is unfair to expect he will allow the farrier to do so safely. Remember that consistent handling is key to success and progress!
  2. Temperature- If you own a horse, you need to own a thermometer, know how to use it, and be able to safely take your horse’s temperature.
  3. Oral medications- There is no reason why your horse cannot learn to have his mouth touched and have oral medications administered (including dewormer!) It is highly likely that at some point, you will need to give your horse an oral medication. Your horse may not sip it eagerly from a syringe, but he needs to allow you (and your veterinarian) to administer an oral medication safely- without rearing, striking, running backwards, etc. If this is a weak skill for your horse, check out some of the resource links below for how to help your horse.
  4. Trailer loading- Even if your horse is retired at home, in the event of a fire or other life-threatening emergency, your horse will need to load on a trailer. This is a skill that comes with practice! Waiting until a stressful event forces this scenario is a good way to ensure that your horse does not load safely or in a reasonable amount of time. If you do not own a trailer, it is your responsibility to plan ahead- does a friend or neighbor have a trailer to help you? If your horse does not load reliably, consult with a reputable trainer to help him learn and practice.
  5. Safe behavior for veterinary exams- Your horse might be nervous about your veterinarian administering vaccinations or medications- that’s ok! Let your veterinarian know in advance and be aware of what works best for your horse in these situations- some treats, a twitch, etc- your veterinarian will appreciate the heads up and your respect for their safety. It is not acceptable for your horse to behave dangerously or violently, and such behavior will eventually mean less than ideal outcomes for your horse following illness or injury. Being a rescue is NOT an excuse for dangerous behavior. Consistent practice and de-sensitization training is a worthy investment for you and your horse!

Here are some great resource videos with training and desensitization tips:

  • Dr. Gemma Pearson, demonstration of techniques to make veterinary care less stressful for horses and safer for those involved. This is a long video but worth a watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=JI3xjvPPzzI
  • The British Equine Veterinary Association has a helpful Youtube channel “Don’t Break Your Vet” with short videos of densensitization training techniques to help horses stay safe and relaxed for injections, clipping, deworming, exams, and other veterinary procedures.

What is Cellulitis?

Last night when you fed your horse you didn’t notice any issues as you performed your quick “once over” before rushing back out the barn door. But this morning they have a severely swollen leg, and they are hobbling around.

What happened? 

The list of possibilities isn’t terribly long, but there are serious things on it: fractures, hoof abscesses, laminitis, joint infections, and cellulitis.  Of course, fracture is the one that no one wants to hear and has significant ramifications.  Laminitis and abscesses typically don’t have the significant swelling described in the “case” above.  Joint infections would likely have been associated with trauma or a recent joint injection, and the swelling would likely be associated with a particular joint, not the entire leg.  That leaves this horse with a likely case of cellulitis. 

If you haven’t ever seen a case, they can be impressively swollen, and this can happen relatively quickly (overnight)! See below for an example.

What is cellulitis

Cellulitis is an infection of the deeper layers of the skin and the subcutaneous spaces.  The pressure and inflammation make it extremely uncomfortable for the horse.  They are usually very painful to the touch (maybe not everywhere they are swollen, but some portion of the swelling), and there is a lot of heat. Severe cases can have serum oozing from the skin. The horse may have a mild to moderate fever as well.

What causes cellulitis?

The infection can initiate from an obvious recent wound, bed sore, “scratches”, or other minor scrapes. It could also be a result of a more significant laceration from days before that seemed to be healing in the right direction.  Another common route that these can begin is secondary to a hoof abscess.  The infection begins in the hoof and then in the right set of circumstances, manages to take hold and cause further infection higher up the leg.

How is cellulitis treated?

If you notice the swelling before it is as extreme as the picture above, getting medical attention could prevent it from becoming such an advanced case.  Medical attention usually consists of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories systemically.  On occasion, a “regional limb perfusion (RLP)” may be justified.  An RLP is a way for the veterinarian to get very high concentrations of antibiotics to the area of concern using a tourniquet and antibiotics directly infused into the affected limb.  Hydrotherapy (cold hosing) is also often indicated. 

Managing cases of cellulitis early is paramount to preventing long term ramifications such as lymph damage (lymphangitis), or laminitis.  Lymphangitis is an inflammatory process in the normal lymph drainage of the limb, and can leave the limb permanently swollen.  If there is enough swelling in the leg during the cellulitic process, it could cause enough vascular alterations to damage the laminae of the foot, causing laminitis. 

If you find your horse with a sudden non-weight bearing lameness (or barely weight bearing), we would always tell you that it is justification for a phone call to your veterinarian, and most likely a visit.

Lacerations- When do you need to call the veterinarian?

 

By Dr. Shane Baird

HorseWoundAs horse injuries go, cuts, scrapes, and bruises of all shapes and sizes are common – the challenge is learning when veterinary intervention is required.

Is There Joint Involvement?

One of the most critical factors for laceration severity is the location of the laceration.  A solid “rule” to keep in mind is that if the wound is over an area that “bends” and appears to be fully through the skin, it justifies at minimum a call, and likely a visit from a veterinarian.  Cuts that seem to be no big deal, but are located directly over a joint, can be disastrous for the horse, while something that looks horrible at first glance but only involves skin and muscle can heal without causing any problems.

The lower limbs of horses don’t have a lot of tissue between the skin and the joints or bones. This “lack of padding” makes it easy for a cut that looks simple to penetrate into the joint.  Joints open to the outside world are open to infections and if infected, can become debilitating for a horse due to the arthritis associated with the process.

Severe Wounds Without Joint Involvement

Severely traumatic wounds, where tissue (skin, muscle) have been damaged or are just missing, can greatly benefit from prompt veterinary attention.  Proper removal of tissue and thorough cleaning of these wounds will speed the healing process significantly.  Though some of the skin may be missing from a wound like this, with some creative suturing, what remains can be used as a natural bandage, even if only temporarily.  At times, if healing is taking a longer than expected, there is justification for skin grafting techniques, even in an ‘in the field’ situation.

Head Woundshorse-943771_1920

Though the head can heal quite well on its own, lacerations to the eyelid region and around the eyes often warrant closer examination.  If your horse has an injury like this and they have no desire for you to even look, much less touch and clean the wound (which a fairly common response!), please call your local veterinarian so that things can be tended to (likely with sedation).  Trying to fight with the horse can quickly lead to other issues or injuries.  With sedation these wounds can be treated without further injury to the horse or any humans.

Tips on Pre-Veterinary Visit Wound Care

bandage on the leg of horse
bandage on the leg of horse

If you do decide that a veterinarian should see the laceration, here are some basic rules to follow:

  • Do NOT wash the wound with the hose. This can force dirt and debris deeper into the wound.  Using a paper towel or gauze with dilute betadine, clean the wound of obvious dirt and debris.  If the wound has potential to get dirty again before the veterinarian arrives, place a light bandage over the wound.
  • If there is a chance that the wound will need suturing or stapling, DO NOT use anything “blue or purple in color.” While efficient at stopping bleeding, these dusts and powders can be very damaging to healthy tissue and create a larger mess than before.
  • If your vet is not going to see the wound, and it doesn’t need a full bandage, a little bit of ointment (triple antibiotic is good) will help to keep the wound clean and moist.
  • If bandaging, make sure there is “padding” between the skin and any “vetwrap” like product.

As always, if there is any question, give your veterinarian a call. After a conversation you can both make a decision of whether your horses’ laceration should be seen or not.