Horse World

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Riding or walking your horse, and also providing him with an open pasture to run and play etc with other horses are an excellent way to care for them. Unfortunately it also comes with its own perils as this freedom may give them a chance of getting hurt. 

If you notice your horse is in pain, you must ensure you take action to help heal their wounds.  Being prepared to take care of your horse’s injury and ensuring they receive the proper help will help them lead a more healthy life.

One of the main injuries horses suffer from is lameness. You can always tell if your horse is lame as he will begin to limp. If they are shifting weight from one leg or they are not walking evenly, they may have hurt their leg in some way. This could either be a broken bone, torn ligament or worse.

If your horse is limping, you can give him immediate first aide by first of all discovering where the injury is and then treating it. You may have to wrap the area with a bandage to make sure it doesn’t move for a period of time, but you should know what you are doing before you attempt this. 

Open wounds and infections can be another major problem if your horse is injured. Unfortunately it is impossible to ensure a wound is kept in a sterile condition as can be done in a human, therefore it’s important to keep it as clean as you possibly can, otherwise infection can quickly set in.

No matter what type of infection it is, you should always first of all cut away the hair surrounding the area that is hurt. This gives you a cleaner surface to work with. Then you should clean the area with soap and water to get the dirt out and prevent the infection or wound from becoming worse. 

If it is a wound, you should be able to put ointment on the area and cover it with gauze to prevent it from becoming contaminated with dirt and spreading infection.  If the area is infected, you will probably need to consult a vet in order to resolve the infection.

If you are not able to identify the problem, or if the horse is showing signs of behaviour alien to it, it is best to call the vet out anyway for him to check your horse over. Before you ring him, check the horses respiration, heartbeat and temperature, it will give the vet an idea of what may be wrong.

If your horse has been hurt from a wound, a torn or broken area in their leg, or any other type of problem, then you can easily help them to recover.  Identifying the problem quickly then taking the necessary steps to ensure the wound is healed will assist your horse in becoming his normal self again.  Making sure your horse stays healthy will provide it with comfort and a happy life. 

Previous Articles By This Author

• Buying Your First Horse
• Equipment for Horses
• Basics of Horse Care
• Grooming your Horse
• The History of Horses