Click on the pictures below for the type of information you want.

• Health Feature Articles

Contain more detailed information and links on specific health related topics.

• Equine Veterinary Terms

These pages will give you a basic guide to some of the common health problems that may afflict your horse or pony. More information is available through the links page from veterinary websites and databases. 

Always consult your vet rather than trying to treat any problem yourself.  But be prepared to get multiple opinions, and do some research yourself into the latest treatments.

• Gauging your Horse's Condition - Body Scoring

Body scoring is a method of objectively defining the body condition of a horse.  There are some variations but generally it is a score from 0 to 5 with 3 being the ideal.  In this ideal the horse's ribs are not visible but can be felt when the hand is run along the ribcage.  more on body scoring

Weight Estimation 
To get an approximation of your horses weight use the following equation:

Basic Wound Management

Horses get cuts and grazes of varying degrees of seriousness pretty much all the time.  Be this from kicks and bites from their paddock mates or serious wounds inflicted in an accident it is important to know some basic wound care skills. 

Inflammation

The inflammatory response of the body to an injury or allergen occurs because nerve receptors detect a requirement for increased blood supply and fluid delivery to the area. Inflammation is a necessary response as damaged tissues need to be repaired and foreign materials (eg bacteria) need to be removed.

Unfortunately, inflammation is usually also associated with pain. This is a protective mechanism to ensure that the affected area is rested and that the animal takes care not to use it too much. However, too much inflammation can also cause increased healing time.  Anti-inflammatory agents act to reduce swelling at the site of injury and so may also reduce pain. 

For sprains, strains and bruises, application of cooling via ice or water treatments can reduce inflammation and therefore pain.  It is important when using ice, never to allow ice or proprietary ice-gel packs to directly contact the skin as this can cause freeze burns and also to ensure that the treatment is not longer than 20 mins.  Icing an area for longer than 20 mins will cause the body to send more blood to the area to re-warm it, effectively making the inflammation increase rather than reduce.


Laceration / Trauma

With any open wound it is important to apply compression to reduce bleeding until the vet can arrive.  If blood loss is not a concern, wash the wound thoroughly with clean water (hosing) to make sure that all debris is removed.  A simple saline solution of 1 tablespoon salt per pint of water is an excellent wash. Do not apply iodine, ointments or creams to any large wound until the vet can look at the wound. 

Small puncture wounds can often be more life threatening than large open wounds.  They are harder to see and more likely to harbour infection. Always take puncture wounds seriously.

The body repairs a laceration or traumatic wound by contraction of the wound edges and healing primarily from the wound edges towards the centre of the wound. Thus, the larger the area of the wound, the longer it will take to heal. In addition, repairs are usually made with fibrous tissue, which tends to be less elastic or pliable, allowing for less movement of the area once healing is complete. This fibrous tissue is commonly referred to as a scar.

To increase the rate of healing and to reduce scarring, surgery may be performed in order to bring wound edges closer together (with stitches) and to minimise movement of the wound edges (stitches, bandaging).


Pain


Pain is a response to injury. It is the way by which the brain recognises an injury has occurred and it also acts to protect the body from further injury. Immobilization and rest of the injured area promotes more rapid healing. The chemical messengers released in response to pain also stimulate the immune response.

Pain is usually managed by identifying the underlying cause and treating this. Pain may also be addressed directly by treating the animal with anti-inflammatory agents, including ice\water cooling of the area.

Infection

Timing is pivotal in the treatment of infection. In as little as 5-6 hours after the initial injury, infection can become established. To reduce the incidence of infection, it is important to keep a wound clean and dry. If there is a discharge, drainage should be established. Insect worry should be prevented by the use of fly repellants and insecticides. This will allow the body to heal as rapidly as possible and to deal with the threat of bacterial infection effectively and efficiently. Antibiotics are used to allow the body to eradicate infective bacteria more rapidly, thus enabling more rapid healing.

 

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Virtually Horses 01 Dec 2001