Horse First Aid? [vanity]

HairOfTheDog

[HairOfTheDog]

My horse Bay tripped and fell down tonight on trail up in the forest and has two skinned knees. I walked him back to the creek and washed them there, and rode him out, they are not overly tender to the touch and he didn't limp at all or seem slowed down by it on the flat. He was perhaps much more careful and slow going down hill on the way home, so I think they do hurt.

But they look like skinned knees. Was on gravel, so there are some deeper cuts within the skinned area which is about two inches square on both knees

He also has a gravel scrape on his back ?knee? - the point on his hind leg in the front where it connects to his body - That may be swelling but is not from serious cuts, I think it is more bruised.

Question is, should I wrap his knees? I cleaned them well with the hose when we got home 1/2 hour ago, and globbed Nitrofurazone on them and put him in stall... They didn't bleed much ever.

My horseman friend Bob said don't wrap it - leave it open so he can bend his knees. I would feel better if I wrapped them but that is just to please me. I don't know what the right thing to do is for sure. I do have gauze and vet wraps. And I think Bob is the type to not over-doctor. He's a cowboy.

What should I do about the hind quarter?

(Oh I wish my camera would work so I could take pictures.... it is on the fritz)

I left a message with my vet's answering service.... no call back yet.

He went all the way down on his side.... so fast I didn't even know it was coming. He laid on my right leg, not for very long.... and my ankle hurts a little and may swell a bit. I rapped the back of my head pretty good but I just have a little headache.... I am fine.

Any recommendations?

[HairOfTheDog]

Anyone out there with more experience with these things? - In all my years I have been lucky and have have few injuries to learn from.

[HairOfTheDog]

-Ping-

[HairOfTheDog]

Pinging more horse people I know....

2T - Who has horses? I don't know that about FReepers... seems more people talk about dogs than the ponies!

[HairOfTheDog]

BTTT!

[HairOfTheDog]

Bay fell down... has an owie. worried a bit....

I think he will be fine, but I wish I knew if I should be doing something more to help it... I think what happens immediately is the most help. Tommorrow will not make as much difference, if there is a difference to be made.

I don't know many horse people on FR... and those that I do know are on the east coast and probably asleep like sensible people.

These things always happen late on weekend nights when the vet isn't around huh!

[HairOfTheDog]

Update:

My vet called back between that post and this one and we just hung up.

He recommended leaving the knees unwrapped. Wrapping knees and getting the wraps to stay on is a challenge because their leg tapers down from the knee and they slip off unless you wrap the whole leg - and they may not benefit much.

He thought I had used the right antibiotic goop, and just keep slathering that on. They are gonna swell some... when I went out to the barn with the vet on the phone they are a little puffy now I think, but that didn't overly worry the vet.

His back hip is gonna be stiff. I can tell that it is swelling. Dr. said he would come by Monday if I was worried after tomorrow that things were worse than they appear now and that I should go ahead and turn him out in the morning so he keeps moving.

I am gonna go to bed now... I am pooped. The vet told me to ice my own ankle (LOL!) but I think it is too late now. I will put it up on some pillows and call it good.

[WFTR]

From HorseRepublic.com (vanity)

Hi,

I was taking a walk tonight with my owner, Hair, and I slipped and fell on the trail. I skinned my darn knees - serves me right for not paying attention to where I put my foot. She put that nasty-smelling stuff on them, and they are fine.

When I fell, I landed on her ankle, and the fall caused her to hit her head against a rock. She should wrap and ice her ankle, but I bet she won't. My question is: What about the head injury? I've heard that people can have problems if they sleep after a head injury. Should I wake her occasionally during the night to be certain that she doesn't have a concussion? I hope she'll be okay.

Bay

Seriously, I know how much horse owners worry about their babies, and I hope Bay will be feeling fine in the morning. The last time I was on a horse was as a little kid, and the horse fell in the middle of a dry, level, open pasture. We were going slowly, and I couldn't imagine what would cause her to fall. I was scared to death that I had hurt her. I don't think I've ridden since.

Take care of yourself too!

WFTR
Bill

[Inge_CAV]

Hi HotD!

Hope you feeling better now and glad you talked to your vet. My experiences has been that a treated wound left unbandaged tends to heal faster on horses. One of the worst I have seen was from barbed wire that the horse ran through. It was on the right rear hip and no way to get a bandage to stay on. I did about the same thing you are doing with the vet's advice and sure enough there isn't a scar there now.

After that experience, I removed the rest of the barbed wire and put up barbless wire with an electric fence.

[HairOfTheDog]

I wish I could take pictures. His knees look so ugly. It is making me depressed. I keep wanting go out to check on him and shine the flashlight on them and slather more goo on it... Which is not helping him want to lay down and rest. I am worried about proud flesh developing. I think I want the vet to come out on Monday and look.

My ankle hurts but my head is fine.

[HairOfTheDog]

LOL Bill! My head is fine, but I will be limping tomorrow! Dang it!

[Inge_CAV]

Is he laying down now? If he is resting he will heal faster. Yes, I would want the vet to check him out Monday.

How about your ankle? Are you keeping an ice pack on it?

[alexandria]

Have years of experiance with horses (used to break and train) your vet told you the right thing. Last horse I had, an Arab had a bad run in with a fence. Cut his knee open about 4-5" to the bone. Had vet out was working in tamdem with him clamping down real bleeding areas and generally swabbing blood away so he could see to put stiches inside and out, horse so doped up he was almost falling on us. My mom had to leave it was pretty gruesome.
Sorry, lost in memories, anyway vet told me in THIS case it would be great if I could pen him up because he was worried the stiches would rip out and he said, "moving around alot you'll never keep it bandaged" Big problem, this guy was so high spirited he freaked if in a small pen and would run the sides until he was lathered and exausted. So to make a long story short I put the goop the vet gave me on wound and sprayed it w/ that powder stuff that has medicine in it (I DO recomend this stuff) wrapped gauze around it then a self adhesive ace bandage from wound to about 5' away from knee each way, finished up with silver duct tape applied just snug enough to make it stiff so he could not flex it enough to bust the stiches. Changed it every day and it healed until vet took outer stiches out, he was plesantly surprised at the results. No stiches gave way and the horse never showed a sign of lameness. Try the powder though it keeps flys away also. It's called cut heal or something similar. Stay safe.

[HairOfTheDog]

Good morning! - At least it is almost morning here.

I just went out and slathered some more good on him and turned him out so he could pee. I don't think he laid down last night in the stall... and he usually does lay down when he is in.

The knees were not absolutely horrid by morning as I feared in my dreams... not overly swollen, but still badly scraped, he is missing a lot of skin there...

I think proud flesh is going to be my worry. I don't think the wound looks like it is fighting infection now, but I will know more in a few hours when it is light here and I can wash it with the hose and inspect it in sunlight.

His back hindqarter is swollen, but he walked sound when he walked out to paddock, not overly stiff.

alexandria, I think I know what you are talking about with the powder, and I will get some I think... My friend Bob is coming over today on his way home from church, and I know he has used that stuff. I am glad another set of eyes is gonna look at this and advise on what to do.

[Inge_CAV]

Good morning,

I think you are doing everything right. : )

He should recover quickly and be ready to go again soon.

[Vermonter]

Looks like your horse is doing better today and you're on the right track in his treatment.

As horse owners for over 30 years, my wife and I have seen a whole range of injuries/illnesses. Horses are pretty tough!

No one else has mentioned this, but I hope you were wearing a hard hat when you were riding. You mentioned you bumped your head, and this could have been a fatal injury to you!!!!

Please, wear a hard hat if you aren't already

Vermonter

[Inge_CAV]

"You mentioned you bumped your head, and this could have been a fatal injury to you!!!!"

It is my understanding she was riding alone too. If there is any way possible you need a buddy to ride with. Riding forest trails alone is not a good thing to be doing, especially late in the afternoon or night.

[mountaineer]

This may interest you.

[HairOfTheDog]

Good morning! - I went back to sleep after that post and improved on the four hours sleep I got last night.

I was not wearing a helmet, ... I rode jumpers when I was younger, and of course always wore a helmet then, but never for every day rides... So I was lucky to a large degree.

CAV... I wasn't alone. I had two friends with me. I just didn't mention it in the story.... just the "facts". I agree with you about riding alone far from home!

I am on my way out there now for the more thorough cleaning and inspection I need to do this morning.... talk to you in a bit!

[HairOfTheDog]

Hello! Update!

I am exhausted... I have had a stream of visitors today to come and look at him... My knowledgeable horse friends have come and brought advice and magic potions, and some Bute (phenybutazone) for Bay.

We are concerned about the amount of swelling in his right knee more than the left... but he doesn't limp on it and feels good enough to run and trot with the pony, so I don't think I really fear a bone chip. Hopefully the Bute will help with the swelling, and it will look better in a day or two.

When I finally changed clothes and showered this morning (I didn't bother to change when I got home yesterday, and slept in my clothes, hehehe) I have a big bruise and scrape on my right arm and shoulder that I didn't notice before... but my ankle is gonna get better. I have been forced to move around all day and I think that helps me, like it helps Bay.

The vet needs to come around the first of the month for the West Nile vaccine booster anyway, and all the friends think it is fine to wait and have the vet check progress on healing next week instead of having him rush out tomorrow.

[Inge_CAV]

Ah, Good News! ;~)

I went riding yesterday too........... : (