First aid for wounds
Having a horse has always been one of your greatest dreams. Now that you have one, you are afraid to take risks with it, even the smallest risks like taking it out for a ride in the woods. Because you are afraid that your horse will hurt itself by rubbing against a sharp object. However, having a horse still means living lots of adventures with it and having excellent mastery of horse riding. It is therefore advisable to know the first aid to give to your horse so that it feels good. In this article, we take stock.
First aid for wounds
Gently clean the wound
If the wound is very contaminated by mud for example, rinse it with a low-pressure water jet. Moderately contaminated wounds should be cleaned with a very diluted antiseptic solution. Finally, slightly contaminated wounds should be rinsed simply with sterile physiological serum. Cut all the hairs around the wound, taking care that they do not get stuck in the wound. Rinse again at low pressure.
Check if the wound is located near a joint or tendon sheath
Wounds where these structures have been affected can be disastrous if the infection is not treated within 24 hours, so if you have any doubts, call your veterinarian. Clear yellow fluid draining from a wound near a joint may very well be synovial fluid.
With these elements, assess whether the wound requires examination by a veterinarian, for example in the event of significant bleeding, a wound requiring suturing, a penetrating wound, marked lameness, etc.
Apply a sterile, non-adherent dressing to the wound.
Then place a cotton gauze, then secure with an elastic bandage. It is important to always check that there is enough thickness under the elastic bandage, and that there is room to easily slide a finger under the bandage. Sticky bandages can be useful to protect a wound that cannot be bandaged.
Healing a wound
Wounds can heal by primary or secondary intention.
First intention
Primary intention means that the wound edges have been sutured (sewn) or stapled together. This is only possible for a clean, recent wound, and located in an area where suturing is possible. The end result is usually aesthetic, and healing is often faster.
Second intention
Secondary intention means that the wound heals without the use of sutures or staples, but instead forms granulation tissue on the surface of which the skin can progress to gradually close the wound. Granulation tissue is pink, bleeds easily, and produces a film of yellowish fluid. These wounds generally take longer to heal and are likely to generate an exuberant and budding scar due to excess granulation tissue. Unfortunately, in horses, most wounds located on the extremities of the limbs must heal by secondary intention because the lack of elasticity of the skin in this area makes it difficult to bring the edges of the wound together for suturing. To prevent your horse from getting injured, it is important to take protective equipment. You will find some at https://laselleriefrancaise.com/en-world/collections/protections .