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How To Care For A Horse Injury With Swelling

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How To Care For A Horse Injury With Swelling

Photo – © dayspeaker – Fotolia.com

We found a great article on dealing with equine injuries. Please note – this is just background information, not veterinary advice and not a substitute for consultation with a professional veterinarian. If your horse is injured it is always best to call the vet right away.

With all the vigorous activities a horse undergoes – from galloping across fields to jumping over obstacles, the risk of injury is always present. From protruding nails in stalls, to inconspicuous sharp objects lying on the ground, to any seemingly harmless fence – the range of potential injury sources can be limitless too, and so a sound knowledge of equine first aid and injury care becomes imperative.

Swelling often results from a buildup of fluid in different tissue spaces of the body as part of the process of inflammation. It manifests externally as an abnormal increase in size or change in shape of an area of the horse’s body. There’s a good reason why most horse owners anxiously sweat and become concerned at the mere sight of swollen body part. Swelling, along with pain and heat, indicates trouble – that there’s something wrong! Ligament sprains or strains that stretch the tendons, for instance, cause swelling. Fiber tearing is worse, and when it occurs, an increased swelling is evident. As a general rule of thumb, the more serious and recent the trauma is, the more swelling, pain, and heat happen, and when it gets to that point, immediate help from your trusted vet is essential to your horse’s recovery.

Swelling warrants medical attention, but before you dial your vet’s number, assess first the swelling for its characteristics (e.g., extent, size, location, degree of redness). In that way, you can accurately and comprehensively describe what the problem is to the attending horse doctor when he arrives at the scene. As a first aid measure, ice or cold water should be applied during the first hours to reduce inflammation.

For more tips on how to deal with swelling and other injuries, please check out this article for an informative read: http://www.youngrider.com/horse-care/horse-swelling.aspx