A Wounded Horse

Because of their behavior, horses make themselves prone to injury, leading to bleeding. Wounds tend to heal from one side to another, rather than from one end to another. Before anything else, when your horse is injured, the bleeding must be stopped completely, although the initial blood the wound releases is beneficial for the horse since dirt is released out from the body. A veterinarian’s help is very important and is much needed when (a) there is severe wound bleeding, (b) the horse experiences lameness regardless of the wound size, (c) the wound is longer than 10 cm and has penetrated deep into the skin, (d) a vital structure or part of the horse’s body is involved in the injury, or (e) the horse has not been vaccinated against tetanus yet. 

The injury might be little but the bleeding might be worse. Severe bleeding may be caused by arterial blood (bright red in color and spurts ‘in tune’ with the horse’s heartbeat) or venous blood (darker than arterial blood, and it flows continuously). It may also depend on many factors, such as the size of the injury or the injured blood vessel and the wound’s extent.

To stop the bleeding, clotting is essential. Keep the horse calm, and apply pressure firmly to the wound. Any bleeding must be stopped before applying medication or further treatment. Pressure pads are usually made out of thick clothes or a non-stick dressing. However, during emergencies, any type of cloth at hand may be used. The horse should remain calm and this is most important because the blood will clot more easily if he stays in place than when he is excited, since the blood will run faster. It is best to treat horse injuries in a place that he is familiar with, so that he can remain calm as much as possible. A pressure pad must be firmly pressed to the wound for at least five minutes for the bleeding to stop. It is not advisable to take it off before five minutes, because the bleeding might restart. 

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After dressing the wound, apply bandage in moderately tight turns, which will give enough pressure to reduce blood supply in the area. Tourniquets are discouraged, since a pressure bandage is the best choice for horse injuries. This dressing can last for up to two hours. Leave it be until you can consult the veterinarian and have your horse checked for any complications.