Lameness/injuries
Injured? Strained? Sprained? You probably know the horror when you go to fetch your horse from the pasture and see that it's lame and doesn't kick properly. On closer inspection, you notice that the leg is swollen and your horse reacts sensitively when you touch it. The causes are often wrong turns or bumps in the terrain, but unfortunate grazing scuffles can also be behind it. Both minor and major injuries can occur in a horse's life and are sometimes not noticed immediately.
Even if an injury may seem harmless to you at first, if it heals incompletely, it can become a chronic wound and lead to further problems. Early treatment is therefore always important to avoid consequential damage and permanent movement restrictions.
Important: You should always have emergency numbers for the vet and a veterinary clinic on hand. Also have a list with the most important information about your horse.
DEFINITION
What is trauma?
Trauma is the term used to describe all injuries or damage to healthy tissue caused by external force.
If your horse has suffered a cut, bite or graze, this is open trauma as the skin has been injured. Blunt trauma, on the other hand, affects the structures under the skin (e.g. muscles, tendons, joints or internal organs). These often occur after kicking injuries in the form of hematomas (bruises), but strains or sprains, e.g. after jumping, are also blunt trauma.
SYMPTOMS
How do I recognize trauma?
An injury to the musculoskeletal system often manifests itself as lameness. The horse tries to relieve the affected joint in order to avoid pain. Other symptoms of inflammation may also appear:
- Warmth
- Redness
- Pain
- Swelling
- Restriction of movement
Important to know: Shortly after blunt trauma occurs, there is often nothing visible on the outside. Sometimes swelling can be felt on the affected leg. However, signs of inflammation may not appear until hours later.
Caution!
If the horse is lame when walking, rest in the stall is recommended. You should also consult the vet, especially if there is swelling and if the injury is close to the joint. It is not always possible to tell from the outside how deep the injury is!
CAUSES
How does a horse get...
... a bruise or contusion?
A bruise or contusion is usually caused by a fall or strong impact. The external force causes blunt tissue damage. Depending on the part of the body affected, this can involve the muscles, ligaments, joint capsule or periosteum. As a result of the injury, there is swelling and the formation of a bruise (hematoma).
... a sprain or strain?
Sprains or strains are caused by a violent overstretching of the joint beyond the normal range of motion. However, the joint surfaces that are displaced against each other immediately return to their original position. The overstretching of the ligaments and/or joint capsules is very painful and is often accompanied by bruising and swelling.
... a dislocation of the joints?
A dislocation of the joints occurs when the joint surfaces are displaced against each other to such an extent that the joint capsule and ligaments are damaged - they tear. As a result, the ends of the joint do not return to their normal position, but remain displaced. A dislocated joint causes severe pain and can be recognized by pronounced swelling of the affected area, hematomas and an unnatural joint position.
Good to know
The assumption that horses instinctively hide pain is a persistent one. However, anyone who knows their animal well will recognize that something is wrong from changes in behaviour. Observing facial expressions also helps to recognize pain in horses. Are the eyes dull and impassive, the ears tilted back and barely reacting, the nostrils raised and crinkled? Just like teeth grinding, these can be signs of pain. Such signs should therefore always be taken seriously and, if in doubt, a vet should be consulted.
DIAGNOSIS
Examination and diagnosis
If you suspect that your horse has suffered trauma, you should take it to your vet as soon as possible. This is because it is usually necessary to treat blunt trauma immediately to ensure that the injury heals quickly and, above all, completely. Otherwise, the condition can develop into a painful and sometimes chronic process, and in the worst case, irreparable consequential damage can occur.
A thorough lameness examination and, if necessary, imaging procedures such as X-rays and ultrasound of the affected limb can quickly provide a precise diagnosis. Based on this, appropriate therapeutic measures can be taken.
TREATMENT
How do you treat trauma?
Has your horse suffered a wound on the paddock fence or gotten bruised while playing in the pasture? The specific treatment for major or minor injuries always depends on the type and severity of the trauma.
For smaller and superficial wounds that are not close to a joint or tendon, you can treat them yourself if necessary.
The following generally helps in the acute treatment of blunt and open trauma:
You can only make the right decisions with a cool head. If you react excitedly or panic, you will not only cause stress for the horse, but may also make the situation worse.
Carefully examine affected areas for signs such as bleeding, swelling or redness. Also check whether the hooves are injured.
If the legs are affected, make sure that your horse moves as little as possible and only in a controlled manner. Moving incorrectly or too quickly can lead to further injuries or aggravate existing ones. In this case, absolute stall rest is essential!
You should stop heavy bleeding immediately with a pressure bandage and go to the nearest veterinary clinic if your vet cannot get to the stable quickly enough. You can find out how to treat superficial and minor wounds yourself here.
If there is no open wound, you can cool the injured area with cold running water, a wet cloth or a cooling pad. This relieves pain and swelling. Caution: Always wrap the cooling pad in a towel beforehand so that the skin is not overcooled or damaged.
If wounds are deep or contaminated, bleed heavily or gape open, are close to joints and/or if there is severe swelling, sudden severe lameness or complete immobility, you should contact the vet quickly and without fail. Basically, if you feel unsure, it's better to do too much than too little!
Regardless of how your horse's injury occurred, it always triggers a complex inflammatory process in the body. However, this should not be seen as a complication in the course of the disease, but it means that your animal's immune system is actively working to repair damaged tissue.
This can sometimes lead to an excessive inflammatory reaction, which delays the healing of the injury. The consequences: persistent pain, swelling and restricted movement. This is where your horse's body needs support to steer the inflammation back on the right track.
Many different switch points and receptors in the body are involved in the healing of the injury and thus the inflammation. The natural veterinary medicines from Heel Vet have therefore been developed as combination preparations that are specially formulated for the respective clinical picture. Consisting of several individual substances (multicomponent), they act simultaneously on numerous parts of the body (multitarget) in order to sustainably address the causes of the disease, such as trauma.
Heel Vet
If you want to support your horse naturally, consider the natural veterinary medicines from Heel Vet.
PREVENTION
How can I prevent trauma?
Exercise is the key to preventing injuries to your horse's musculoskeletal system. Training your horse on varied surfaces not only strengthens its muscles and body awareness, but also trains its attention.
What also helps:
- Warm-up phases before training
- Good condition (protects against rapid fatigue)
- Strong muscles (makes your horse generally more robust against injuries to tendons, ligaments and joints)
- Leg protection, e.g. gaiters or bandages
- Regularly check the neck and back area for hardening and look out for the first signs of discomfort
- Balanced feeding
- Visit a farrier regularly
- Regular veterinary checks
