Distressed Equine Foundation

Do you know the normal parameters of a horse? Veterinarians expect you to know them. You should
be able to tell if your horse is abnormal. Being able to give the Veterinarian your horse’s parameters will
help them decide what you should do until they can
get there.

1. What is his Attitude: Normal, Depressed, Shock or Excitement
2. How Painful is he: Normal, Mild, Moderate or Severe
3. When did he last Poop: Describe consistency
4. When was his last Urination: Any Blood?
5. Last Meal that he ate, what it was and how much of it he ate.
6. How long since he was last Normal
7. What Medications have you given so far?
8. Cuts/Lacerations? Where are they, how long have they been there, how deep
9. Is/was there Blood Loss? Is it stopped or controlled?

NEVER’s
You’ll notice they all break the golden rule:
PUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY’S SAFETY FIRST!

NEVER get into a horse trailer or stall with a fractious horse. People get severely injured and have been killed this way. Access their head and sedate them, leave them alone, or let them get out on their own.
NEVER let children help restrain horses. Got it, NEVER. How would you feel if they got injured or killed because you didn’t follow the rule? Is it worth it?
NEVER approach a down horse near the legs or butt.
NEVER try to restrain a down horse anywhere except by putting your knees on the middle of the horses’ neck from the back/top side, opposite the legs.
NEVER leave to ride or go to the show alone without telling someone where your going and what time you expect to be back/there. At least leave a note.
There are lots more… You should start to think of a few more now. Share your NEVER’s with others.

COMMON EMERGENCY GUIDELINES

C/S = Clinical Signs, WYSD = What You Should Do, VET = What the Vet Does

Wound Management: any combination of wounds or lacerations
WYSD: Control bleeding with towels, bandages, wraps, anything that applies pressure. FRESH/CLEAN WOUND: 2 tablespoons of chlorhexadine solution in a quart of water, use a gauze sponge to clean. NO PEROXIDE, NO IODINE, NO SPRAYS. Apply triple antibiotic to any wound that DOES NOT need suturing, use a telfa pad between the skin and thick cotton bandage and vet wrap. DO NOT use ACEPROMAZINE to sedate, makes them bleed more. Fly repellent around the wound if not bandaging.

OLD WOUND: Boil a quart of water; add 1 teaspoon of salt to make a saline solution to cleanse until it is white/pink. Bandage.
VET: Lavage, medicate, bandage. +/- the following: suturing, antibiotics, systemic or topical anti-inflammatories

Broken teeth, lacerated gums or lips
C/S: Blood coming from the mouth
WYSD: If there is excessive blood, a small hand towel can be used in the mouth as a pressure bandage, they breathe out their nose, not their mouth. Keep the head tied up. If the lips are involved, ice packs reduce swelling.
VET: complete oral exam, remove broken tooth fragments, sutures if necessary, the mouth heals very well, +/- anti-inflammatories and/or antibiotics.

Ocular (EYE) Injuries
C/S: Painful, blinking, tearing eyes. Torn eyelids, many different presentations.
WYSD: Keep in dim/dark area. Apply fly mask, braid the forelock, and keep quiet
VET: Complete ocular exam, fluroscein stain. All torn eyelids should be sutured. +/- Anti-inflammatories and/or antibiotics. Eye meds have to be given multiple times a day.

Choke: typically esophageal blockage
C/S: Food or water coming out of nose, not willing to eat, may try to drink, coughing, dropping food to ground
WYSD: DO NOT FEED or encourage DRINKING, may cause aspiration to lungs and then they die. Try to massage the bulge on the neck, if doesn’t move in 10 minutes, call the vet. Hold off hay for 72 hrs even if it resolves on its own.
VET: Sedate, complete oral exam, pass stomach tube, try to move blockage, may use endoscope if aspiration has occurred

Tying UP
C/S: May act like colic, occurs after or during exercise, stiff gait, reluctant to move, muscle pain, sweating, may have an increased temperature
WYSD: DO NOT make them move, but try to get them to their stall. Offer water and electrolyte water, cold water hosing, REST
VET: Anti Inflammatories, IV Fluids, evaluate diet: lytes/vits/mins

COLIC
C/S: Refusing to eat, dunking head in water, sweating, kicking, pacing, and rolling
WYSD: REMOVE ALL FOOD. Rolling=walking, down and quiet=can stay down. Must/should have all the questions from other side answered before you call.
VET: Physical exam, determine cause and appropriate treatment.

Tendon Lacerations
C/S: Toe is lifted or fetlock is dropped depending on which tendon it is
WYSD: Don’t ask him to walk any further than he has to. General wound care. Bandage to keep clean
VET: Determine if it needs suturing, bandage or cast, appropriate shoeing, +/- anti-inflammatories and/or antibiotics

Laminitis
C/S: Sore feet, stretched out stance, bounding digital pulses, lame, hot feet
WYSD: Immediately get to a comfy place, do not encourage walking
VET: Lameness evaluation, +/- anti-inflammatories, and +/- shoeing depending on stage.

Penetrating Wounds to the Sole
C/S: lameness, +/- a visual penetrating object
WYSD: If its still there and is going to go in more, take it out, but mark with a sharpie where it was. Keep the object; mark how far it went in. If it’s in the center 1/3 of the frog and its not going any further, LEAVE it. We will radiograph it in place to see if it is serious.
VET: Hoof evaluation, remove contaminated tissue, allow drainage and dress appropriately.

Penetrating wounds to the chest or belly
C/S: Air sucking into chest or intestines hanging out or on ground
WYSD: Generally LEAVE anything that is impaled IN PLACE. Place plastic wrap around the chest wound to seal it off. Wash intestines off with a hose, TRY to put them back in. That’s better than being dirty and stepped on. Secure with a fitted sheet around the belly. Use a wet towel to keep intestines moist.
VET: Both of these issues require immediate veterinary attention.

Snake Bites, Spider Bites, Bee Stings and Hives
WYSD: If nostrils are closing, put hose/tubing/syringes in them to keep from completely closing. Snake bites will swell within 2 hours, Clip the swelling area if a bite. DONOT APPLY ICEPACKS to snake bites, it causes more damage. Keep in shade, quiet, offer water. Hives are not an emergency unless the head or nose is affected.
VET: Antihistamines, Corticosteroids if severe, Epinephrine if anaphylactic, Antibiotics for snake bites, Tetanus Toxoid if needed, anti-inflammatories

Recently, there has been development of snake specific anti-sera from a serum company. It takes postage time to order the sera, and you have to know exactly which snake it was to be effective, but may be helpful in some situations.