Sandy's injury- pics & video. Comments please.

As you may know, Sandy, Brennen's 4-H horse got hurt on Saturday. I am putting pics of the wound and am gonna try to put video links.
The big problem is that Achievement Day is on June 8th, less than 2 weeks away. Fortunately, he can change horses if neccessary, to which one, we have no idea.
Please tell me what you think. How would you treat it. So far we have given bute and been cold hosing. We have been turning her out. When I kept her in a stall, it seemed to get stiffer. Any ideas of how long she'll be out for?







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3G7gI2ocQU

I'm waiting on more video to upload, I'll add it when it's done. I'll try to find some video of her when she was sound. Thanks.

What did she cut it on? Does she have her shots? tetnus is very important!

Of course, i would recommend having a vet take a peek at it...

It looks as if it is all the way around? If so, watch her very closely. Often horses who even get caught up in smoothe wire that have it tighten, have atleast attempted to slough off their hoof in situations like this.

If it isnt all the way around.. how deep is it?

IMO i think about 2 months recovery time at first glance seems reasonable.. Watch for infection... ie, smell, sandy going off feed or not looking herself.. hanging her head etc, as well as drainage, and color of the drainage.

If it does get infected.... (only use if neccesary) I would start her on pennicillin (sp?), and with the bute, I'd probably do it 2 times a day (1 gram) for 3 days and then thats it.

I'd start by Soaking it in a bucket of warm water and epsom salts... But also be watching the swelling closely...I'd also start packing it. Using even a clean rag soaked in betadine and sugar, rolled just right to cover all cuts... I would then wrap this with gauze wrap, then vet wrap, with a little duct tape to hold it in place. Making sure the vet wrap is neither too tight or too lose, and in place above and below the injury.

Also beware... Chances are in that area she will get proudflesh. if that happens, you need to leave the wrap off (unless infected), and scrub it with a dry towel daily until it bleeds... (she wont have tons of problems with this.. because proud flesh actually has considerably less nerves than regular tissue... but a wound cannot fully heal if there is proudflesh... skin will never cover it if Present) Then cover in preperation H. When A good scab is present, Furacine works wonders

I had a bad wound on my TB mare just above the bulbs of her heel. Cut into tissue and muscle. With time and work... she's back to being 100% sound.

I also did wound management on one mare who had half her hock missing for a friend who was too grossed out to work with it. She is able to work, but fighting her proudflesh was a B$%^* lol. I also worked on a mare who got tangled up in an electric fence and caught there for a few hours... That was nasty, But thanks to my dedication, her owners were thrilled to come back and find it healed! However its no easy fix... took about 5 months to be fully healed.

It was wrapped in a thick lead rope. Not all the way around. The front is pretty good.
Yeah, last night was her last dose of bute. Vet wants her on banamine for a bit. We've been hosing 3-4 times per day, scrubbing off all the crap around the wound. She's not real keen on the idea of us putting her feet in pails to soak it. I have to go get more vetrap today. We're almost out, been using the sugar, but not betadine.
It's not a true cut, it's more like a very bad rope burn, which worries me, cause the wound is kind of ragged, rather than staight, as a cut would be. She has her tetanus.
Here is a video of Brennen & Sandy at a Clinic back in April, not a very good one, please ignore the talking in the background, I haven't figured out how to edit it out.

I think your doing all that can really be done. Mybe put some ointment on it. Which you probably are. Its really in a tough place to heal with them bending.
You gotta love watching little kids and their horses. I could watch all day. He's doing great!

Comparing the videos of Brennen leadind Sandy and the one of him riding her at the clinic, just how lame would you say she is? I can really see it when she first starts out, then as she gets going it doesn't seem so bad. I suppose we should be trying out the other horses to see what he'll ride for the rest of 4-H.

I am also going to reccomend either hand walking or ponying her for short amounts of time while she's healing. It will help increase blood flow to the area. This will keep her from getting too stiff on it and help some with the swelling. I have dial up and cant see the videos, but from the pictures, it doesn't look too too bad.

Just as a suggestion and my own personal preference, I would consider shaving the hair just above and below the lacceration, this will help alot with the "gunk" you're talking about. It will make your job of cleaning a lot easier. To help keep the skin from getting irritated, apply a thin layer of vaseline to the skin, it will keep the gunk from drying to it, so when you wash that stuff off, you're not going to have to pull it off and make it bleed more.

Just a couple of tips though, with the swelling she has, I would really consider not pushing to ride her. Let her take the time she needs to heal, even though I'm sure he will be bummed because of how hard he's worked all year...

UNDERWOODS! Great Stuff! http://www.underwoodhorsemedicine.com/
I will NEVER be with out it if I can help it..
After seeing the cut, I was expecting more lameness. I think she is doing great. Careful with the hosing, it promotes proud flesh.
Get Underwoods! seriously!

Silver buckles made an awesome point. Shaving above and below and putting on vaseline both above and below, is really a worthwhile thing to do. the "gunk" as you so correctly called it will actually burn the hair off and cause sores if not kept clean.

Sounds like you are doing well with her, and as for proudflesh... keep it under control when you see it start, and then I wouldnt worry. Its pretty easy to keep under control if you've tried to minimize it from the start.

That underwood stuff I own too... However I have only used it for minimizing scar tissue and that. When I used it on my mare with proud flesh... it didnt seem to do much of anything.

Its up to you about his 4-H project but I dont think, this will take long for her to become sound. Really Try the Underwoods. It takes care of proud flesh, and reduces healing time! Ask 7 ceders, Im surprised shes not on here yelling UNDERWOODS! Underwoods!

Looks superficial. Tetanus shot is good idea. Did you know that is the only vacine there is to actually keep your horse from getting it. Yes, all the other stuff you vacinate for will not stop the animal from getting what you just paid all the money for..

The banimine makes no sense since it's for things like colic and medicates the involuntary muscles. I bet the sold you some though.. Not the right medication for that at all.

Bute is good if the animal is in pain. I always use that for at least a few days. Cold water, not warm is what you should use to reduce swelling.. That in it's self does a lot for an injury. I would never use warm water.. PERIOD..

What I do with those kinds of injuries is use an iodine paste you can get from the vet. Slap it on some cotton, wrap around the wound, nylon wrap to hold it on the cotton, then vet wrap. You can tack it down to the hoof and leg with the elastic vet tape. Re wrap every other day.. This will keep it clean and the ointment will heal it right up.. I would keep the horse in a clean place and quiet. No running around for a few days.

Shaving will not help it heal and vasaline will just attract all the other stuff on the ground to the wound. It should be wrapped until the redness is gone. Then just let it go and get something for the proud flesh..

And most important. Never tie your horse and go away.. Asking for major trouble..

Video looks good. Just need to slow down a bit for QH.. Nice slow jog.. That kid is going to be a horse trainer I an just feel it..

The video actually looks faster than she was actually going, but still too fast for QH shows. He's gonna try out some of the other horses, but he wont have a chance to do so till Saturday. He's got a field trip to Winnipeg on Friday, which is a 4 hour drive from here. They leave at 6am, and he's planning on staying with someone closer to the school tomorrow night. I'm kinda getting worried. If need be, he'll end up sharing Tom with Taegan. Tom is his horse anyhow, and it's not like our achievement day is too stressful on them. They do SMS, HMS, trail, poles & barrels. Not even as hard as an hour and a half lesson.
I'm with Bluejay on the vaccine thing. After my cutting horse died of West Nile, a vet old me that statistically, a horse has between 4-6% chance of getting West Nile. The vaccine protects in the 94-96% area. Umm, that still leaves a 4-6% chance of getting it. My favorite part was when I was grieving over the loss of Penny, who was not only the best horse I've ever had, but was also my friend and confidant, people would say in this sanctimonious tone of voice "I guess you wish you had vaccinated her". Ummm, I did buttwipe. Still did no good. I don't even vaccine for it any more. I do flu. tetnus and rhino and such, but I won't ever use a Wyeth product if I don't have to. It's a whole pissed about the PMU thing.
Anyhow, back to Sandy. I have her turned out on grass in a paddock with Tom and Trouble. Water trough is on one side, hay on the other. She's been moving around alot. Looking better each day, but we'll still wait to ride her.

That underwood stuff I own too... However I have only used it for minimizing scar tissue and that. When I used it on my mare with proud flesh... it didnt seem to do much of anything

Umm the whole point is when it is used to start with, you dont have proud flesh. Now, listen Merikle, I have owned and Doctored horses longer then you have been alive! I realize you have several horses, and being very young, you feel as though you have seen alot. I can tell you from modern cures for proud flesh to old time methods, such as grinding up blue stone to putting on it, to pour Asprin on it. The whole point was to keep it from growing to start with. Also if you check out the web site, I think They would not agree with you on "I have only used it for minimizing scar tissue and that." Maybe you should check it out and see what it can be used for!

I agree with Bluejay on the point about Bute, and Vasoline. It will just make more junk stick to it.. Would create a mess. It it were in a higher up place, then that might be differant. But down low like that, its like glue. Yuck.

I was told by the vet the vacines will keep them from getting as sick. Still don't use them. In my situation mine are in a private barn (my own) and not exposed to others unless they go out.. I do know of a few horses that did die of west nile after being vacinated for it. What a shame.. You think you are protected and that happens.

I have not used any prode flesh remidies. I just keep picking it off until it's all done. Not big junks though. I have also been very lucky and not had a lot of injuries.. The ones I have had came out good though. I feel that anything is worth a try. This is how we find what works and does not work. For me, I like low maintenace. Sounds like Sandy is doing much better already.

Sorry... drama, drama, drama here at the house... Amber and Trent... things sorta back to normal, still drama... senior week, had arena mud football last night, 70 plus seniors and parents, I cooked, everything here... drama, drama, drama...Friday is graduation....THANK GAWD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Either that, or Rick and I are fixing to sell everything we have and move to Montana and not let the boys see town for six months!

Anywayyyyyyyy.... YES, UNDERWOODS!!!! It's called follow the freaking directions! I swear by it...'nuf said....

I have to get through with graduation to get my life back on track, then I'll come back on... good GRIEF!

I ordered some Underwoods. Nobody around here had even heard of it. But sounds like it's good stuff to keep in the first aid kit.
Swelling is almost entirely gone. Just a little above and below the wound, as anyone would expect.
Her new thing is soaking it in the wet spot in her pen. I was kinda upset till I realized it seemed to be working better than all the stuff I was trying. Still have to rinse it to keep it clean, but if it weren't for the rope burn, it'd be hard to tell she was ever hurt. Which I'm happy about. Better to overreact than have a lame horse forever. She'll have turnout and wound care till it heals up, then we'll slowly put her back to work.

Oh you love Underwoods, NO SOAKING, NO WASHING OFF, Just baking Powder, and underwoods!

So it's basically for keeping proud flesh from occuring in a wound site?
It's hard to believe, but one of Wade's cowboy friends sincerly believes that a little proud flesh is a good thing, that it helps promote healing. I told him I figured that was an old cowboys tale to give them an excuse when they didn't do any wound care. I'm hoping it's in soon. I'd really like to start using it.

Those old cowboys have some funny ideas.. Some of them still work. That one doesn't sound like something I would want to do though..

It's why our big buckskin gelding has more scar tissue on his leg than he needs. As a yearling, he practically degloved himself from the hock down on a hind leg.
We had no wire there, so no real idea of how it happened. We figure either the metal feeder, or kicking through a steel panel, but anyway, it was pretty bad.
I couldn't be there for a while, due to having given birth to Sean, and the guys basically left his leg to heal on it's own. I think it's amazing how well it healed up to that point, cause I got the skin back up and got it to re-adhere, but that little bit of leaving him in their care left it well scarred. I'd ask how Tye was and Wade'd tell me he was coming along just fine. It was just before we moved in here, so my horses were at the in-laws. Glad to have my own place now. I no longer have to trust anyone else to the care of my horses.