When a horse has an injury the pain they feel can fall into three categories;
Inflammatory pain - inflammatory mediators increase pain sensitivity and can make to pain feel worse within 6 hours. Anti inflammatory medications can reduce pain due to this; however the inflammatory response does play its part in assisting with recovery of some injuries.
Neuropathic pain - From a major trauma i.e. spinal column.
Somatic Pain - Pain associated with the skin, joints tissues etc. The tissues are packed with pain receptors (nociceptors).
Pain can cause muscles to spasm preventing movement of the area. This is not a good thing as muscles in spasm have a reduced blood supply (ischaemia) causing more pain. This cycle needs to be broken in order for pain to be relieved. Unfortunately it can be difficult to assess pain in newly injured horses as the adrenaline released can mask pain and can sometimes cause the horse to do more damage to itself as a result of not realising its injuries.
Assessment, diagnosis and stabilisation of an injured horse needs to be done quickly and thoroughly in order for the correct decisions relating to treatment, safety and care to be undertaken. Can you determine exactly what the injury is?
Is it tendon / ligament / bone injury? - Take care not to worsen any injury. Correct application of a splint or suitable bandage to stabilize the area can prevent further injury and assist in a speedy recovery.
Has the horse 'tied up' (Exertional Rhabdomyolysis)? - The horse should not be make to walk and should be kept warm.
Is there a bleeding wound? - Every effort should be taken to stem the bleeding.
Is the horse in a dangerous situation? - Horses when trapped or caught in e.g. a fence are unpredictable and extra help should be sought.
Is the horse recumbent? - Why? Is he physically stuck? Exhausted? Neurological Trauma? Collapse? Winded itself? The reason for being recumbent will determine the cause of action to take. The horse should have its breathing and heart rate monitored if possible throughout the time it is down to closely watch stress levels etc.
Common sense is vital in situations when panic, whether horse or rider can occur.
Simple things can often get overlooked; like deciding on which way to travel your horse dependant on which leg they have injured can make a big difference to the comfort of the horse. Scared horses can often influence the way we care for them as we want to help as soon as we can. We still need to ensure the surrounding situation is safe before restraint of the horse and treatment can begin, to ensure that the horse does not injure themselves further or we ourselves get into difficulty.
Tammy is a avid horse rider who wishes to promote the best ways to be looking after horses. Tammy works part time for anythingequine.co.uk who specialise in bridles as well as electric horse fencing and equestrian saddles in the UK.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
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