There’s an old saying: If your horse can find a way to get in trouble, he will. So, if you own a horse long enough, chances are that some time you will face an emergency accident or injury. But will you know how to deal with the different types of injury situations you might encounter? Will you know how and when to perform immediate first aid procedures and, just as importantly, when not to? After all, making the wrong decision during this kind of crisis could result in unnecessary scarring, delayed healing, and even the death of your horse

Is It An Emergency?

It’s hard to tell if you are dealing with a life-threatening situation that requires immediate emergency treatment. Notes Earl M. Gaughan, DVM, associate professor and section head of Equine Medicine and Surgery, Kansas State University, “A lot of people really worry about bleeding. A horse has a tremendous volume of blood. The classic one is when its snowy outside and you get blood on white snow; it often looks worse than it is.

There are certain types of injuries that merit deep concern. Says Venaye Reece, DVM, veterinary medical officer for the State Veterinary Office at Clemson University, Animal Emergency Response Coordinator for South Carolina, and North American Trail Ride Conference veterinarian/judge, “Punctures are generally considered fairly important, particularly if the puncture is in the area of a joint or in the foot. Cuts that involve tendons, joints, or large blood vessels may be emergencies. Eye lesions that involve the actual globe of the eye are almost always emergency situations. Severe lameness, severe reluctance to move, and any known fracture warrant emergency treatment

On the other hand, bee stings, mild choke, or moderate cuts in a muscle or skin that don’t involve a joint, tendon, blood vessel, or eye might be scary, but probably wont necessitate immediate treatment. “Within a couple of minutes, horses are over the fright and pain of bee stings,” says Reece. “With choke, you have plenty of time to get a vet. Sometimes, just walking the horse or trying to get him relaxed, or, under a veterinarians direction, giving a mild sedative or tranquilizer will clear a choke. Moderate skin or muscle cuts may need moderately immediate attention in that the quicker you can clean up and suture, the better healing you’re going to get, but those are not usually life-threatening.” When you report the injury to the veterinarian, he or she will decide whether the horse requires immediate veterinary attention or immediate veterinary advice. “Most veterinarians who deal with horses appreciate the phone call and the conversation and making the decision about whether the horse needs to be treated immediately or as soon as possible,” Gaughan says