How To Help Your Horse, Pony or Donkey With A Wound

Finding any kind of wound on your equine can be a real worry. Some maybe more obvious than others, and it is always good practice to check over your equine at least daily to make sure they are ok. As with any animal (or human!), accidents or injuries can happen at any time for a variety of reasons.

It can be easy to panic, in this post, find out about some of the different type of wounds and what you can do to help, including what holistic approaches maybe helpful.

Please remember that if you are unsure about the severity of the wound or what type it is, then always speak to your Veterinary Surgeon as soon as possible for advice. As with all injuries, the quicker the right help is provided, then the more chance of a quick recovery.

1. Puncture Wounds

These can be caused by a pointed object piercing the skin or hoof. Common culprits include thorns, nails or barbed wire. These types of wound can be serious especially because the hole can be really small and easily missed. They are also difficult to keep clean because they are often deep, but if they are not treated properly an infection can easily build up.

How to treat a puncture wound.

No puncture wound should be ignored. If a thorn is involved, run your fingers carefully upwards against the lie of the hair. When you find the spot, trim the surrounding hair away so you can see what you are doing, then remove the thorn with a pair of tweezers. If a nail has punctured the sole, then call the vet. It maybe that the foot needs to be tubbed and a poultice applied. Your veterinary surgeon or farrier can help.

Some essential oils can be fantastic in treating wounds. Given the variety of oils, then do speak to a qualified veterinarian or zoopharmcognosist for advice first. Read more about zoopharmacognosy here.

2. Incised wound

There isn't usually a lot of bleeding involved. They are often clean cut. Provided they are well cleaned and heal properly they should create few problems.

How to treat an incised wound,

Hose the injury with cold water, then apply an antispectic wound dressing (e.g. cream). There are many herbal skincare options you can use, such as aloe vera and calendula.

3. Abrasion (graze)

These often have little bleeding, sometimes only a few bubbles of blood can be seen. They can be caused by a fall, or scraping when jumping. Although it may not look serious, grit or splinters could have got into the area.

How to treat an abrasion

Don't work any dirt further into the wound by bathing it with cotton wool and water. Instead use a trickle hose or if it's in a difficult place, squeeze a piece of wet cotton wool over it. Afterwards put on a poultice to draw out all the dirt. You may need to replace this frequently until the dirt is out.

4. Contusion (bruise)

The skin will not normally be broken, but because tissues and blood vessels have been damaged, you will notice a soft, swollen, hot area which is tender when touched. This is usually caused by a blow, such as a kick from another equine..

Treating a bruise , alternate hot and cold poultices. Herbal remedies like Aloe Vera gelly, Arnica are just a couple o that can be really helpful to soothe bruising.

5. Laceration

These are injuries where the skin and tissues beneath have been torn, rupturing blood vessels. They are the result of a horse, pony or donkey getting caught up in something sharp such as wire, or even be a result of broken bones.

Treating a laceration

It's essential to call your veterinarian as soon as possible. Stitching maybe required, and getting this completed sooner rather than later can be vital for a full and speedy recovery.

6. Overreach

This happens when one of the equine's back feet strikes into the heel of a front foot. Sometimes it may not be noticed for a while, whilst some overreaches will make your equine appear very lame, other times it can be less obvious.

This is something you should look out for when you pick your equine's feet out each day, just taking a look at their pasterns and heels. Also notice change in their behaviour, if they are normally happy having their feet picked out and are suddenly not so keen, is it because they have a cut or sore as a result of an overreach?

Treating an overreach

It will depend on the severity of the overreach, as to whether you can clean it yourself and apply an antiseptic or herbal skincare like aloe vera. Or if you need to call the vet. If your equine is lame, then do call the vet as soon as possible.

Holistic ways to help equine wound care

Together with herbal remedies, some of which are listed above, veterinary homeopathy can also be useful in treating wounds. For instance did you know as well as a topical application, arnica is used in homeopathy? There are a number of veterinarians in the UK and around the world who have completed specialist veterinary homeopathy training, and can help you if needed. Get more information on veterinary homeopathy here in the Taranet directory.

Find more information on herbal skincare for animals here in this Natural Pet Care Blog post.

Other therapies such as Low Level Laser Therapy can be really helpful in treating wounds. Learn more here at this advice page.

In conclusion

There are many types of equine wounds, and they can require a different treatment response. Early identification and the correct treatment can make all the difference to ensure your horse, pony or donkey feels more comfortable quickly and heals well.



Do you know someone who'd find this information on summer horse care tips helpful? Please share, the more we can spread awareness of the benefits of natural therapies the better! :)

Find out more about other natural animal therapies here at Taranet. Or read other articles in this Natural Pet Health Blog. Take a look at the sitemap here to explore!

About the Author
Suzanne Harris is an equestrian and canine entrepreneurial coach and consultant to veterinarians who want to help prevent animals being affected by domestic abuse


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