How to Treat Lameness in Horses
Allow the horse to take plenty of rest., Cold hose the horse's leg for 20 minutes a day., Try hot tubbing to treat lower limb lameness., Use hot fomentation to treat abscesses and infection higher up on the leg., Apply a poultice to reduce swelling...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Allow the horse to take plenty of rest.
Box rest is the mainstay of lameness treatment for many horses.
Depending on the nature of the lameness, horses may need rest for anywhere from a few days for a simple sprain, to weeks or even months for a more serious injury.
Rest places less demands on an injured joint surface, where continued use would provoke further inflammation.
Continuing to work a lame horse can potentially cause further physical damage, such as chip the inflamed cartilage lining to a join, and cause permanent harm.
Also, working a lame horse provokes the release of further prostaglandins and hence worsens inflammation.
By resting the horse you attempt to break this vicious circle. -
Step 2: Cold hose the horse's leg for 20 minutes a day.
Cold hosing is a simple form of hydrotherapy employed to reduce swelling in a limb It involves running cool water from a garden hose over the lame leg.
This is usually done for 20 minutes once or twice a day.
The principle is that the cold water removes the heat associated with swelling, while the water flow massages the tissue and helps disperse fluid build-up.
Ideally, the water temperature should be very cold.
The advantage of hosing is that the temperature remains constant and does not warm up (as with an ice pack). 20 minutes sessions are ideal because this is enough time to disperse heat, but is not enough time for the cold to compromise blood circulation to the limb.
It is a good idea to smear Vaseline or grease over the horse's heel prior to hosing.
This prevents the tissue of the heel becoming softened by the constant stream of water which could predispose it to cracking and infection.
Unless your horse is very well-mannered, hosing is a two person job – one to hose and one to steady the horse.
Depending on the nature of the injury your veterinarian will advise on how many days to continue hosing after the swelling has resolved. , Hot tubbing is used to treat lower limb lameness where the cause is a suspected abscess or a foreign body in the hoof, because hot tubbing softens tissues and helps to draw infection out.
It involves immersing the foot in a bucket of hot 100°F (38°C) water containing Epsom salts to soften the sole of the foot and allow infection to drain.
Always clean the hoof thoroughly before immersing in the clean water.
If necessary use a hoof pick to clean the sole and frog, and wash the hoof in water ahead of tubbing.
It is a good idea to remove the bucket handle to prevent the leg from accidentally getting trapped between the handle and bucket.
Fill the bucket with hot water and add a cupful of Epsom salts.
Stand the horse's leg into the bucket and keep it there for 15 to 20 minutes.
As the water cools over time, remove the foot while you top the bucket up with hot water.
After soaking for 20 minutes, place the hoof on a clean towel and dry it well.
This procedure can be repeated 3 to 4 times daily. , Fomentation has a similar indication as for tubbing (suspected infections, or abscesses), but is used on higher areas of the leg which are not practical to immerse in a bucket.
To apply a hot fomentation, soak a clean towel in hot water and Epsom salts and wrap it around the swollen or inflamed part of the leg.
Place a second towel in the bucket of water and Epsom salts.
When the towel that is wrapped around the leg cools, replace it with the waiting hot one from the bucket.
Use hot fomentation in 15 to 20 minute sessions, 3 to 4 times daily. , Poultices have a number of applications in that they can reduce swelling after hard exercise and draw out infection from an abscess.
Traditionally bran poultices were popular, but with the advent of many excellent commercial poultices, (such as Animalintex) the need for messy home-prepared poultices has dropped off.
Commercial poultices come as an impregnated sheet with a shiny side (face this away from the animal) and an absorbent side (applied to the injury).
First cut your poultice to the desired size so that the injured area is completely covered.
It can be used dry (great for reducing swelling) or wet (to draw out infection).
Both methods are applied in the same way, but when using a wet poultice the precut material is soaked in hot water first, and allowed to cool to 100°F.
The poultice is placed against the injury or swelling and held in place with a dressing such as Vetwrap self-adhesive bandage.
Enough tension is applied to the bandage to stop it from slipping down, but not so much as to cut off the circulation to the limb.
A poultice should never be left on for more than 12 hours, and it is preferable to change them 2 or 3 times daily. -
Step 3: Try hot tubbing to treat lower limb lameness.
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Step 4: Use hot fomentation to treat abscesses and infection higher up on the leg.
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Step 5: Apply a poultice to reduce swelling after exercise.
Detailed Guide
Box rest is the mainstay of lameness treatment for many horses.
Depending on the nature of the lameness, horses may need rest for anywhere from a few days for a simple sprain, to weeks or even months for a more serious injury.
Rest places less demands on an injured joint surface, where continued use would provoke further inflammation.
Continuing to work a lame horse can potentially cause further physical damage, such as chip the inflamed cartilage lining to a join, and cause permanent harm.
Also, working a lame horse provokes the release of further prostaglandins and hence worsens inflammation.
By resting the horse you attempt to break this vicious circle.
Cold hosing is a simple form of hydrotherapy employed to reduce swelling in a limb It involves running cool water from a garden hose over the lame leg.
This is usually done for 20 minutes once or twice a day.
The principle is that the cold water removes the heat associated with swelling, while the water flow massages the tissue and helps disperse fluid build-up.
Ideally, the water temperature should be very cold.
The advantage of hosing is that the temperature remains constant and does not warm up (as with an ice pack). 20 minutes sessions are ideal because this is enough time to disperse heat, but is not enough time for the cold to compromise blood circulation to the limb.
It is a good idea to smear Vaseline or grease over the horse's heel prior to hosing.
This prevents the tissue of the heel becoming softened by the constant stream of water which could predispose it to cracking and infection.
Unless your horse is very well-mannered, hosing is a two person job – one to hose and one to steady the horse.
Depending on the nature of the injury your veterinarian will advise on how many days to continue hosing after the swelling has resolved. , Hot tubbing is used to treat lower limb lameness where the cause is a suspected abscess or a foreign body in the hoof, because hot tubbing softens tissues and helps to draw infection out.
It involves immersing the foot in a bucket of hot 100°F (38°C) water containing Epsom salts to soften the sole of the foot and allow infection to drain.
Always clean the hoof thoroughly before immersing in the clean water.
If necessary use a hoof pick to clean the sole and frog, and wash the hoof in water ahead of tubbing.
It is a good idea to remove the bucket handle to prevent the leg from accidentally getting trapped between the handle and bucket.
Fill the bucket with hot water and add a cupful of Epsom salts.
Stand the horse's leg into the bucket and keep it there for 15 to 20 minutes.
As the water cools over time, remove the foot while you top the bucket up with hot water.
After soaking for 20 minutes, place the hoof on a clean towel and dry it well.
This procedure can be repeated 3 to 4 times daily. , Fomentation has a similar indication as for tubbing (suspected infections, or abscesses), but is used on higher areas of the leg which are not practical to immerse in a bucket.
To apply a hot fomentation, soak a clean towel in hot water and Epsom salts and wrap it around the swollen or inflamed part of the leg.
Place a second towel in the bucket of water and Epsom salts.
When the towel that is wrapped around the leg cools, replace it with the waiting hot one from the bucket.
Use hot fomentation in 15 to 20 minute sessions, 3 to 4 times daily. , Poultices have a number of applications in that they can reduce swelling after hard exercise and draw out infection from an abscess.
Traditionally bran poultices were popular, but with the advent of many excellent commercial poultices, (such as Animalintex) the need for messy home-prepared poultices has dropped off.
Commercial poultices come as an impregnated sheet with a shiny side (face this away from the animal) and an absorbent side (applied to the injury).
First cut your poultice to the desired size so that the injured area is completely covered.
It can be used dry (great for reducing swelling) or wet (to draw out infection).
Both methods are applied in the same way, but when using a wet poultice the precut material is soaked in hot water first, and allowed to cool to 100°F.
The poultice is placed against the injury or swelling and held in place with a dressing such as Vetwrap self-adhesive bandage.
Enough tension is applied to the bandage to stop it from slipping down, but not so much as to cut off the circulation to the limb.
A poultice should never be left on for more than 12 hours, and it is preferable to change them 2 or 3 times daily.
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Judith Jackson
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