Horse first aid: wounds and when to call the vet

Cuts, scrapes and puncture wounds are part of owning horses. Most heal well with simple care. A few – often the small, innocent-looking ones near a joint – can threaten a horse's life or career if they aren't seen quickly. Good first aid is about two things: keeping the horse safe and comfortable, and recognising when it's a job for the vet.

New Zealand's Code of Welfare says everyone caring for horses needs knowledge of basic equine first aid and access to a vet (MPI Code of Welfare). Victoria's Code requires sick or injured horses to get prompt veterinary or other appropriate treatment (Code of Practice).

This guide is general information, not a substitute for your vet. If you're unsure how serious a wound is, call and describe it – or send a photo if your vet accepts them.

Wounds that need a vet straight away

Ballarat Veterinary Practice, an equine clinic in Victoria, advises calling your vet for (BVP – equine wound care):

• Heavy bleeding that doesn't stop with firm pressure
• A wound that goes through the full thickness of the skin, especially near a joint or tendon
• Gaping wound edges or a skin flap
• Contamination with dirt or foreign material
• A very lame horse – especially if the wound looks small
• Muscle, bone or tendon visible in the wound
• A horse whose tetanus vaccination isn't up to date

The University of Minnesota adds wounds that leak clear, sticky fluid (a sign a joint or tendon sheath may be involved), wounds over any structure that bends regardless of size, wounds on the back of the leg below the knee or hock, and wounds in the frog, over the chest or belly, or involving the penis or sheath (UMN Extension). It warns that puncture wounds can be the most dangerous, whatever their size.

The University of Sydney's equine emergency service lists deep or gaping wounds, heavy bleeding, punctures (especially into joints, chest or belly), cuts near joints, tendons or eyes, and injuries after fencing, transport or paddock accidents as urgent (University of Sydney Veterinary Hospital). Eye injuries always need a vet – Victoria's Code lists them among serious injuries needing prompt attention (Code of Practice).

Something stuck in the foot or leg?

If a nail or other object is in the foot or leg, check with your vet before pulling it out (UMN Extension). Where it sits helps the vet work out what it has damaged. Stop the horse moving around, and keep the object from being pushed in further if you can.

Step by step: what to do when your horse is hurt

This sequence is based on Ballarat Veterinary Practice's advice (BVP – equine wound care).

1. Stay calm and stay safe

Catch the horse quietly. A hurt horse may be frightened and unpredictable. If possible, get a helper to hold it before you look closely at the wound. A feed bucket can help distract and settle the horse.

2. Move it somewhere clean – if it can walk

If the horse walks comfortably, take it to a clean, dry stable or quiet yard. If it is too sore to walk, leave it where it is and call the vet.

3. Control bleeding

Apply firm, even, direct pressure with a clean pad and bandage. If blood soaks through, put more material on top rather than peeling the soaked layer off – that keeps fresh clots in place.

4. Assess and call

Once bleeding is under control, look at where the wound is, how deep it seems and whether the horse is lame. Check the rest of the horse too – BVP warns that a more serious wound can be missed in the first look. Then ring your vet if the wound is on the list above, or if you're not sure.

5. Don't medicate before the vet arrives

BVP advises against giving pain relief before the vet sees the horse, because it can mask how serious the injury is, and against putting anything on the wound without asking your vet first (BVP – equine wound care). UMN gives the same caution about medications (UMN Extension).

6. Have the details ready

Take temperature, heart rate and breathing rate if it's safe, and know your horse's tetanus status. See signs of a healthy horse for normal ranges.

Caring for a minor wound

For a small, superficial wound that doesn't meet any of the "call the vet" signs, BVP suggests (BVP – equine wound care):

1. Clean the wound with plenty of clean water from a hose.
2. Apply a small amount of antiseptic cream or gel – but not if bone is exposed or a joint is open.
3. Bandage if the site allows (see below).
4. Change the bandage every two to three days, and check it daily for infection. If there's an unpleasant discharge or smell, call your vet.

UMN advises that antiseptic scrub such as povidone-iodine is only used well diluted, to about the colour of weak tea, and not around the eyes (UMN Extension).

Keep checking minor wounds. Victoria's Code lists injuries that aren't responding to treatment within 24 hours among those needing prompt veterinary attention (Code of Practice). Increasing swelling, heat, lameness or a dull, off-feed horse are all reasons to call.

Bandaging basics

BVP describes three layers in every wound bandage (BVP – equine wound care):

1. Primary (contact) layer – a non-stick dressing directly on the wound, so healing tissue isn't torn when it comes off.
2. Secondary (padding) layer – cotton wool, gamgee or similar to spread pressure evenly. A disposable nappy can do in a pinch.
3. Tertiary (outer) layer – a cohesive or elastic bandage that holds everything in place.

Some areas, such as the hock, are hard to bandage well. A bandage that is too tight, uneven or slipping can do harm. If you're unsure, ask your vet to show you. Pony Club Australia's certificate syllabus includes bandaging a minor leg wound (PCA Syllabus). See bandaging a horse.

Cold hosing, poulticing and tubbing

The BHS Stage 2 syllabus lists cleaning, cold hosing, poulticing and tubbing (soaking a foot) as basic first-aid procedures for wounds (BHS Stage 2 Care). They are useful tools, but they don't suit every injury.

We haven't found an Australian or New Zealand authority that sets out how long or how often to cold hose or poultice, so we don't give times here. Ask your vet which, if any, suits your horse's injury, and how to do it.

Tetanus: check your horse is covered

Tetanus is caused by bacteria found in the environment that can enter through wounds, and the disease can be fatal (BVP – equine wound care). Victoria's Code recommends routine tetanus vaccination (Code of Practice).

A 2024 panel of Australian and New Zealand vets published tetanus guidelines in the New Zealand Veterinary Journal. For an unvaccinated horse, or one with unknown vaccination status, that has a wound, they recommend the vet gives both tetanus toxoid (vaccine) and tetanus antitoxin at the same time, at separate sites, and then completes the full vaccine course (Tetanus prophylaxis guidelines, NZVJ 2024). Always tell your vet your horse's vaccination history when you call about a wound. See horse vaccinations.

Be ready before it happens

• Keep a stocked horse first-aid kit at home and in the float.
• Save your vet's number and an after-hours number in your phone.
• Know your horse's normal temperature, heart rate and breathing rate.
• Keep vaccination records where you can find them – see horse health records.
• Practise bandaging on a calm horse.

Find an equine vet near you on horse.work.

FAQ

How do I clean a horse's wound?

For a minor wound, flush it with plenty of clean water from a hose (BVP – equine wound care). If you use antiseptic, dilute it well (UMN Extension). Call your vet for anything deep, dirty, gaping or near a joint.

Should I give my horse bute for a wound?

Not before your vet has seen it, unless your vet tells you to. Pain relief can mask how serious the injury is (BVP – equine wound care).

Why is a small wound near a joint so serious?

Because it may have reached the joint or tendon sheath, where infection can be life-threatening. Call your vet for any wound over a joint, whatever its size (UMN Extension).

How often should I change a bandage on a minor wound?

BVP suggests every two to three days for a minor wound, checking daily for signs of infection (BVP – equine wound care).

Does my horse need a tetanus shot after a cut?

It depends on its vaccination history. Tell your vet; an unvaccinated horse or one of unknown status needs tetanus antitoxin plus vaccine from the vet (NZVJ 2024).