Assessing injuries/cuts

[MochaDun]

Just wondering if there are any key pointers to look out for that can help someone who hasn't maybe seen that many injuries/cuts to horses legs to gauge the severity of them.

I think I always err on the side of caution which is maybe no bad thing but have on a couple of occasions assessed something as being a lot worse than it actually turned out to be. I am always wary of any sort of injury or cut to hocks or knees and act appropriately and promptly and obviously blood amount/loss can be an indication but find it hard when you might be dealing with someone else's horse where the person may be a more laid back owner than you are to make them realise your assessment of the situation requires some speed of response from them and/or a call to a vet.

I'm not talking here about emergencies as such as I think they tend to make themselves fairly obvious but that sort of grey area of injuries you can sometimes come across which could go either way or develop into something more complicated. Sorry this is a bit of a grey wishy washy explanation so hope it makes some sort of sense...

 

[Rebels]

I worry if there are two cuts on the horse that look different ages e.g i found my horse in the stable having trashed it. He had scraped his face badly but they were dry and scabbed. The cut on his leg however still had fluid coming out. Emergency trip to vet required as he needed a joint flush of his fetlock joint having kicked a water bucket and stabbed himself!

 

[Spins]

its always good to err on the side of caution regardless!! but especially if the cut is near a joint or its a puncture wound.. as they can get infected or compromise the joint capsule and cause serious damage.. as for all the rest of the horse its a matter of personal judgement.. i'd be fairly laid back about wee nicks, knocks and bumps aswel as the minor cuts but when it comes down to it you can never be too careful especially if the horse isnt ur own!