feeling stupid......

[dakota]

HI - just wondering if anyone else out there has ever had a moment with their horse when something happened and they then felt it was all their fault?

I mean after all, 'we' are the 'intelligent' one, aren't we?

I came home yesterday after dropping my son to the beach for a surf comp to find only the two 'smallies' in the field.. on a scan around I noticed that Willow had broken through to next door.

when I went to get her, I noticed a serious gash on her left hind leg.. just in front of the hock..

long story short, she must have broken through to next door and found the farmers barbed wire fence..

I had spotted this a day ago (that he had barbed wire up on the ditch) but we have a load of trees and willows in front of it, hence did not think the girls would get through.. How wrong was I!!!!

Have been to the vets and shown him a pic of the wound, he reckons its in a spot with a 50/50 chance that stitches will hold.. alternative is to leave it heal naturally.. which i would be all for but reckon this one will need help, just too big....
In the meantime, i am washing it a few times a day with saline solution (on the vets advise)..

does anyone have any experience with a would like that?

any bit of advise would really be appreciated.. (am sitting here beating myself up knowing full well its not going to change anything, nor is it helping... )

thanks, sue

[lisamac]

Hi Sue,
I had a similar hard to heal cut on my colts leg around the back of the pastern, everyone told me of their experiences taking 6 weeks or more to heal so I was well pissed off! It was discovered too late to stitch it and anyway probably would not have held stitches as that part of the leg is constantly flexing. So I washed it with salty water smeared manuka honey on it with some dressing and vet wrap...it was healed in less than 2 weeks...
My little cob mare got sliced around the back of the cannon and took 6 stitches, only 3 of which stayed in leaving a big hole so I did the same thing, kept it clean with salt and water then slapped on the manuka honey, worked a treat and there's no scarring...
it needs to be covered to stop flies and wasps going for the honey and I found it best to leave the bandage for 2 days at a time so as not to interfere too much, when it looked clean and was starting to knit together I left the bandage off by day and on by night. If its very open you might have to use steri strips to hold skin together then as I told you...
Good luck, and let me know how you get on, you have my number if you need help
Lisa

[dakota]

Hi Lisa,

Had the vet out today as I was doing the washes with Saline, but really wanted him to see it first hand..
He confirmed that no way would the stitches hold... gave her a tetanus booster and antibiotics.. Plan of action now is daily hosing of the leg (hock downwards) with fresh water for about 5 mins (which should encourage the circulation).. then vaseline everywhere below the cut, wash the wound with lukewarm saline and then put hydrogen peroxide on it (just a small bit)..
in addition he gave me three days of anitbiotics and some painkillers for her... (not strong ones.. i mentioned that i would rather she was a bit sore and hence minded her leg...)

there is no way any bandage will hold where her cut is... also, its nearly from one side of the leg to the other..

manuka honey on it sounds so much nicer....... and yes, we are talking 6 weeks base line..
her reckons she did a little bit of damage to her extensor tendon.... oh, and a foot of tail has to come off as its getting into the wound when she flicks it... contemplating just plaiting it...


Madam however is just wondering where her next bit of food is.... (it'll be hay.... lots and lots of hay..... :-))

thanks very much Lisa and am still interested in coming along to your next clinic, but it will be as a footpassenger i am afraid.. :-)

sue