Are you confident that you can handle a trail emergency? Do you have the knowledge and supplies you need? To be perfectly honest, for me the answer, sadly, is “no.” Even though I am a professional worrier, for some reason I don’t think much about what could go wrong once I am mounted. Trail riding is my happy place. Perhaps because I am a nurse I think I can handle injuries. But in fact, a horse is nothing like a human so I would probably be pretty useless in an emergency.
To rectify this situation, I reached out to Dr. Doug Thal, DVM, the owner of Thal Equine, an equine hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico and the creator of the Horse Side Vet Guide, a comprehensive horse health website and mobile app (read my review here). I asked him about common trail emergencies and how to prevent, recognize, and manage them.
Although we talked for over an hour, we barely scratched the surface of this topic. So, I will give you a few tips that I learned from Dr. Thal, but there is much more to learn about trail first aid than I can present here. I will give you resources for finding more information if you are interested.
First and most importantly, Dr. Thal mentioned horsemanship. Prevention is always better than cure. We must know our horse and she is capable of. Asking a horse to run farther or faster than she is fit to do can have disastrous consequences. Just because a horse appears willing to do something, does not mean he is fit enough to do so. Horses want to stay with the herd. My horse, Tupelo, a draft cross who is usually not that fond of cantering, will gallop at an amazing speed behind a Thoroughbred, making me think that he is more fit than he lets on. But, in fact, I could be putting him at risk of tying up or injury. So be sure to condition your horse properly for the trail rides you plan to do.
Having correct, safe, well-fitting tack is also crucial. The saddle should be fitted to the horse first, and to the rider second. The pad, girth, breastplate / breast collar, and bridle must all be fitted so they do not cause pain or rubbing.
We must be constantly alert for trail hazards, from gopher holes to barbed wire fences to poisonous plants. Know which horses in the group kick and keep them at the back. Prevent your horse from crowding other horses, where he could kick or be kicked.
Pay attention. If your horse suddenly starts acting differently on the trail, find out the reason. Horses don’t suddenly become obnoxious for no reason. They get tired, or sore, or injured. Dismount and inspect your horse from head to tail. Is there a burr under the girth? Has the saddle rubbed a sore on his back? Check the feet for stones. Check the back and legs for sensitive spots.
It surprised me to learn that horses can colic on the trail. Remember that horses are designed to eat forage almost continuously. Going for too long without any food can lead to colic. So, stopping about once an hour and allowing your horse to eat – even for just a minute or two – can keep her digestive tract happy. On the other hand, if your horse is used to hay, allowing her to eat a lot of rich green grass in the field where you park your trailer while tacking up, can be dangerous too. Again, this is where horsemanship comes in – understanding horse health and paying attention to your surroundings.
Water is also extremely important. Allow your horse to drink at any opportunity such as stream crossings. It’s best to avoid troughs that a lot of horses are drinking out of if possible, since this can expose your horse to disease. If your horse is reluctant to drink, consider giving him paste electrolytes before starting the ride – this will encourage drinking on the trail.
One of the most common trail injuries is musculoskeletal injury, caused by strain of unconditioned tendons, joints or ligaments, stepping in a hole, tripping, running into an object, or being kicked. When I asked Dr. Thal how you know if it is safe to ride an injured horse back to the barn or trailer vs. hand-walking her there vs. calling for a trailer, he said, “it depends.” It depends on how severe the injury is and how far in the backcountry you are. If your horse becomes lame, dismount and assess the problem. If the lameness is very mild and you are not far from home, you might be fine to ride straight back. If your horse is visibly limping but able to bear weight, you can remove the tack and hand-walk her home, although if you can call someone to bring a trailer, this would be best. It might not be an option in some cases. If the horse cannot bear weight on the leg, she should not be walked if at all possible. If you were in an inaccessible area, you could possibly give a dose of bute or banamine for pain, but keep in mind that masking the pain can cause you or the horse to think the injury is not as bad as it is, thereby exacerbating the injury.
A common cause of lameness is a stone bruise. Always check the sole of the hoof. A rock could be stuck there. Check the horse’s digital pulse (see how here). Normally it cannot be felt. If it’s bounding, there is a problem in the hoof. Ride straight home; if the lameness is significant, dismount and hand walk the horse home.
Penetrating trauma – such as such a stepping on a nail or getting a stick lodged in the neck – can be serious, depending on what vital structures lie underneath. You might have heard that if something is impaled into your horse, don’t remove it. The reasons for this are that removing an object can result in bleeding that was being held back by the object and that it helps the vet see how deep the trauma is in order to assess the possible damage. This is all true, but Dr. Thal points out that on the trail, leaving the object in place could be impractical or lead to more tissue damage. For example, if the horse is impaled on a fence post you must either remove it or cut it off so the horse can walk out to safety. Something in the hoof such as a nail must be removed or it will be forced deeper into the sole. In this case, remove the nail, give a dose of bute, clean the wound, stand the horse in cold water if you can, bandage it if possible, and then walk out. The decision about removing an object depends on where it is, what is is, and how far you are from veterinary care. If you do remove an object, take a photo of the object in place so your vet can use that information later in his or her evaluation.
For other wounds, the severity depends upon a number of factors – in particular the location on the body, which determines what underlying structures might be affected. For example, a rather large wound to the flank might be less serious than a smaller wound to the leg because there are so many vital ligaments and tendons in the limbs. In general, the lower on the leg, the more serious the injury because the tendons and bones are not protected by muscle as they are higher on the leg. According to Dr. Thal, “it’s all about the anatomy.” The Horse Side Vet Guide has fantastic graphics such as this one to help you learn anatomy, and with the mobile app you can even view them to assess your horse on the trail.
With a wound, things to consider are bleeding and lameness. If a wound is accompanied by lameness, it’s more serious. Significant bleeding obviously must be treated immediately. My training as an EMT and nurse taught me that the key to stopping bleeding is pressure. Simply wad up some gauze (or a t-shirt or bandana), press it firmly into the wound, and keep it there. I often see people who are bleeding put pressure on the site and then take the gauze off frequently to see if it’s still bleeding. They do this over and over and the bleeding never stops. Keep the pressure on for a few minutes before checking – or don’t take the gauze off at all but wrap or tape it in place once you think the bleeding has stopped. If blood soaks through the gauze, add more on top of it. Here is the HSVG’s advice on bleeding.
For small wounds such as abrasions or girth rubs, clean the area and apply a triple antibiotic ointment (the kind you can get in your local pharmacy, such as Neosporin, is what Dr. Thal recommends). Protect the affected spot – for example for a girth rub or gall make a donut out of a piece of padding to take the pressure off the injured area if it’s under tack.
Bandaging your horse is a skill that is not to be taken lightly. You can do more harm than good if you apply a bandage incorrectly. If you search for “bandage” on the HSVG site you can read about methods for bandaging in different situations.
In terms of a first aid kit, for longer rides, Dr. Thal recommends carrying prescription items – phenylbutazone (Bute), Banamine (aka flunixin meglumine) if your vet is willing to dispense a dose or two of each to have on hand, bandage material (a little gauze, Elasticon, Telfa pad, vet wrap, duct tape), a hoof pick, pliers or multi-tool (to remove wire, thorns), paste electrolytes, triple antibiotic ointment, and a headlamp or flashlight. He says the flashlight is in case you get stuck out overnight; I would add that it is very handy for assessing wounds, especially those on the belly or feet.
This is just a tiny introduction to a few health issues that can occur on the trail. Dr. Thal was interviewed by The Horse magazine in 2016 about trail riding emergencies so you can learn about other types of emergencies by reading it here. The article includes a longer list of items for a first aid kid for overnight trips.
Lest you get overwhelmed, thinking “I can’t possibly be prepared for everything that can go wrong,” I have a few suggestions. Check out Dr. Thal’s Horse Side Vet Guide, which you can view online for free. Every so often read a section that interests you, so you can gradually gain more knowledge and skill. Practice the skills on your horse at the barn, when it’s not an emergency. Learn how and when to give medications such as bute and Banamine by consulting with your vet. Put together a first aid kit and attach it to your saddle. Download the Horse Side Vet Guide to your smartphone so that when you are on the trail and something goes wrong, you can look up what to do.
Most of all, practice good horsemanship, keep your horse fit for the job, and – as they say – hope for the best and plan for the worst. Have fun, but ride smart.
The information presented here is the opinion of one veterinarian based on his education, training, and experience. It is not intended to represent a professional consensus. Always consult your veterinarian when making health care decisions about your horse.
