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Run cold water from a hose onto the injured area.Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
Run cold water from a hose onto the injury. This is the first step whether you are dealing with a cut, or tissue swelling with no sign of an open wound. If you feel a swelling, run the cold hose for 15 to 20 minutes. If you see a cut, clean it well with water, then clip the hair around the cut with the shortest clipper blades possible. If your horse will not stand still because of pain, stop and call your veterinarian. Sedation may be necessary for proper care. - 2). For a cut, clean the area again after clipping. Add an antibacterial solution, such as a standard, veterinarian-quality providone-iodine solution, to water in a steel bucket until the water is the color of weak tea. Scrub or wipe gently with a sponge until no hair is in the wound. If you use a providone-iodine scrub that suds, rinse well. If the cut is not deep, you can apply an antiseptic ointment; if you think the cut needs sutures, do not apply anything, as this can affect the tissue for suturing.
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You may be able to insert a pliable ice pack into a sport boot or wrap.BananaStock/BananaStock/Getty Images
Apply ice after hosing if the injury is limited to soft tissue swelling. You can also insert a pliable ice pack into a sport boot or hold it in place with a light wrap, for 20 to 30 minutes. Repeat the cold hosing and ice therapy three times a day until the swelling subsides. - 4). Wrap the affected area. Use a pillow wrap or thick cotton roll, wrapping clockwise on the right leg, and counter clockwise on the left. Apply a standing wrap or flexible vet wrap over the pillow wrap in the same manner. Apply the bandaging snugly but not tight. If the bandage starts to fall down, remove and start again, as it can bunch up and cause greater restriction, resulting in tendon bows (Ref 1).
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Keep your horse stalled and as quiet as possible.David De Lossy/Photodisc/Getty Images
Give your horse phenylbutazone, known widely as "bute." For a typical 1000-lb. horse, Roark recommends one gram of bute twice a day for three days to help with swelling. It can also help with the discomfort of a cut. Stall rest is necessary until the swelling subsides or your horse is no longer experiencing signs of discomfort. - 6
Monitor your horse's temperature daily.Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
Change the bandage daily or each time you administer hydrotherapy (cold-hosing). This is also a good time to monitor your horse's temperature and overall demeanor.
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