# treating over reach injuries in field kept horses?



## Jericho (13 January 2009)

My boy decided to have a lark around in the field today and I had a lovely time watching him until he came in looking rather sorry for himself and dripping blood from an over reach injury on the bulb of his heel - no flap just a deep cut into the bulb.  I hosed it off and the bleeding stopped. At the moment he is in his stable which has rubber matting and I have put purple spray on it, a nappy over the top, then a plastic bag and wrapped in vet wrap. I left him in and the pony in the small concrete yard outside his stable but cannot keep them in realistically even with the pony in with him as he is just box walking and not eating, pooing out of nerves and turning his stable into a horrible pooey mess so I am considering turning him out (our fields are relatively mud free at the moment) - it cant be much worse than the mess he is making in his stable not to mention the extra movement he is putting on it.

What do people do if they dont have access to stable / somewhere dry and mud free and the horses get similar type injuries??


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## cellie (13 January 2009)

Just use over reach boots and  try some stockholm tar over the top of the  injury.Its antiseptic and will keep it  clean at the same time.My boy is in over reach in his field because he is having  remidial shoeing and has eggbar  shoes .


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## Bugly (14 January 2009)

or use Equilibrium turnout boots....i find they let less mud up to the coronet band than overreach boots.


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## Ali7123 (23 March 2009)

Hi, i too went to the field this morning, and found my beloved baby's right hind covered in blood.  Looks as though she had been hairing around the field and caught herself!! i hosed her foot, and put some wound powder on top.  She seems find in herself, so she is back outside in the sun.  Let's hope she behaves herself, until i am able to go back again tonight


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## Lins (27 December 2014)

Got the same problem with my boy, took a chunk out of the bulb of his heel, simply wont stable as he gets in a right state. Sympathize with Jericho as its not easy, tubbing mine to clean it and purple spray but its an issue when it crusts as it just breaks again when he walks due to where it is. He may have a nappy on his foot by evening! Interested to see what advice anyone has too. Have also asked the vet for advice.


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## Cortez (27 December 2014)

Depends how deep/open the wound is. If it's reasonably dry looking and there is not mud he may well be OK out with just a regular clean and antiseptic medication (aluminium spray is better for that kind of wound). 

But it also highlights why horses should be used to both field and stabling; no horse should be stressed out by being kept in.


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## Auslander (27 December 2014)

Cortez said:



			But it also highlights why horses should be used to both field and stabling; no horse should be stressed out by being kept in.
		
Click to expand...

I wish someone would tell Spike the Special this! He's competed at a decent level in his youth, and is a foreign import anyway, so one would assume that he has been stabled a lot in his life. He throws an absolute HISSY fit if he is brought in though - box walks, screams, sweats, barges. When I still had stables, I made him come in every day to eat, and left him til he shut up each time, but he resolutely refused to be civilised - even though all the others came in too and happily slept for a few hours while he had a meltdown!


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## Tnavas (28 December 2014)

If you can wash it out well and pack with Activated Manuka Honey, then vet wrap well.

Avoid wound powder as it will dry out the edges too much making it harder for the wound to heal.


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## Lins (28 December 2014)

Im lucky enough to have contact with my lads trainer and he was literally trained from the field, does exactly the same as yours if brought in and would do himself more damage if I insisted on keeping him in. I do have an enclosed yard that he will tolerate however. Life would be easier if he would stable but if hes happy rugged up snuggly and outside so be it


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## Aoibhinn (30 December 2014)

If you leave over reach boots on in the field be sure and put something on the foot to stop them from rubbing. Maybe some Vaseline or chenounction. Found it great on my lad during the summer when he needed the boots on 24/7. Stops them from running badly. Or pull on boots help prevent rubbing as well as they don't have a joint


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