To bandage or not to bandage. That is the million dollar questions.

Firstly let’s clarify what we mean by a bandage (I am discussing limbs today only).
A bandage is designed to cover an area of the limb, provide a good wound environment for healing, absorb any wound exudate (discharge), and the last layer is to keep a certain amount of compression on the wound and stick the bandage up on the leg.
A non surgical wound heals by granulation tissue formation (pink tissue that fills the hole) and then epithelialisation (new skin formation). Epithelialisation is seen as a thin white to clear line surrounding the wound edges.

Firstly we need to consider if we even need to bandage the leg:
Bandaging does provide a wonderful environment for wound healing. It promotes granulation tissue formation, and speeds up the epithelialisation process (new skin formation). The big concern with distal limb wounds is proud flesh. Proud flesh describes granulation tissue which has become excessive for that particular wound healing, and usually this means it has risen above the level of the skin. We often think about getting rid of proud flesh. My advice would be the promote faster skin growth to prevent proud flesh rather than thinking of getting rid of the proud flesh. The bandage will help promote new skin growth. However, if there is a deep wound that is small, or a superficial (not full skin thickness) wound, then these may be better treated with topical treatments rather than bandaging. This eliminates the risk of the negative effects seen through bandaging.

Bandaging over a wound (primarily layer):
We need to consider if we want the dressing to stick to the wound or not. For example in a very dirty wound you may want the dressing to dry on the wound so that when it is removed, it removes some of the debris. Most likely however, you are wanting the dressing to cover the wound and prevent any padding from sticking to it. This is called an non-adherent wound dressing and can come in forms such as paraffin gauze dressings or melolin type dressings. This dressing will also allow you to apply an ointment to promote wound healing.

Next you need to consider the amount of padding you use (secondary layer):
This will also determine how long you can leave the bandage on for, and how firm the pressure is applied. The more padding used, often the longer the bandage can be left on, and the least risk of bandage sores. A larger amount of padding also can absorb more wound exudate (discharge) therefore reducing the risk of skin sores developing.

External layer (tertiary layer):
The last layer of the bandage is usually vetwrap and elastoplast. This allows compression, waterproofing, and keeps the bandage on the leg. For example, a splint bandage is applied with multiple layers of padding and a compression material such as vetwrap. The compression in this bandage is increased with each layer, until a very firm bandage is achieved with a large amount of support.
Please note: A firm bandage can never be applied to a bandage with little padding; you will get a severe bandage bow, haematoma’s, or skin death.

Bandage placement:
Where the bandage is placed on the leg is important, as most of our horses are kept in paddocks, therefore are likely to be moving around. Firstly I would like to say this is not ideal with a bandaged leg, because the more movement you have, the more risk of the bandage slipping and causing damage from uneven pressure. Confinement is the key. However when this is not possible, please consider placing a bandage on the limb without covering movable joints. For example, a wound on the canon bone may only require a bandage from the top of the fetlock to the bottom of the hock. The front of the fetlock joint is a very common area for bandage sores to develop from friction rubs and is best avoided. If a bandage needs to be applied from toe to hock, then confine the horse, and use a firm bandage with lots of padding to minimise leg bend (please get further advice on this first).
Bandaging a limb for support of a structural issue such as a fracture or severe flexor tendon injury requires veterinary assistance. Sometimes foot wedges are use to align to bony column better to prevent undue forces on the leg during weight bearing.

I hope this just gives you a little bit of information on why we bandage, if we need to bandage, and how to use a bandage to promote good wound healing without risking secondary complication such as skin sores and bandage rubs.
My final note is to say there are other reason we may bandage legs, which could be to reduce sun exposure or to keep flies away

Should I vaccinate my horse for tetanus?

The short answer is – absolutely!

I often hear clients say 'I don't have Tetanus in my paddocks', or 'There has never been Tetanus on this property'.
Please be aware this is INCORRECT and a very dangerous safety net to have. Here is some information on Tetanus for you all. PLEASE CONSIDER VACCINATION!!

What is Tetanus?
Tetanus is a condition caused by a bacteria (Clostridium Tetani) that is naturally found in the soil of your paddocks and your horses digestive tract. Spores formed by this bacteria are great at surviving in extreme environments for long periods of times.
How can my horse catch it?
When your horse sustains a wound, these spores enter the site of injury. The wound environment is very low in oxygen, which creates an ideal place for the spores to become mature bacteria. Once the bacteria have multiplied, they produce toxins that cause stiff limbs, everted 3rd eyelids, a locked jaw and an elevated tail among other signs associated with muscle spasms. A wound could be a foot wound or tooth abnormality, they are not always easily visualised!
Can it be treated?
Treatment can be attempted with antibiotics, muscle relaxants and other supportive care, but the mortality rate is high due to consequences associated with the muscular spasms. Horses affected are often euthanised on welfare grounds; horses are often unable to eat without assistance.
Can it be prevented?
Tetanus can be prevented by vaccination! Ideally EVERY horse should be vaccinated.
If your horse isn’t vaccinated and sustains a wound, a Tetanus Anti-toxin can be given. This anti-toxin is only short-acting and is NOT a vaccination.
The Vaccination protocol is: 2 injections 4-6 weeks apart followed by a one year booster. Following this booster vaccinations are recommended every 2-3 years.

I hope this helps! Have a great Sunday.

The Winter Months.... do our horses get cold?
I am often asked whether a horse needs a rug... what do I do when it is cold at night and warm in the day?
I have put together a few helpful tips for you to consider. Remember every horse is different so do what works best for your horse.

The literature will report that the lower critical temperature of a horse is 5 degrees when they have a summer coat, and minus 7 degrees when they have a winter coat.... What does the lower critical temperature mean??
This is the temperature at which the horse needs additional energy to maintain body warmth...
What does this mean? Well it means that a horse that has adequate shelter from the wind and rain, that is in a good body condition score (3/5), has developed a good winter coat, and is otherwise healthy, should not need a rug unless it gets below minus 7 degrees!!!!!!!!
What is important to remember is that a horse needs time to adjust to its climate (if you have moved from the north island to the south for example).
What we also need to remember is at this time of year we often clip horses, removing their protective coat. We ride them which can make them sweaty and wet which will make them get cold easier. We also confine them which means they cannot walk around to increase their heat production.
Adequate shelter can be either a tree or a man made shelter, but allows the horse to get out of the wind and rain (in the winter this would be from primarily the southerly direction). A rug can act as a really good shelter, however it also does flatten the hairs, which when it is cold, usually stand up to aid in insulation. This means that an adequate rug for the current weather environment is important. A water proof rug must be waterproof and of the correct thickness to keep the horse warm.
Reasons why we may like to rug our horses:
Extra warmth
Because they are clipped or wet
Because they dont have an adequate winter coat
Because we like to
Because they may not have any shelter.... many other reasons...

Just remember when deciding to rug or not to rug, take into account where the horse has come from, the shelter available, the coat thickness of the horse, the discipline the horse works in, and your own time constraints aswell. The wonderful thing about a good shelter is horses can manage a lot of this for you.

I hope this helps!! Have a great Winter!!

The low down on worming at this time of year:
The weather is starting to change, and this is the time of year that the worm larvae start to think about halting their growth and hibernating for the winter in the intestinal mucosa. When they do this we call them ‘encysted ’ and they are very hard to kill with wormers: we need to get them before they do this. During the the cold months many larvae don’t progress to become adults, and there is minimal development of larvae in the eggs so the worm cycle slows or halts. During the winter Faecal Egg counts can therefore be inaccurate, but if they are high then we need to address it.
What can happen with these ‘encysted’ or hibernating worms is that they all make up at once during the spring and cause mass disruption to the intestinal mucosa and if they larvae number is high enough can cause a dangerous diarrhoea. This is what we are trying to prevent by getting rid of the larvae now!

Saying this... I want us to remember that central otago hasn’t had cold cold winters in the last few years so worm burdens and egg output have increased over the winter months unlike in previous years when they halted. Also the winters have not been cold enough to damage eggs and stop them developing so pastures are staying contaminated. Depending on the weather the worm cycle can be different every year.

What should we do? If your horses have not been wormed since the spring then worm them ASAP. Only use good worms, which as a general rule are wormers that have 3 active ingredients. (I am selling good wormers at a very discounted rate this autumn so get in touch if you need some). If you have wormed them this summer then do a Faecal egg count now and see what worm burden your horses have. Do a Faecal egg count in the winter to make sure that it is not getting very high.
Remember harrowing will spread any eggs in the faeces so this is not ideal to do when your horses have a high faecal egg count as it will cause widespread pasture contamination and then they are more likely to eat worm eggs.

Any more questions feel free to get in touch.
Simply we want pastures free of eggs buy reducing egg output. The only way your horse can get ‘wormy’ is by eating eggs! Enjoy your breakfast!