Newsletter: Cassie Green
Pomona Pony Club Monthly Newsletter
, 2010
Newsletter proudly sponsored by: Ramsay Clout –Insolvency and Forensic Accountants
Accountants
Be ready for gear check at 8:45am for a 9am start. Please remember waybills are required & a copy will be collected upon arrival.
Web Page: Remember to check the web page regularly for updates at www.pomonapc.org.au . The web page is updated regularly & there is information relevant to everyone from the competitive rider to the member who only wants to ride at musters.
Results: If you have any results/photos for the newsletter/web page please email them to Madeleine Graham at– ro45922@bigpond.net.au or phone them to me on 5485 1849 ah.
Photo Gallery: Keep an eye on the photo gallery on the web page, your photo may appear there. You will see me getting around with a camera taking photos of everybody. If you don’t want your photo to appear on the web page or in the newsletter PLEASE see me or one of the committee members ASAP.
Knowing When to Call the Vet for Your Horse
Not every equine ailment requires a frantic phone call to the nearest veterinarian. You can deal with some problems at home, or at least monitor them before making that call. Here are signs to look for when your horse seems under the weather. If your horse has one or more of these symptoms, the condition is an emergency that warrants a call to — and a possible visit from the vet:
Bleeding: If your horse is bleeding heavily from any place on his body, try applying pressure to stop the flow. Even if you can stop the bleeding, call the vet.
Blood in urine: If you see your horse urinating blood, a severe infection or bladder injury is a possibility.
Choking: A horse is choking if he coughs and salivates with his head down while watery food exits his nose and mouth, backs away from his food, acts anxious, and/or swallows repeatedly. A horse chokes when food is trapped in the esophagus. The food doesn't block the airway, so the horse can still breathe, but you still must call the vet right away. The trapped food can cause damage that will result in scarring and subsequent narrowing of the diameter of the esophagus. This narrowing causes the horse to be more prone to choking in the future.
Colic: If your horse is sweating profusely, lying down and getting up, pawing the ground, standing with his legs outstretched, rolling, and/or biting at his abdomen, the animal is suffering from colic. Remove the horse's food and lead the horse around at a walk until the vet arrives.
Not all colic symptoms are severe. If you see your horse behaving in any way that indicates he may be having even slight stomach pain, you should still call a veterinarian.
If you see some signs of colic but aren't sure whether your horse is actually sick, a good way to tell is to offer him a carrot. No healthy horse ever turns down a carrot. If your horse refuses it, he is suffering from abdominal distress or some other health problem and needs to see a vet right away.
Diarrhea: Severe, very liquid, foul-smelling diarrhea can be life threatening.
Fever: A horse's normal body temperature ranges between 99 degrees F (37.7 degrees C) and 101.5 degrees F (38.6 degrees C). If your horse's temperature is significantly above or below the normal range, you have an emergency.
Inability to stand: A horse that will not or cannot stand up is a very sick horse. A horse that staggers or has trouble staying on his feet is also in an emergency situation.
Injury: Wounds that are deep or that expose the bone are emergencies, as are puncture wounds, which can easily become infected. You should also contact your vet if a less serious injury that doesn't require sutures begins to look infected.
Labored breathing: Rapid breathing, raspy breath, or heavy coughing can be life threatening for a horse.
Painful eye: Call the vet if one or both of your horse's eyes suddenly becomes teary, the horse holds the lids partially or completely closed, the white part of the eye is red, or the surface of the eye is cloudy.
Refusal to eat: When a horse won't eat, you're often seeing a sign of serious illness or possibly mild colic.
Severe pain: A veterinarian should immediately examine any horse that appears to have severe pain in any part of his body.
Straining: If your horse is straining to defecate or urinate and nothing or very little passes out, an intestinal or urethral blockage is likely.
Swelling: Any part of the body is swollen and hot to the touch.
Essential First Aid Kit
By Jayne Pedigo
The Boy Scouts have a motto that I am sure you are all familiar with "Be Prepared." This motto stands very well in many aspects of life and never more so than around horses. With this in mind having a well thought-out First Aid Kit will ensure that you have essential items close at hand, without having to dig around to find what you need.
The kit should be kept in an airtight container that will keep out dirt and moisture. The plastic airtight food containers that are available in a variety of sizes work well and will not rust when subjected to damp air. Plastic zipper bags are invaluable for keeping small items clean and in one place.
First Aid Supplies
Here is a list of basic first aid supplies that will be useful in most cases of injury.
Disinfectant:
For cleaning wounds. Always dilute with clean water, according to manufacturer's instructions.nn Apply to wound using cotton wool, always wiping from the center of the wound out towards the surrounding skin.
Antiseptic Swabs and Scrubs:
These enable to wound to be cleaned even without access to a water supply.
Wound Powder/Ointment:
To prevent new infection from entering the wound. Ointments have some water resistance but are less easily absorbed than creams. Powders avoid the need to touch a wound, but are only absorbed by broken skin. Following cleaning, no preparation should be used on a wound that has yet to be seen by your veterinarian.
Antibiotic Aerosol:
For treatment of wounds to prevent infection without damaging tissue. Often colored (eg: blue or violet) to help with targetting. Take care to spray gently from the recommended distance.
Fly Repellent:
To keep flies away from healing wounds.
Wound Dressings:
To cover wounds without sticking to them and to promote healing. Come pre-packed for sterility.
Bandages:
You need to keep a supply, but two would be a bare minimum. They should be 3 to 4 inches wide and stretchy--Vetrap is excellent for this as it sticks to itself and not to the horse. If you choose to use ordinary crepe bandages, they can be washed and re-used. Any bandage should be applied over either "gamgee"--see below for the definition of this English term, cotton wool wrapped around the leg, or a padded leg wrap, carefully applied to prevent pressure points. Avoid open-weave or felt bandages with no "give" in them.
Elastoplast/Bandaids/Insulating tape or safety pins:
For fastening bandages.
Gamgee/Field Wrap:
Cotton wool sandwiched between two layers of gauze. Comes in rolls. Cut to shape for padding beneath bandages; also can be used as a pressure pad to stop bleeding. You can get this from your vet, or from an equine supply store. Padded leg wraps may be used, as long as they are well-fitting and do not bunch under the bandage and cause pressure points.
Cotton wool:
Include several large rolls. Useful for cleaning wounds if no swabs are available, mopping up and dabbing on powders. Not suitable for applying dry directly to wounds or for use as padding underneath bandages as it will stick to the wound. Take care to keep clean.
Epsom Salts:
For soaking abcessed feet.
Scissors:
Must have rounded ends and should be kept sharp.
Tweezers/forceps:
To remove splinters etc.
Thermometer:
Modern digital thermometers are easiest to read. Attach a string with a clip and make sure you don't lose the thermometer by attaching it to the horse's tail.
Vaseline/petroleum jelly:
To help insert the thermometer. Also protects soft tissues from soreness and chafing.
Some Things to Remember
Remember that a first aid kit is only useful in an emergency if it is right where you need it. You might want to put together more than one kit--one for the barn, one for the trailer and a small kit containing non-stick gauze and a crepe bandage, to take with you on the trails.
Write down your veterinarian's phone number on all first aid kits.
First aid kits are intended only for immediate, emergency action or for dealing with small cuts and scrapes, not for dealing with major injuries or illnesses. When in doubt, call your veterinarian.
We are lucky in Pomona because we have 2 great equine vets. I would recommend either of these vets.
Ben Poole of Cooroora Vet Clinic, Cooroy, lives just outside Pomona & has a wealth of knowledge in equine science & a very well equipped surgery for horses. His contact number is 5447 6733.
Stuart Bryce of Hinterland Equine Veterinary Services lives in Pomona & he also has a wealth of knowledge in equine science & a very well equipped surgery for horses. His contact number is 0419 799 611.