New Arabian = In Need of Supplies

[CL_Moonriver]

@Pop_676

In my grooming bucket, I currently have…

I’d say you already have more than you need.

@Pop_676

Our barn farrier comes out every 6 weeks (is this normal?)

Horse’s hooves don’t grow at the same rates. Only your farrier can determine how often your horse’s hooves should be trimmed. I usually have mine done every 8 to 10 weeks in winter. More often in summer. Keep in mind that your horse’s hooves will tend to grow faster with amount of daylight as the days get longer. And their growth will slow down as the days get shorter.

@Pop_676

How much do you typically spend getting horses hoofs done? (most horses at our barn have front 2 feet, or 4 feet with shoes)

$35 to $45 for trimming. Like a lot of other things, good farriers are hard to find, so if one farrier charges $35 and another charges $45, there might be a good reason. I also tip my farrier, so I usually end up spending a bit more. But again, I personally think it’s worth it to tip a good farrier. Again, good farriers are hard to find. So when you do find one, it pays to make sure they really like you and you can call at any time, and he / she will come out at the drop of a hat to look at a problem you aren’t sure of.

I can’t really comment on shoes because I don’t shoe any of my horses unless medically necessary. And so far, I haven’t had a horse that required shoeing.

Also, make sure you get a resume on your barn’s farrier. There are a lot of farriers out there who I wouldn’t let anywhere near my horse’s hooves. So make sure he / she went to a good school, etc. A trusted vet is a good place to get a recommendation for a good farrier. It also pays its weight in gold if your vet and your farrier have a good working relationship.

@Pop_676

What kind of insurance do you use with your horse?

Personally? I don’t have my horses insured right now. But this is a really controversial topic. The monetary value of my horse means nothing to me. Money won’t replace my horses anymore than it would be replace a lost family member, after all. As far as vet bills, there are so many things that equine insurance will not cover, that for now, I personally feel I’m better off saving the money I’d spend on insurance and then putting it towards paying for a major vet bill that insurance wouldn’t have covered anyway. If you do decide to insure, make you sure know exactly what they will and will not cover before you buy.

@Pop_676

What is your favorite fly spray? ( I won’t have to buy this until spring)

Again, I’ve tried dozens. I’ve yet to find one that actually works. So I can’t recommend any. If anyone else has found one that really works? I’m all ears and would love to hear the answer as much as you would.

Also, regarding wanting to buy everything for your horse? I know it’s tempting. But please keep in mind that owning a horse sometimes involves unanticipated expenses in the future, which can sometimes be expensive. Emergency farrier calls, emergency vet calls, etc. So you don’t want to end up in a situation where you spent all your money on “nice to have” things right off the bat, and don’t have the money you need to pay for an “emergency, I NEED this now” thing later. If, God forbid, you should ever have an emergency horse expense.

Hope that all helps!

[blob99]

re: bare minimum for tack:

Bridle, bit, reins (sometimes all three are sold separately)
Saddle
Girth
Saddle pad

Anything else is extra and horse specific. Some horses benefit from a half pad, others don’t. Some might like a martingale for training, others don’t need it.

You should talk to your trainer about what kind of bit he thinks will be best for your horse and also find out what kind of bit your horse was previously going on (if he was already going well in something gentle and legal, getting the same kind of bit might be the best option).

[Ghazzu]

@CL Moonriver

They used to say the same thing about OTC antibiotic hand soap. But recent guidelines say that most people should not use them because of that risk. So whether or not OTC antibacterials contribute to antibiotic resistance or not is an open question in my mind.

Do you know anyone who routinely slathers themselves in antibiotic ointments whenever they are unable to wash their hands?
Or do they simply apply a small amount of it to an open contaminated wound?

[CL_Moonriver]

@Ghazzu

Do you know anyone who routinely slathers themselves in antibiotic ointments whenever they are unable to wash their hands? Or do they simply apply a small amount of it to an open contaminated wound?

Where I live? I don’t know many people (including me) who do much of anything at all about superficial wounds. If I cut myself on a sharp piece of wire while repairing an electric fence? I generally just keep on working, even if my hands are filthy. I don’t run to the house, wash my hands, etc.

Of course, I always have an up to date tetanus shot. And your horse should have an up to date tetanus shot as well.

As long as we are on the topic …

Note to the OP: When it comes to tetanus, PLEASE make sure you know the difference between tetanus toxoid and tetanus antitoxin. Tetanus antitoxin should almost NEVER be given to a horse. As long as they are up to date on their tetanus vaccine, you can just give a tetanus toxoid booster if they sustain a serious cut. Don’t ever give tetanus antitoxin to a horse unless you absolutely have to.

[Ghazzu]

I’m not really concerned if you get a wound infection.

But I’d prefer that a small wound on one of the extremities of a horse not turn into cellulitis because it wasn’t cleaned and treated due to a nebulous fear of antibiotic resistance.

[CL_Moonriver]

Well here’s my question, then. And this is really an honest question cause I consider myself to be always learning.

What should I do for a superficial wound on a horse’s leg? As in, they scrape themselves on a fence post and I notice a minor injury that has some blood on it, but has already scabbed over, etc? Should I apply antibiotic cream to that wound? Or should I just leave it alone?

Again, this is an honest question. My personal feeling right now is that I probably should not apply antibiotics to that wound. But again, I’m always open to new information or admitting I am wrong.

@Ghazzu

But I’d prefer that a small wound on one of the extremities of a horse not turn into cellulitis because it wasn’t cleaned and treated due to a nebulous fear of antibiotic resistance.

[Ghazzu]

To quote one of my favorite clinical professors, “it depends”.

Things I’d take into consideration:
Signalment.
How minor?
What is the actual area (size) of the epithelial damage?
Where exactly is that wound located?
How deep?
If it’s over a joint, are you sure it isn’t a puncture?
Any possibility there’s a foreign body?
Any history with that particular animal and seemingly minor wounds blowing up?
What is the environment like?
What season is it?

I’m a big fan of the minimalist approach to wound management, but I want to know what I’m managing.

[CL_Moonriver]

All very good questions to ask.

I actually have a relevant situation right now that has me a bit stumped. I have a mare who seems to have a wound that has been occurring in the same area of her hock for about six months now. I’ve tried everything. I’ve used antibiotic creams. I’ve gotten it to close up and heal, and so on. It’s always a fairly superficial cut. But it keeps reappearing. I’ve walked the entire pasture and barn multiple times to see if I could find something she might be cutting herself on. I did find one thing about 2 months ago that seemed to be at the right height. I fixed it, and I thought the issue was solved. But in the last few days, she seems to have an open cut in the exact same area again. Vet says there is nothing wrong. Just a superficial wound because she cut herself on something.

So yeah, I’m pretty well stumped as to how she keeps cutting that same area open. But I am very convinced that OTC “wound healing creams” clearly are not working.

Again, it’s not a very deep cut. It’s pretty superficial., I can get it to heal up. But it always seems to come back. In the exact same spot.

@Ghazzu

I’m a big fan of the minimalist approach to wound management, but I want to know what I’m managing.

[Ghazzu]

My personal favorite topical is DermaGel.
Triple antibiotic is ok, and so is chlorhexidine cream, but the animal has to do most of the work of healing the wound.
A major reason I don’t like “overmanagement” of wounds is that many of the topicals and/or practices in common use do more damage to the regenerating epithelium than they do good.
(And then you get proud flesh and don’t even get me started on the nonsense surrounding that.)

Regarding a recurring wound–likely not the case for you, but a friend had a gelding that had an intermittent draining tract which turned out to be a small piece of embedded suture material from an old injury.

[Mara]

@CL Moonriver

All very good questions to ask.

I actually have a relevant situation right now that has me a bit stumped. I have a mare who seems to have a wound that has been occurring in the same area of her hock for about six months now. I’ve tried everything. I’ve used antibiotic creams. I’ve gotten it to close up and heal, and so on. It’s always a fairly superficial cut. But it keeps reappearing. I’ve walked the entire pasture and barn multiple times to see if I could find something she might be cutting herself on. I did find one thing about 2 months ago that seemed to be at the right height. I fixed it, and I thought the issue was solved. But in the last few days, she seems to have an open cut in the exact same area again. Vet says there is nothing wrong. Just a superficial wound because she cut herself on something.

So yeah, I’m pretty well stumped as to how she keeps cutting that same area open. But I am very convinced that OTC “wound healing creams” clearly are not working.

Again, it’s not a very deep cut. It’s pretty superficial., I can get it to heal up. But it always seems to come back. In the exact same spot.

Any chance she’s maybe dinging that hock with the opposite foot when she’s getting to her feet after a nap?

[Scribbler]

Hard to say without seeing wound and maybe taking a culture, but scrapes can turn into chronic ulcers if they get infected.

As a child and young adult living in temperate suburbs I was very casual about small wounds on myself. After living and traveling extensively in Asia and getting a few wierd infections starting to pop up from minor scrapes, and being older = equals slower healing, I have become more proactive on caring for small wounds and blisters on myself.

A horse on the range or in a very large pasture in dry weather can usually heal up scrapes before you even notice them.

A horse in a more contained area or a stall needs more care because they are in a much filthier environment.

A horse on the range will never lie down in manure or pee soaked ground. A horse in a stall or smaller paddock will have no choice, often.

We need to be proactive to.compensate for that.

Honestly I still love Gentian Violet spray like Blukote. It’s an effective anti fungal that coats and dries out small wounds and is excellent in our damp climate.

[Angela_Freda]

It’s not a hock sore? IOW an irritation from laying down or injured from the way they get up from laying down?

[luvmyhackney]

How deeply bedded is the stall? Could be a rub from laying down and getting back up if shavings aren’t deep enough. My favorite is the Blu Kote spray and/ or the silver spray for healing hock sores, plus deeper bedding. I don’t like anything oily or cream as they have a tendency to rub or melt off in the summer.