Page 97 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

The above procedures are very important and are worth considering in more detail.

VetBooks.ir MOVING THE HORSE

If the horse can be moved safely, it should be taken away from ditches, water, wire, fences
and traffic. If the horse cannot be moved, then drivers, pedestrians and other riders should be

warned that there is an accident ahead. When a traffic accident occurs, the police should be
notified.

THE CONTROL OF BLEEDING

Any wound which is bleeding profusely looks very alarming (Figure 3.5), but do not panic.

First, assess the flow of blood. A cut vein results in a constant, steady flow of blood. A cut
artery emits a pulsed jet of blood in time with the heartbeat. Significant blood loss is only

likely to occur if haemorrhage from a large vein or artery is left uncontrolled. The average
Thoroughbred horse has more than 50 litres (88 pt) of blood, so a relatively large volume has

to be lost for it to be critical.