How do you know if your horse’s leg wound needs stitches (or staples)? Sometimes cleaning and bandaging a gash or wound on a horse’s leg is enough to stop the flow of blood. Other times, stitches are necessary to assist in healing.

Even for experienced horse managers, there are times when it’s hard to know whether or not a wound needs veterinary care.

There are many reasons to close a wound with stitches (sutures). First, this procedure prevents contamination from entering into deeper tissues. Second, it facilitates speed of healing and minimizes the scar.

Today some veterinarians use staples as well as—or in place of—stitches. This is similar to human medicine.

Why Stitches?

When you find a laceration on your horse’s leg, how do you ascertain if he needs stitches?

When looking at the wound, if you can see tissues deep beneath the skin, then that wound could probably use stitches.

A wound with edges that are readily pulled together is a good candidate for suturing. Veterinarians usually don’t suture a puncture wound because it needs to drain. This is a decision for the veterinarian.

A wound might have edges that are difficult to pull together or might be located in highly moveable areas of skin such as over a joint. Your veterinarian will need to decide whether those wounds should be sutured.

Why Not Stitches?

What wounds do not invite stitching? A wound that has been present for more than 12-24 hours might be less likely to be sutured successfully because of excessive contamination.

A deep puncture wound also should not be closed with stitches because it needs to drain.

Before the Vet Arrives

If a wound might need stitches, it is important to refrain from applying greasy, petroleum-based wound ointments or powders before your vet arrives. These materials are difficult to remove and interfere with healing of the stitched edges.

The best advice is to clean the wound as thoroughly as possible with an antiseptic scrub (chlorhexidine or tamed iodine). Rinse the wound with low-pressure water to avoid pushing contaminants deeper into the wound. You can cover it with a non-stick bandage to prevent further contamination until your vet can take over and handle the injury.

Final Words

What you think is a non-issue injury might in fact be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the depth of a wound.

If there is any doubt about how to manage a leg wound, particularly over a joint or tendon, it is always best to consult with your veterinarian.

Further Reading

  • Nancy S. Loving, DVM, was a performance horse horse veterinarian based in Colorado for most of her career. She has a special interest in helping horse owners understand technical veterinary topics and research.
    View all posts