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description: COMING SOON!
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# Injuries

Horses on EquinoxMC can suffer injuries from overexertion, accidents, poor equipment, or environmental hazards. Injuries range from minor soreness to life-threatening trauma and often affect the horse’s mobility or rideability. Timely intervention and appropriate care are essential for healing, and in some cases, euthanasia may be the only humane option.

### 🩹**Muscle Soreness**

Mild soft tissue damage from overwork, poor tack fit, or trauma. Presents as stiffness or lameness and heals with rest.

* **Deadly:** No
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Muscle soreness, stiffness, caused by overworking or poor tack fit
* **Treatment:** Rest from work until movement is pain-free
* **Cure Time:** Few days

### 🩹**Bone Bruises**

Internal bleeding within the bone, typically from blunt trauma. Healing takes several weeks of stall rest and anti-inflammatories.

* **Deadly:** No
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Lameness, reluctance to move, pain
* **Treatment:** Rest and anti-inflammatory medication
* **Cure Time:** \~12 weeks

### 🩹**Fractures**

Broken bones ranging from hairline cracks to full breaks. Depending on severity, horses may recover with surgery—or require euthanasia.

* **Deadly:** Yes, if untreated
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Lameness, clumsiness, tripping, reluctance to move
* **Treatment:** Surgery, casting, and long rest
* **Cure Time:** 4–6 weeks

### 🩹**Punctures**

Wounds from sharp objects that risk infection. Require immediate cleaning, bandaging, and antibiotics.

* **Deadly:** Yes, if infected
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Lameness, licking wound, bleeding, redness, scabbing
* **Treatment:** Clean, wrap, apply Neosporin/Polysporin
* **Cure Time:** \~2 weeks

### 🩹**Corneal Ulcer**

Scratches on the eye’s surface. Horses show blinking, tearing, and sensitivity. Usually treated with eye drops and rest from sunlight.

* **Deadly:** No
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Eye drainage, swelling, visible white dot
* **Treatment:** Medicated eye drops, protect from light
* **Cure Time:** 2–5 weeks

### 🩹**Torn Ligaments**

Severe strain or rupture of connective tissue. Symptoms include swelling and heat. Treated with ice, rest, and pain management.

* **Deadly:** Yes
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Swelling, warmth, pain, possible lameness
* **Treatment:** Cold therapy and pain relief
* **Cure Time:** 2–5 weeks

### 🩹**Abscess**

Localized infection under the skin or in the hoof. Causes pain and swelling, and usually bursts or is drained by a vet.

* **Deadly:** No
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Swelling, pain, warmth in hoof, severe lameness
* **Treatment:** Drain, clean, bandage, and pain relief
* **Cure Time:** 2–7 weeks

### 🩹**Stifle Injuries**

Damage to the stifle joint, similar to a human knee injury. May cause limping and weakness in the hind legs. Recovery varies based on severity.

* **Deadly:** No
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Limping, soreness
* **Treatment:** Rest, NSAIDs, joint injections if needed
* **Cure Time:** 2–9 weeks

### 🩹**Crushed Leg**

Traumatic injury usually requiring euthanasia. Severe swelling, pain, and immobility are common signs.

* **Deadly:** Yes
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Intense pain, swelling, inability to move leg
* **Treatment:** Often euthanasia
* **Cure Time:** 2–15 weeks if treated

### 🩹**Concussion**

Head trauma resulting in disorientation, imbalance, or abnormal behaviour. Requires careful monitoring. Often lifelong effects.

* **Deadly:** Yes
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Altered behaviour, loss of vision or balance
* **Treatment:** Pain relief, supportive care
* **Cure Time:** Chronic

### 🩹**Thrush**

Foul-smelling bacterial infection of the frog (hoof underside), linked to poor hoof hygiene. Treated by cleaning and medicating the hoof.

* **Deadly:** No
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Foul odor, discharge, sensitivity
* **Treatment:** Hoof cleaning, Metronidazole, daily bandaging
* **Cure Time:** 1–2 weeks

### 🩹**White Line Disease**

Fungal or bacterial infection of the hoof wall. Weakens hoof structure and causes lameness. Treated by trimming and antiseptics.

* **Deadly:** No
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Powdery hoof wall, hollow sound
* **Treatment:** Farrier trimming, antiseptic treatment
* **Cure Time:** Weeks to months

### 🩹**Laminitis**

Inflammation of the inner hoof wall, causing excruciating pain and sometimes death. Horses exhibit the classic “sawhorse stance.”

* **Deadly:** Yes, if extreme
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Hoof heat, increased pulse, reluctance to move
* **Treatment:** Pain management, supportive care
* **Cure Time:** Weeks to months

### 🩹**Laceration**

Skin tears from sharp surfaces or fights. May need stitches or antibiotics to prevent infection.

* **Deadly:** No, can become infected
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Bleeding, soreness, inflammation
* **Treatment:** Stitches, antibiotics
* **Cure Time:** 12–24 hours

### 🩹**Aneurysm**

Sudden vessel rupture, often fatal. Horses may collapse without warning. Extremely rare.

* **Deadly:** Yes
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Sudden collapse, rapid weak pulse, cold extremities
* **Treatment:** Euthanasia
* **Cure Time:** None

### 🩹**Kissing Spine**

Vertebrae rub or overlap, causing pain and limited mobility. Often seen in performance horses. Managed by rehab or surgery.

* **Deadly:** Not likely
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Back pain, reluctance to work
* **Treatment:** Rehab, retirement, surgery
* **Cure Time:** Chronic

### 🩹**Stroke**

Neurological event caused by bleeding or clotting in the brain. Results in confusion, stumbling, or collapse. Often fatal.

* **Deadly:** Yes
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Crooked walking, confusion, loss of control
* **Treatment:** Euthanasia
* **Cure Time:** Terminal

### 🩹**Hoof Crack / Quarter Crack**

Splits in the hoof wall, typically vertical. Often caused by dry conditions or poor hoof balance. Treated by farriers and shoeing.

* **Deadly:** No
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Lameness, hoof crack
* **Treatment:** Corrective shoeing, antibiotics
* **Cure Time:** \~3 days

### 🩹 **Broken Leg**

Severe bone break, often requiring surgery. If treated early, horses can survive but will never be rideable again.

* **Deadly:** Yes, if untreated
* **Contagious:** No
* **Symptoms:** Lameness, inability to get up, weakness
* **Treatment:** Surgery, bandaging, pain management
* **Cure Time:** \~1 week

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