British Horse Society (BHS), in partnership with the University of Nottingham, have today launched the BHS WoundWise hub, aimed at providing horse owners with the knowledge and confidence to understand how to assess, manage and respond to equine wounds.

Research from the University of Nottingham has helped shape the new resources, which have been developed to help raise awareness on how to assess, manage and respond to equine wounds with confidence. 

Available via the BHS website, the online resources include an interactive diagram enabling users to find detailed information on specific and high-risk areas of injury; a step-by-step guide for when owners discover a wound; bandaging videos and guidance on what should be in your first aid kit.

The research also highlighted that only 53% of owners said they knew when a wound required veterinary attention. In response, an interactive assessment tool has been developed to help horse owners assess wounds and understand when it’s important to seek veterinary support.

Emmeline Hannelly, Horse Care & Welfare Education Manager at BHS, commented: “We’re delighted to be able to launch our WoundWise hub which we hope will provide horse owners with clear guidance, top-tips and practical resources to give them the confidence to take the appropriate steps to ensure prompt assessment and treatment of wounds."

“The resources have been developed to support findings from the University of Nottingham’s research, which highlighted the importance of effective wound care. We know that wounds are a common problem, and whilst we would always recommend contacting a veterinary professional if an owner is unsure, the guides have been produced following direct feedback from horse owners to aide them in deciding when veterinary intervention may be needed and hopefully help reduce the development of more serious problems in the future.”

Professor of Veterinary Surgery at the University of Nottingham Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Sarah Freeman, added; "We are delighted to have collaborated with the BHS on this campaign - the campaign is underpinned by five years of research evidence, where we have looked at the types of wounds seen in the horse population and worked with horse owners and veterinary teams to understand what information would be most helpful and how they want this delivered."

"We are very grateful to the primary researchers Richard Birnie, Hannah Cunningham and Anna Heritage, and all the horse owners and carers and veterinary teams who have contributed to this work."

To find out more, visit the BHS WoundWise hub at bhs.org.uk.

Professor Sarah Freeman and Anna Heritage from the University of Nottingham will also be delivering a webinar, ‘Confidently WoundWise’ on 24 September at 7pm, for more information visit the BHS website.