Principles of early wound management.

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Principles of Early Wound Management Horses' behavioural traits, management practices, and use make them inherently susceptible to soft tissue injuries, placing wound management among the most common challenges equine practitioners face in clinical practice. Trotter's foundational review examines the biological principles underpinning wound healing and the practical strategies available to practitioners for favourably influencing repair outcomes. The paper emphasises that successful early management prioritises achieving functional recovery and cosmetic healing whilst minimising healing time and treatment costs—though these objectives must be balanced pragmatically depending on individual case circumstances. Understanding the physiological stages of wound healing and how interventions can be timed and modified accordingly enables practitioners to move beyond reactive treatment towards evidence-informed decision-making that meaningfully improves patient outcomes. For farriers, veterinarians, physiotherapists and other equine professionals involved in wound care, this systematic consideration of healing principles provides the clinical framework necessary to optimise tissue repair and return to soundness across the diverse injury presentations encountered in equine practice.

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Key Findings

• •Horses are prone to a variety of injuries due to their unique personality, environmental surroundings, and use patterns
• •Effective wound treatment requires knowledge of wound healing physiology and manipulation of healing processes
• •Optimal treatment outcomes include full functional recovery, cosmetic healing, short recovery period, and minimal cost to owner

Conditions Studied