Whenever your horse or pony suffers a wound, you should first check to see if it needs veterinary attention or not (you can read more about this in the 'Wounds that need Veterinary Attention' section. If the wound is only minor, such as a graze or injury from brushing, you may be able to care for it yourself using the information below. Remember that if in doubt, you should always contact a vet.
 

1. If the wound is very dirty, wash with a hose first. Hold the hose above the wound to allow water to trickle through and remove any dirt. You should not aim the hose directly at the wound as it may cause dirt to be pushed in.
   
2. Clip or trim with scissors, the hair surface rounding the wound so that hairs do not lie in it.
3. Wash the wound with clean water from a clean bucket, preferably using an appropriate antiseptic solution - chlorhexidine (Hibiscrub) or povidine iodine (Pevidine). Soak small wads of cotton wool in the water. Squeeze the water out as water dripping down the horse’s leg may frighten him. Pour some antiseptic solution on to the cotton wool and rub the wound. Repeat with multiple clean pieces of cotton wool, continuing for at least five minutes, or longer if the wound is not clean.
4. If possible, you might want to keep the horse stabled to restrict movement which will help the wound heal.
5. You may want to apply fly-repellent around (but not in) the wound
   

 Careful and thorough cleaning will help to prevent infection.

Do not apply wound ointments or powders as these may make dirt stick and attract infection. Superficial small cuts will heal quickly if the wound edges are close together. If possible, apply a non-stick dressing and then bandage the wound.

If the wound is dirty, wash it with a hose before clipping or trimming the hair. Never aim the hose directly at the wound but aim it above and allow the water to trickle down. Always use clean water. Careful and thorough cleaning will help to prevent infection. If you use fly-spray, only put this around the wound, not in it.