An odd question

[Carmin Rollenhagen]

My horse has a leg injury that I've been treating for a couple weeks now. It is healing up but will be a while yet before it's fully healed. In talking with a friend about the injury, she told me this-when she was young, they had a horse that got tangled in barbed wire and had extensive lacerations across its chest and legs. The owner of the horse used A1 steak sauce as an ointment of sorts to heal it. She was baffled but said the horse healed up beautifully.
So in my growing up times, and still, I like to know multi uses for items on hand. I wasnt able to find anything at all about A1 and wounds. I asked my folks and my mom said she had heard of someone a few years back doing the same thing. Does anybody have any input on theory behind this or ever heard about it before? I'm quite curious. Trying to reason it out, tomatoes and raisins could be used as poultice, and some spices and herbs are good to promote healing as well? I know that's stretching it and I'm not seeking medical advice. I'm well aware that some old remedies are folklore while others are good to use. Thanks

 

[Latestarter]

I don't know anything about that, or horses for that matter, but you could always give it a try and see what happens... Worst case, you just wash it off... @Mini Horses @Bunnylady @Ferguson K @Baymule @AClark Any other horsey type folks out there? I know there are quite a few others here.

 

[AClark]

I would think A1 would burn on a wound, it's pretty acidic. With that in mind, that may be why it might be useful, the acid in it probably keeps things pretty clean.
The best stuff I've found for wounds is Wonder Dust by Farnam. Especially if it's on the legs, because you have the risk of proud flesh on less meaty areas. Don't use it on your own nasty cuts because it will leave a gray line after it heals, and that's permanent...ask me how I know, lol.
Wonder dust can also be used as a styptic powder in a pinch, if you get a bad bleeder it will usually stop it. You know what also works to stop bleeding? Dirt. Literally "rub some dirt on it" does stop bleeding.

Basic things I keep around, Wonder Dust, Corona, drawing salve (the black tar looking stuff), needle and cat gut for sewing things up (oddly enough horses are pretty good about letting you stitch them up) and basic farrier equipment so you have the ability to pull a shoe or trim a broken spot if need be. Good pharmaceuticals to keep around are Banamine, Acepromazine, Bute, and Penicillin.

Corona is good for injuries in the coronet band, if you keep them soft after they've healed they tend to come out better.

 

[Mini Horses]

Wonder Dust good, Vetricyn has a good spray also.

Some leg wounds do better just regularly washed and left open. I had a stallion who got hung in a fence (DO NOT use field fence lesson) and cut a rear leg badly. Vet trip, xrays, ultra sounds, determined blood flow good, no bones broken....wow...and we left it open. The two cuts -- one above & one below hock -- soon became one about 8" long. I used an herbal spray that kept it free of infection during the months it took to heal. But, once healed, you could not tell where it had been!! Even hair wasn't off colored on it, a lot to be said for a black horse. OK, now I don't remember the name of product but, will look and tell you what it was if I can find it. Been 10 yrs now.

Good washing. Keep flies out/off (this spray did that) . I would not use A1 but have used Listerine & honey with good antifungal & antibacterial action. As to stinging, sometime the tissue has some dead nerve endings at the site & less discomfort than thought, so watch reaction of the horse for that. Proceed with caution. Also, stitching is partly dependent on the location and depth of wound. They must drain & some areas the stitching may pull & create more damage.

 

[Baymule]

Never heard of using A1 for anything but steak. Now I'm hungry....

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Just a chime in, but I agree with @Mini Horses on Vetericyn spray. It's helped a lot with our animals- we had a chicken once that was a rescue and when we adopted her, she had been attacked by a dog. They didn't think she would make it, but that Vetericyn spray worked miracles healing her skin up.