I am at my witts end... I need some new ideas. We have a 5 year old gelding who went through a cattle guard a few weeks ago. Long story short, he is wrapped from elbows to hooves on both fronts and hock down on both hinds. This will be a several month healing process and he already has me pulling my hair out. He started ripping the front leg bandages off a few days ago. It was every once in awhile but now he will do it within minutes of putting him back in his stall. I currently have a grazing muzzle on him during the day and night and during feeding I tie him up and let him eat. Even then he sometimes manages to get at his bandages. I have tried No Chew and several different types of medications that have pain/itch relief in them. They are wrapped very well with elasticon wrapped around them plus a standing wrap/polo. It doesn't matter... he can get it off. My issue is I don't always have 1-2 hours each feeding to tie him up and hang out while he eats and we often are gone for a night or two and I can't expect anyone else we hire to go that above and beyond. I have seen the "horse neck cradles" and I am wondering if it would work. It looks a litte sketchy but I am willing to try anything at this point. It is going to be a long and expensive few months of wraps.

Alot of times when the wrap/bandage is too tight or sometimes the bandage will tighten up with time then horses will try to get them off. When I had to keep my gelding's knee wrap with the elasticon I had to be very careful as not to get it tight. 

I tried a cradle once but the mare was 14.1 as a 3yo and tinyyyyy so it didn't work. If she was "regular" size, I think it could have worked. We eventually came up with something she couldn't get off (it was on her forearm so very hard to bandage/keep clean) and she also eventually gave up. I ended up giving her a 30 day sedative and that also helped the boredom as I think half of her issue was boredom and not used to being stalled 24/7. The drugs only came out after she came out of her stall on two legs with a lip chain in (yes, she may be small but she be mighty!)

Definitely not too tight. If anything they sometimes are too loose - the elasticon doesn't really stick after awhile because it is pretty warm here. I do change it daily as well and cold hose it/hand walk him. He is amazingly sound, just has some ugly battle scars. Poor guy.

He is a normal sized horse. The biggest and worst wound is on his forearm and that is definitely the one he goes after. I am able to hand walk him daily and he seems quiet and laid back in his stall. I was really thinking it must itch pretty good but as soon as the muzzle goes on him or whenever I am around him he doesn't even attempt to grab at it so it might be a habit now. I feel awful muzzling him, although he doesn't even seem to notice lol. But I have no solution if I have to be gone for a feeding.

Have you tried the Rap Last spray or paint?  That stuff is my go to when I am wrapping babies for the first time, it burns like a SOB if you get it in your mouth or eyes, the other products I have tried just don't seem to work at all.

If that doesn't work, I would for sure use a cradle.  Just make sure it's fairly snug because it will get looser when he drops his head.

I have not tried this spray. I will definitely order it and give it a try! Thank you

I'm a HUGE fan of Underwoods..  you spray it on add baking powder on it and leave it alone.. it creates a crust and heals from the inside out.. 

I've have HOLES , Deep Cuts and used this stuff and it has left little to no scars.. plus its easy to apply.   You just keep adding to it daily you don't wash it off. it will flake off

it's amazing.

https://www.underwoodhorsemedicine.com/

I have a plastic “bib” that has three straps that attach to the halter. It works well. My neighbor had a baby get cut on his leg badly so I lent him the bib. It was too big. I had some WONDER DUST that the bottle had become brittle and cracked. I gave the neighbor that and he took the bandages off. Applied WONDER DUST and the baby left the wound alone. 

I have used this on my Shoo Fly leg boots when they want to pull them off.  This stuff is stout!  It worked really well! 

I am also a fan of the Rap Last Spray and of Underwood's Horse Medicine. My mare will take ANYTHING off you try to leave on her legs, even the pull on rubber bell boots! Rap Last is the best deterrent that I have found but even with that I have to saturate the wrap a minimum of 2x per day - she is relentless. If you can get away with not wraping and just using the Underwood's, do it.

I just started with Underwoods yesterday. Although, it did say use baking soda on top of the spray? I didn't do that. I am tempted to stop wrapping the one wound he continues to eat at. The others he seems to leave alone. But there have been a few times he has ate at the wound and caused it to irritate and bleed and I don't want that either. I drenched his wraps in cayenne pepper just now to see if that helps while I wait on the Rap Last to arrive. The wound looks good but we are trying to minimize scarring so I hate to unwrap it. I will attach a photo of the wound yesterday and the day it happened (July 14th).

I would contiue using underwood's only.  spray the underwoods sprinkle ( or place baking POWDER in the palm of your hand and genlty place it on the wound) then spray underwoods on it again.

No wrapping is involved at all.  it will start to shrink in no time and heal..  TRUST me...  

at  track  we made of mix tide powder and red  caynee powder   and they will not like the hot

It might not be an option due to the location, but I've seen people put pantyhose over wraps to keep the horses from pulling off standing wraps.

Good Lord, bless his heart

Thank you. I think I am going to go that route with that wound. Here is a couple photos of more of his front legs... it does not show the larg wounds on the back of both of his knees but it shows the amout of damage and scarring we are dealing with. These were also taken 2 days ago.

The baking powder is an essential part of the treatment with Underwoods. I put it in a squeeze bottle (like a ketchup or mustard squeeze bottle from the dollar store) and puff it on the wound. 

I just went and bought some. I am going to start this today on that big wound and stop wrapping and see how it goes! 

I suggest Underwoods too! I knew a horse that fell out of a trailer going 65 MPH.. literally had holes on her knees, hocks and stifles covered in proud flesh.  Owner was spending thousands of dollars each week on bandages..

She found underwoods and it saved her a ton of money, her mare healed up great, even the vets were amazed st her healing progress. I have used it myself but I've never had anything *knock on wood* to that extent to use it for.  But the stuff is amazing.

Havent read through all of these but a few things to try...

Definitely get a neck cradle, this will help. Also, mix cayenne pepper with vaseline and smother it ALL over the surface of the bandage. Obviously not touching skin. This really does deter them well. If I have one that is especially bad about chewing them, I put a layer of duct tape sheet over the front of the bandage (not encircling the leg) then the spicy vaseline on top. I don't love having to do this because the duct tape traps heat within the bandage a little more, but for those really bad ones that keep chewing them off it works well. 

Horses have a very unique protective cell growth called granulated flesh and once it grows above skin level it is known as proud flesh and will turn into a gristle if you don't use something like caustic powder (wonder dust) and hydro therapy to control it before it becomes proud flesh.  A pink watery fluid is normal when water spraying.. this also increases the blood flow for faster healing. 

Granulated flesh is Mother Nature's method of protecting from getting trash in a wound or surrounding a thorn or debris to help limit infections.  The wounds should not be wrapped due to creating a warm moist dirty bacteria ridden infection.  Air and sunshine are the best sterilizers in the world .. 

By wrapping you are hindering the healing process.  To stop him from chewing on his UNWRAPPED wounds .. smear some ichthammol drawing salve close to the wound areas and the smell or taste will stop his chewing.   His pulling bandages off is a game and/or itching .. 

IMO >>>> VETERICYN is a miracle healer .. spray directly on wounds 2-3 times a day or as often as you want to ...  NO WRAPS .. you can use hydro therapy as a plus ..  pat excess water off and spray on Vetericyn ..  you will be amazed at the fast healing time with no fear of creating a worse situation with wounds wrapped.  

Due to your description of multiple wounds .. buy you 4 bottles to be used in the first month and watch the healing magic happen.  Oh.. yes.. no itching, stinging or messy grease  or changing wraps ..  you ain't gonna believe it until you see the affects it has ... tun horse out and let the air and sun help the healing process   https://www.amazon.com/Vetericyn-Plus-Animal-Wound-Spray/dp/B002YHL844/ref=pd_sim_199_1/145-9629185-2372654?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00425DZTM&pd_rd_r=0f1f2768-e7b2-4177-bcbe-0e94bb06b5d8&pd_rd_w=FQ31l&pd_rd_wg=DsKH7&pf_rd_p=90485860-83e9-4fd9-b838-b28a9b7fda30&pf_rd_r=9RTNPS22W3VG70NFFZK6&refRID=9RTNPS22W3VG70NFFZK6&th=1 

Just thought I would update those who recommended things I have been using Underwoods several times a day. I stopped wrapping about 6 days ago succesfully without him swelling/stocking up so I haven't wrapped since. Super happy with his progress! Cannot believe how fast he is healing. Thanks everyone for your input =)

Looks alot better, I think after a certain time of wraping its good to leave the bandage off to let the air help with the healing.. You're doing a good job .  I had a gelding go threw a fence and riped up his knee and severed his extensor tendon, what a horrible mess after months and months of wraping with splint I got to finally leave the bandages off for awhile and man the healing speeded up when the air could hit it. 

Wahhooo.... Looks great.... Another great Underwood's story...  I hope he contiues to heal.  So happy for you..

I second using the squeeze bottle to "puff on" the baking powder over the Underwoods.  These wounds do look like the perfect candidates for Underwoods.  Best of luck getting him healed up!

Edit:  I just saw your updated pictures...  Great job!  He's looking fantastic!!!

I like the underwoods but I do use the baking powder. It works best unwrapped and done several times a day. However, in my experience it's not the best on injuries below the knee. I had a horse kick through a fence.  I've been using iodine wound spray and sugar and that has been awesome for keeping the swelling down( because its osmotic) and promoting vascularization. Sugar is great too because it does not allow bacteria to grow (that's why sugar never goes bad) and its granulated so it works as a bit of an exfoliant in the wound. Honey works well too but it's quite a bit more expensive.  I've done daily dressing changes with her. My system is diapers with the elastics removed and duct taped together. Then cotton batting. Brown gauze, ace wrap  with velcro on both ends then vet wrap. Benefits of the ace wrap is it's cheap, you can get good firm pressure without getting too tight. Its washable and reusable. And best part! The vet wrap unwraps right back off of it. I was dreading cutting the bandages off everday but using the ace and the vet wrap that's not needed. My horse did some chewing on it but it held up pretty good and I just toss the ace wraps when they are junk. I got 50 rolls for $35. I think they are medline ace wraps. I got them from a website I found on amazon.

The same horse as my previous post when she was a weanling.  We used underwoods and baking powder only. The last pic was Aug 22. This was 2017. Yes, shes accident prone....

You can say that again!!!   Poor girl 

Would love to see Updated Pictures...  Little_bug  Hope your horse is healing well... 

I have also used Lime Dust on wounds like that.  Had a mare that ripped her shoulder open and had the hide peeling off as the stitches did not hold.  Started putting lime dust on it and it healed and the only scar she had was under her breast collor.

Ditto to all of that!

I actually just snapped this photo yesterday to show a friend. Not the best photo but the results are better than I ever expected. He is sound and back to being worked!

Awesome... looks great... I'm glad everything worked out for you and him..