How to Remove Skin Staples From a Cut on a Horse

Horses are accident-prone creatures, and their veterinary care can be enormously expensive, especially for accidents that occur after office hours. Removing skin staples from cuts yourself is an easy way to save some money. You will need to borrow or buy a skin staple remover from your veterinarian. Skin staples are generally used in easy-to-reach places, so removing them is an easy process. However, if your horse is hard to handle or will not stand still, for his safety and your safety you should have your veterinarian remove the staples.

Things You'll Need

  • Sturdy halter that fits your horse
  • Lead rope
  • Skin staple remover
  • Mosquito hemostat or needle-nosed pliers
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Instructions

    • 1

      Put the halter with lead rope on your horse.

    • 2

      Remove any bandaging material from the cut, and wash off any topical medications.

    • 3

      Place the horse in an enclosed area. Face the side of the horse that does not have staples against a wall or other solid object. If you can, place the hindquarters of your horse in a corner with the body along a wall. A stall or corner of an arena works well.

    • 4

      Grasp the staple with the skin staple remover. Gently lift the skin staple remover. The staple should come out of the skin easily. If the staple doesn't release from the skin, use needle-nosed pliers or a mosquito hemostat to gently remove the staple completely.