I found that some books (especially English) encourage the use of a blister to better heal deep inflammation, for example on the legs. Others strongly advise against this tradition. Does it have any benefits or is it a cruel and unnecessary custom?
Jérôme Transetti: Physical or chemical “fires” have their interest, but there must be a serious medical indication. They should not be used indiscriminately because they are relatively painful for the horse.
Their principle consists in irritating the diseased tissues in order to cause an influx of blood and thus to hasten healing.
Fires to help the horse heal: physical fires and liquid fires
The physical fires are applied under anesthesia (our photo: anesthesia of the tendons) and consist of burning the injured area with a soldering iron. They are used in extreme cases of tendonitis and their effectiveness is controversial.
Liquid fires, of which blisters are a part, are chemicals that will locally irritate the tissues to which they are applied. They have a softer action than physical fires and solve many problems.
However, they must be practiced by an experienced veterinarian because their use is delicate.
