Horse First Aid Kit Essentials

“Plan for the best but prepare for the worst” may be an old adage, but it’s also great advice — especially as horses can be accident-prone. Accidents and injuries happen, and you don’t want to experience one that you’re unprepared for. You can buy a premade first aid kit for your horse, but it’s easy enough to create one of your own. Here’s all you need to know to create your own horse first aid kit, including what to put in it, where to keep it, and how to know when you need to consult a vet. 

Why You Need a First Aid Kit for Your Horse

When your horse gets injured, the last thing you want to do is rummage through a closet full of horse tack and supplies trying to find what you need. Or, even worse, to learn you don’t have a necessary item and have to leave your horse to run to the store. A well-stocked first aid kit can help you care for your horse with anything from bandaging a minor injury like a scrape to stabilizing a serious wound while you wait for a vet to arrive. Time is essential in an emergency, and you don’t want to waste it hunting around for bandages, wraps, or other supplies you need. You never know when an emergency might occur.

Where To Store Your Horse First Aid Kit

Store your horse first aid kit in your barn to keep it at easy reach for when you might need it. But remember, when you go to shows, you’ll need to grab it and put it in your horse trailer. You can add this to your horse show checklist to make sure you remember to bring it. Or, even better, create a second kit to keep in your trailer so you never forget. It’s vital to have your horse’s first aid kit on hand with easy access to it at any time. 

One thing to keep in mind when you choose where you store your first aid kid is that extreme temperatures can have a negative effect on some of the supplies. You may need to move your kit, or possibly just those supplies that can be impacted by weather, during certain times to keep the contents from overheating or freezing.

What Containers To Use for Your First Aid Kit

You have a lot of options for containers you can use to hold the supplies in your equine first aid kit. The kit must be portable, and it’s a good idea to get something with dividers and compartments to store smaller items for easy retrieval. 

You can use something as simple as a tight-sealing plastic container. However, something like a large fishing tackle box, a toolbox, or even a grooming tote might be a better idea, as these often have lots of compartments. Make sure whatever you choose is clean, waterproof, and airtight to ensure everything is sterile and ready to use when you need it.

What To Stock In Your Horse First Aid Kit

You could include many things in your first aid kit, and one of the challenges is to make sure it only has what you’ll truly need. It can be tough to find what you need in a hurry if you store too much in it. If you have any extras or replacements, you’re best off storing them separately but in easy reach of where you keep your first aid kit. Here’s a handy horse first aid kit checklist:

Wound and Injury Treatment

• Gauze rolls and non-stick sterile gauze squares (4”x4”)
• Self-sticking bandages like Vetrap or Elastikon
• Ace wraps in multiple sizes from 2” to 6”
• Sanitary napkins or diapers
• Sports medicine tape like Equi-Tape 
• Pillow wraps and standing bandages for padding an injury
• Pre-moistened alcohol swabs  and peroxide
• Cleaning solution like Chlorhexidine, Betadine, or Vetericyn
• Sterile water
• Sterile sheet cotton or gamgee
• Wound treatment like Corona cream, Fura-Zone, or Wonder Dust
• Epsom salt
• Ice wraps
• Alu Shield
• Swat fly ointment and fly spray
• Jelly lubricant like Vaseline

Equipment

• First aid book
• Syringes in several sizes from 5ml to 60ml
• Towels in several sizes
• Bandage scissors
• Thermometer and Vaseline (be sure to add string and a clothespin to the thermometer.)
• Head lamp and/or flashlight
• Stethoscope
• Pill crusher
• Box of nitrile gloves
• Emergency halter and lead rope
• Duct tape 
• Tweezers or hemostats
• Horse treats
• Cold pack or ice wrap
• Clean bucket (kept nearby)
• Sharp pocket knife and wire cutters (if needed)
• Twitch (to restrain your horse if needed)

Medication and Supplements

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers (NSAID) like phenylbutazone (often  called “bute paste”). You’ll want to get the correct dosage from your vet.
• Electrolyte paste to treat dehydration
• Sedative like Dormosedan gel (the dosage is on the container, but wear gloves when handling)
• Triple-antibiotic eye ointment 
• Gastric ulcer preventive like Ulcergard

In addition to these medical supplies and tools that can be used for medical issues, it’s also a good idea to have a copy of your horse’s medical record, including your vet’s phone number.  Keep it on a clipboard in your first aid kit to make sure you can reach it easily in an emergency. It will be a helpful reminder for you and for your vet if he needs to come.

When You Need To Contact a Vet

Once you have your equine first aid kit, you’re prepared to help your horse to the best of your ability. At times, you may be able to handle the situation on your own, but other times you may need to call your vet for help. Here are some of the reasons to call your vet immediately:

• Respiratory distress
• Persistent bleed or serious injury with deep wounds
• Suspected bone fracture or damage to the eyes
• Acute abdominal pain or colic
• Non-weight-bearing lameness, inability to stand, or inability or abnormal reluctance to move
• A mare foaling that is straining for more than 30 minutes
• Severe diarrhea
• Prolonged high temperature with anxiety, restlessness, loss of appetite, and abnormal sweating, or a fever of unknown origin.

Normal Vitals Signs for a Horse

Adult

• Temperature | 99-101°F (37.2-38.3°C) 
• Pulse | 28-44 beats per minute 
• Respiration | 10-24 breaths per minute 
• Mucous membranes | Moist, healthy pink color

Newborn

• Temp  99.5-102.1°F (37.5-38.9°C)
• Pulse
• 80-100 BPM
• Resp 20-40 BMP
• Mucous Membranes | Moist, healthy pink color

How to Check Your Horse’s Vital Signs 

• Temp taken rectally 
• Resp - count breaths for 15 seconds multiply times 4 for breaths per minute. 
• Pulse count pulse for 15 seconds multiplied by 4 for BPM
• Skin pinch for hydration check,  pinch skin on neck and let go, it should quickly snap back to the muscle, if the skin stands up off the muscle without snapping back, or is slow to recover your horse may be dehydrated. 

Colic symptoms: 

• Absence or lack of fecal material. 
• Absence of gut sounds
• Lack of water consumption 
• Increased Pulse and / or Respiration
• Behavior unusual for the animal-like stall walking, repeated rolling
• Flank watching ( horse will stare at or bite it's abdomen while standing or laying down)

Pro tip: The equine eye is very sensitive to trauma and disease. Any time you observe your horse with discharge or discomfort of the eye your veterinarian should be called in for an evaluation. Often when treated promptly, eye issues recover quickly, but if neglected can lead to surgical removal of the eye.  

If you’re not sure, make the call, and the vet will tell you if he doesn’t need to come. Most vets would prefer that you do so just in case. 

Keep a Handy and Well-Stocked Horse First Aid Kit

Keeping a handy and well-stocked horse first aid kit is the best way to ensure you have what you need when your horse needs medical care. Make sure you periodically check your supplies to ensure they are in good working condition and are current. And also make sure that you know when to call the vet, so you can always give your horse the care he needs.

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