What Every Horse Owner Should Have in Your Equine Emergency First Aid Kit

Whether you board your horse or keep him at home, as a horse owner you need to be prepared to deal with potential injury or illness your horse might suffer.  Having your own well stocked first aid box means you will always have basic supplies on hand to deal with minor injuries or help your horse until the vet arrives.

Store your kit in a waterproof container like a metal or plastic tool box or Rubbermaid box.  You may want to have one main kit to keep in the barn and a smaller more portable one to take when you go trail riding or travel to a show.

You don't have to break your budget to set up your first aid kit.  Many items can be purchased at the grocery, drug or discount store.

• Digital Thermometer - normal temperature for an adult horse is between 37.2 and 38.3C (99.0 and 101.5F)
• Stethoscope for listening to heart or gut sounds. Your horse's heartbeat can be heard most clearly just behind his left elbow.

Click here for information on normal horse temperature, heart rate and breathing rate.

• Absorbent padding like gamgee padding, gauze or disposable diapers, or sanitary pads for bandaging cuts. Disposable diapers are great on knees, hocks and feet.
• Duct tape works well as a hoof wrap, to hold on a loose shoe or to secure stable bandages
• Zinc Oxide Ointment (diaper rash cream) for sunburn and minor cuts/scrapes
• Epsom salts mixed with water for rinsing cuts/scrapes or made into a poultice for drawing out infection
• Antiseptic wound cleaner such as iodine (brand names such as Betadine and Hibitane)
• Antibiotic cream encourages healing of wounds by keeping the skin moist and clean. 
• Saline solution for flushing eyes and cleaning wounds
• Hot/Cold Gel Pack (Microwave or Freeze) for injuries with swelling, heat or soft tissue damage.
• Bandage scissors for removing bandages without cutting your horse in the process
• Fence Wire Cutter to free a horse tangled in wire or fencing
• Clean sponges and/or towels for washing injuries
• Vaseline for preventing scalding below an oozing wound or lubricating a thermometer
• Large Ziplock type freezer bags to store and keep materials organized & clean
• Plastic wrap for leg sweats
• Small flash light and spare batteries

Other items for your first aid kit can be found at your local tack, farm or feed supply store:

• Self sticking bandage (eg. 3M Vetrap 4" X 5 yd Roll ) 
• Standing bandages and cottons for soft tissue leg injuries and wounds
• Antiseptic wash such as Hibitane or Chlorhexidine
• Blood clotting product such as WonderDust
• Hoof pick
• A First Aid Reference Book 

• A small notebook to record vital signs and other information you want to tell the vet.

Include a card or sheet with emergency contact numbers including yours, your vet's, your farrier, your insurance company as well as the street address and directions to the stable.  Seal the card or sheet in plastic and tape it to the inside of the lid of your first aid box.

Dealing with a sick or injured horse is stressful enough without scrambling to find supplies or finding you don't have them.  Keeping a well stocked, organized and easily accessible first aid kit is well worth the effort.

If you would like to help share these horse keeping tips with people who keep their horses at home, please share this blog with 5 friends, send a Tweet or post on your Facebook page. The horses thank you. You are welcome to use this article in your newsletter or blog as long as you include my credit information: Written by Anne Gage, Confident Horsemanship (www.annegage.com). I would also appreciate it if you’d send me a copy for my media files.
 Anne Gage Confident Horsemanship
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