Horse First Aid Kit - Always have one with you

A horse first aid kit is an essential part of your driving equipment. You might need it to treat injuries and in emergencies.

Learn about basic first aid; ask your vet what you can do until he/she arrives.

Please contact your vet in any emergency and if the horse suffers from other than minor injuries or is sick.

It should have its fixed place in or on your horse-drawn vehicle and in the stable in a protecting box. A good idea is to reassess the kit every 6 months to restock and to sort out outdated medicamentations and contaminated materials. You best write a list with items needing restocking or replacement.

List of basic elements of the horse first aid kit :

thermometer and some lubricant (e.g. petroleum jelly)Use a digital one, it is easy to handle and read. Glass thermometers can break easily.
an inexpensive stethoscope
clean, sharp scissors
2-3 clean towels
disposable rubber/latex gloves (in sizes S,M,L available)

For emergencies you will need:

antiseptic surgical scrub
antiseptic spray
sterile saline solution (you get 500ml or 1 L plastic-bags from your vet)
sterile eyewash
gauze squares (for cleaning wounds and/or dressing underneath a bandage)
sterile wound dressing (e.g. non-stick pads)
padding wrap (roll cotton)
bandage material (best is self adhering vet wrap)
adhesive tape (to fixate bandages)
poultice boot (disposable nappies will do, better though medical boot)

Also have these items at hand:

clean bucket only for first aid use
clean hand brush (to thoroughly clean your hands before touching a wound)
clean (does not need to be sterile) hypodermic syringe (best sizes are 20ml or 50ml) to flush wounds
hoof picker
hoof knife
a flashlight and replacement batteries
pliers to cut wire

Keep a list of the contents and date of check up of your horse first aid kit inside the lid of the box. This will help you to keep track of your replaced items and their expiry dates. Also remember to have your vet's and farrier's/hooftrimmer's emergency number in the box.

I had a look on a few first-aid-kit suppliers and found Equimedic.com distributes products all over the USA.

The UK-based company HorseActive.co.uk specializes on equine and pet kits.

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