First Aid

SUGGESTED FIRST AID KIT FOR EQUINE EMERGENCIES

- YOUR VET’S PHONE NUMBER! And a pen and pad

- A rope halter

- A clean bowl or bucket and a clean towel

- A bright torch (a head torch is ideal)

- A large roll of cotton wool (preferably lint free)

- A pair of blunt-ended curved scissors to clip hair away from wounds

- Obstetric gel (or KY Jelly)

- Anti-bacterial scrub (e.g Hibiscub or Pevidine)

- Pack of sterile saline (plus needles/syringe?)

- Non-stick dressings (e.g. Melolin or Allevyn)

- A selection of bandages (e.g. Softban, Vetrap, K band, Elastoplast)

- A set of stable bandages

- Sticky tape (to secure dressings)

- A large pair of scissors to cut dressings

Other items which may be useful to have at hand include:

- Fly repellent (or fly gel or powder)

- A purple spray or antibiotic spray

- A hoof pick

- A thermometer

Where a horse suffers from a condition that may require emergency therapy, your vet may suggest that you keep a supply of medication in your first aid kit.

We consider that the above first aid kit should allow you to deal with most first aid situations however there are a few golden rules worth considering:

- Only start to administer first aid if you are confident that you can deal with the situation. If you have any doubts then telephone your vet to ask for advice or to request a visit.

- NEVER put anything into a horse’s eye without first consulting your vet.

- If you feel that a wound, however small, may be leaking synovial fluid – this especially applies to wounds over joints or tendon sheaths – contact your vet immediately for advice or to request a visit.

- As far as possible, if your horse has a nail in his foot, try to leave the nail in place until your vet has seen the horse. This is important in that it will be easier to work out where the nail penetrates to. If you have to remove the nail then mark the site of the foot where the nail went in, keep the nail and mark, on the nail, how deep it went.

- Don’t apply creams, sprays or powders to horses’ wounds without first checking with your vet.