Essentials for your Equine First Aid Kit

DISCLAIMER: Discount Equestrian advise you contact a vet before administering first aid treatment to your horse.

Horse ownership is wondrous and stressful in equal measure.

For all the magic our horses bring to our lives, they’re also experts at putting us through the ringer emotionally, physically, and financially!

We know how accident-prone horses can be, which is why we at Discount Equestrian have decided to write about essentials we should all have in our equine first aid kits.

(Please note that we also advise you keep a human first aid kit in the tack room – as we are all well aware, horses are large prey animals and their unpredictability can cause us injury too.)

* Antibacterial Wash

A vital aspect of wound management is the maintenance of cleanliness, to avoid infection. Keeping a wound clean aids – and often hastens – healing.

· Gold Label Triscrub

· Robinsons Activ Scrub

· Hibiscrub

· Lincoln Antiseptic Scrub

* Wound Cleaning Accessories

It’s great having wound cleaning solutions to hand, but we do need to have clean containers, cotton wool and sponges to enable us to use antibacterial washes.

· NAF Cotton Wool

· VetSet Veterinary Cotton Wool

· Robinsons Veterinary Cotton Wool

· HyHEALTH Cotton Wool – Paper Separated

· Lincoln Sponge

* Wound Dressings

Depending on the location and severity of a wound, it may require dressing. So, it is advisable you always stock wound dressings in your first aid kit!

· HyHEALTH Dressing

· NAF Dressing

· Robinsons Activate Carbon Wound Dressing

* Poultice Products

Some horses have a talent for getting hoof abscesses. It’s advisable you always keep poultice products in your first aid kit.

· Bigeloil Poultice Leg Wraps

· HyHEALTH Hoof Poultice - Hoof Shaped

· NAF NaturalinteX Poultice

· Robinsons Animalintex Hoof Poultice

· Woof Wear Medical Hoof Boot WB0063

* Cohesive Bandages

We don’t always have to use stable bandages to secure wound dressings anymore, cohesive bandages make bandaging legs and hooves so much easier!

· HyHEALTH Sportwrap

· NAF Wrap – Veterinary Bandage

· Robinsons Equiwrap

· That Stretchy Stuff Multi-Purpose Wrap

* Bandaging Accessories

Horses are skilled at removing bandages themselves, so we have to be able to secure them properly to keep wounds protected.

· Hy Bandage Tape

· Lincoln Bandage Scissors

· VetSet Sealing Tape

· Robinson Dressing Scissors

* Wound Creams & Gels

Once we’ve cleaned a wound, depending on its severity and location, we may need to provide further protection from infection by keeping it covered. While bandaging isn’t always possible or necessary, the application of a healing cream or gel can help the healing process along.

· Carr & Day & Martin Protection Plus

· Equine America Derma Gel

· Dermoline Soothing Wound Cream

· Lincoln Aloe Vera Gel

* Antibacterial Spray

In case your horse isn’t in the mood to be fussed about too much after injuring themselves, you may wish to use an antibacterial spray to protect wounds from infection. It is advisable to seek veterinary advice prior to using any products on wounds, however.

· Aqueos Wound & Skin Infection Control Spray

· Barrier Anti-Bacterial Skin Spray

· Battles Gentian Violet Spray

· Gold Label Iodine Spray

* Small Clippers or Trimmer

It is easy not to consider keeping a small set of clippers or a trimmer at hand in case of puncture wounds or lacerations buried beneath mounds of woolly winter coat. In order to know how best to treat an injury, we first need to be able to see it.

· Wahl Bravamini Trimmer

· Clipperman Joust Trimmer

· Lister Pico Compact Trimmer

· Liveryman Classic Trimmer

* Extras!

Here are a few items that aren’t necessarily required in a first aid situation, though we have found to prove priceless if and when they’re needed.

· Digital Thermometer

· Latex Examination Gloves 100 Pack

· Lincoln Bot Knife

· Elico Height and Weight Measure Tape

· Aqueos Spray on Plaster

· Equimins Sunscreen Lotion