First Aid Kit Items for Horses

 When owning horses, it is important to have a first aid kit nearby in an easy to find place, both in your barn and in your trailer(for when traveling/showing). It should be in a waterproof container so nothing gets damaged due to moisture or rain. Write down your veterinarian's phone number and tape it to the inside of the container's lid, so it is easy to find in the case of an emergency, and add the numbers of several backup veterinarians as well. 

 The kit should contain items you can use to treat minor wounds and to take care of an injury while waiting for the vet to arrive. It should also contain several useful tools(I'll talk about that later). Most of these items can be found at a drugstore or tackstore, or your vet may give some to you if you ask him for it. 

Different materials used in dressing wounds.credit

Absorbent cotton, gauze dressing pads, roll of gauze, self-adherent elastic bandage: These items are useful when treating wounds, which should be bandaged to enhance the healing and prevent dirt from getting in the wound. When dressing a wound, you should use multiple layers. It should be covered in gauze and a layer of absorbent cotton first, and then a layer of self-adherent, elastic bandage should be wrapped around the outside of it, holding it in place. 

 To take it off, soak the bandaged area with cold water, which numbs the wound and makes taking the bandage off easier. Then, use a knife or scissors to cut a vertical line down the bandage so you can take it off.

Pocket knife, scissors, pliers: Pocket knives are useful in the event that your horse becomes tangled in rope or if you need to cut something. Scissors can be used to cut bandages or to trim the hair on your horse's fetlock, making it easier to treat a wound in that area, and pliers are handy when you need to remove a shoe.

Thermometer and stethoscope: A thermometer is useful to have in your first aid kit because you can use it to see if your horse is feverish. Looping a string through it and then clipping it to your horse's tail hairs with an alligator clip will ensure that it doesn't get stuck. Just as useful is a stethoscope, which can be used to check you horse's pulse.

Rubbing alchohol, antiseptic scrub, ointment/spray, nonsteroidal eye ointment: In your first aid kit, you should have something you can treat and disinfect wounds with. Unless the wound is bleeding profusely and must be stopped immediately, you should clean it first by running a gentle stream of water(preferably distilled) just above the wound, not directly on it. Then you should use an antiseptic scrub, though put on gloves or thoroughly clean your hands first. Afterward, you may put a wound ointment of spray on it. With my dog, I usually use Animal Scents Ointment or a spray of distilled water and several drops of Purification, though you can use something your vet recommends instead. Follow the directions on the eye ointment for eye injuries.

A good first aid kit should look like this. Tool
boxes are work well for storing the items because
they are both waterproof and easily carried. credit

First aid manual: Last, but certainly not least, you should have a first aid manual, which can act as a guide in any situation. Do as the manual directs, then call the vet if the injury is serious. Better yet, if someone else is nearby, have him or her call the vet while you treat the injury the best you can.

 Your first aid kit should be uncluttered and in an easily reached place so if you horse does get injured, even if it is a small scratch, you can work both quickly and efficiently.

Naturally Treat a Horse's Wounds

 Horses tend to get themselves into a lot of scrapes, sometimes coming out of the pasture with cuts or wounds on them. While these wounds generally aren't serious, it is still helpful to learn how to treat these them, preventing infection and helping them to heal more quickly.

 The first thing to do if your horse comes out of the pasture with a wound is to check how serious it is. Is the wound just a slight cut or is it deep enough to require stitches? It is not really necessary to call the veterinarian it the wound is not deep or does not have a flap of skin hanging off. Use your best judgement.

click to enlarge.

 Next, clean out the wound as best as you can and apply an ointment or spray. I use the Animal Scents Ointment for my dog when she gets wounds. It can be mixed with five drops each of Thieves, Melrose, and Helichrysum for every tablespoon of ointment. It is helpful to set aside a small amount of the ointment as you will not be using the whole container. Apply the ointment several times a day. Don't use a lot–a little goes a long way.

 Something that I often use, both for myself and for my dog, is a mist spray. I pour some distilled water into a small glass spritz bottle and mix several different anti-infectious oils in with it. I generally use Purification, although lavender, Melrose, helichrysum, myrrh, and other anti-infectious oils can be used in addition to or in place of Purification. This spray can be sprayed several times a day or as often as needed.

 If the wound is bleeding a lot, take some sterile gauze and hold it to the wound to stop the bleeding. If you plan on putting your horse in the pasture, or even his, it's a good idea to keep the gauze on; it will help keep the wound clean and prevent in infection. Take the bandage off several times a day to spray it or put ointment on it, then put it back on. You can use both the spray and the ointment, but if you do, you should apply the ointment after the spray.

Natural Treatments for Thrush

  Thrush is a hoof infection that many horse owners are aware of. It is caused by not properly caring for the hooves, especially in a wet, muddy environment, or by not mucking out the horses stall and or not changing the bedding often enough. This buildup of moist debris allows bacteria, commonly Fusobacterium necrophorum, to grow in the hoof. The result is a frog with a putrid-smelly, greasy black substance coming from. If caught early enough, you can stop the infection from spreading to inside of the hoof, causing lameness. A good way to prevent thrush is by regularly scheduling your farrier visits and making sure your horse's paddock and stall is clean and dry.

 If your horse gets thrush, the first thing you have to do is get him to a dry, clean environment. Make sure to pick out his hooves daily. Thus prevents more bacteria from building up. A helpful strategy is to use a popsicle stick to clean the frog and heel bulbs.

Click to enlarge

 You should also make sure you disinfect to the kill the bacteria. According to Melissa Shelton, DVM, you apply several drops of Thieves oil blend directly to the affected area two to four times a day or as often as needed. Other oils you can apply are cassia, cinnamon, eucalyptus globulus, lavender, lemongrass, marjoram, melaleuca, alternifolia, mountain savory, ocotea, oregano, black pepper, and thyme. You can also use the following oil blends in addition to the Thieves oil blend: Abundance, Exodus II, Melrose, Purification, R.C.(Respiratory Congestion), Thieves Household Cleaner, and Thieves Spray.

 It is important that you use at least one of these oils several times a day on the infected hoof. Apply several drops of the oil directly onto the infected and clean out the hoof. Also, it is important to talk to your farrier if your horse gets thrush, as he may be able to help by shoeing your horses(if he isn't already) and trimming his hooves regularly.