1st Aid Kit

Essential First Aid Items to Keep in Your Tack Room

Contents

Horses First Aid Kit – An Introduction A List of the Essential Items First Aid Kit – Conclusion

Horses First Aid Kit – An Introduction

Below is a list of essentials primarily natural/homeopathic in origin, that I suggest you:

• buy and put together
• and keep in a drawer or box in your tack room or home.

All these items will then enable you to easily treat everyday incidents if and when they occur.

With all the items below, if you are not familiar with how best to use them, there is information on how to use all these items on the Horse Ailments page.

A List of the Essential Items

Gamgee – This comes in a large roll. It is used as a wadding over wounds and injuries.

It is so useful and seems to come into it’s own, for all manner of things. It is a bit like cotton wadding.

Scissors 7″ – Clean sharp ones that are suitable for cutting gamgee and vetrap. It is worth labelling them if there is more than one of you working with your horses.

They just seem to disappear otherwise.

Vetrap/Horse Bandages – I suggest you have quite a number in stock. They are so good and so easy to use. When you use them they stick to themselves, so there is no need for any pins. They are brilliant.

We have also used them on humans with no adverse effects.

They are not as soft as a normal bandage, but because of the way they adhere together when bandaging, there are times when they can be very useful as they are more waterproof than a normal bandage.

You can also use them over a normal bandage.

Buy Vetrap – In the UK

Buy Vetrap – Outide the UK from Allivet.

If for any reason you think they will not stay secure, you can in addition use something called ‘Duct Tape’ which will further help to secure the bandage.

Active Manuka Honey with a UMF higher than 10

A thick top quality Active UMF 10+ Manuka Honey for use on cuts and wounds is an essential item to have in your horses first aid kit.

It is an invaluable remedy. We have used it now on a number of very serious wounds, (humans and horses.)

I cannot say enough about this honey. Buy it and have it in your home and tack room, when you need it it is too late to find somewhere that stocks it. It is an essential first aid item to always have.

And don’t skimp, if you buy one with a UNF below 10 you might as well not use it.

For further details on how we have used Active UMF 10+ Honey go to the following pages:-

• Horse Ailments – Wound section.
• and also go and read our Ripped Jaw Case History.

To read up more on the medicinal qualities of Active Manuka Honey go to The Honey Research Unit in NZ

Buy Manuka Honey – In the UK

Buy Manuka Honey – Outside the UK

Essential oil of Lavender – Use on cuts and wounds. It is an antiseptic and pain reliever. Good on cuts, minor injuries, burns, insect bits. Can use mixed with Manuka honey on cuts and injuries, see Horse Ailments.

Homeopathic Traumeel Gel – The most effective all in one homeopathic gel that I have ever come across – buy it and keep it always, in your horses first aid kit.

Homeopathic Traumeel Tablets – As above but it comes in tablets or a liquid form. The dosage for a horse is between 5-6 tablets 3 times a day.

Arnica Tablets – If you have Traumeel Tablets you won’t need these. But if no traumeel tablets always have these in the yard. They are the “number one” homeopathic remedy to use for any first aid injuries.

Neways Eliminator. – a mild anti-bacterial, anti-fungal liquid mouthwash.

Safe to use on eyes, cuts, grazed and the soft tissues of the mouth. This is just such a good all in one liquid to have. It has so many uses. Buy It.

Spray Dispenser Bottle – You can keep Neways Eliminator. in a spray Dispenser Bottle. This makes it much easier to use and spray on “difficult to get to areas.”

Surgical Spirit – Use this on any skin area that gets rubbed and needs a bit of toughening up as it will help toughen the skin and surrounding area

Apple Cider Vinegar

– this has so many uses and hence is a real basic to have in the yard. Here are just a few of the things it may be used for externally:-

• e.g. thrushy feet,
• abscesses,
• bites and stings,
• skin lesions,
• cuts and any inflamed areas.
• Also good to use where nail holes have been on the hoof walls.

This is by no means a comprehensive list but in essence, an essential remedy to have and keep in your yard with your horses first aid kit.

You can buy good quality Apple Cider Vinegar
in large containers from Crossgates who have a shop on eBay

AnimaLintex (Poultice Dressing) – Animalintex is an impregnated multi-layered poultice and wound dressing. It is for used for treating horse wounds.

It can be used as a hot poultice or cold poultice to reduce inflammation and helps draw out any infection. Or it can be used as a dry dressing to stop bleeding and absorb fluids. Once applied you can then use gamgee and vetwrap over it to keep it in place.

Although we do not often need to use this, it can be extremely effective in certain circumstances for example hoof abscesses once the abscess has burst, for more information go to Hoof Abscess. I would recommend you always keep it in a horses first aid kit box.

Buy AnimaLintex – In the UK from Petmeds

Buy AnimaLintex – Outside the UK from Allivet.

Barrier Heel to Hoof. – One of the best products we have found for healing and solving any mud fever problems.

For more details on how to use it go to Mud Fever treatment.

Weleda WCS Dusting Powder – An arnica/homeopathic powder, a bit like talcum powder. It is very good on open wounds which need help in drying up.

Thermometer – There are many types on the market. The most effective way to use is via the anus. A horses temperature should be between 99-101F. Take care not to loose the thermometer in the anus; many people suggest tying a piece of string to it.

When taking it,ideally you should leave it in for 3 minutes. There are some new ones on the market which will bleep when the time is up.

A Nit or Flea Comb – an invaluable tool for the removal of Bot Fly eggs and Mud Fever Scabs.

A simple tool but very effective it is worth adding this to you horses first aid kit and seeing for yourself.

(In fact, it is worth buying several as they are inexpensive, but sometimes the teeth can break, so it is good to have a few spare ones.)

We keep one in every grooming bag.

(This grooming tip was given to us by someone who has worked with horses all her life. She has years of experience and has loads of little tips for making things easy………!)

Enamel Tray – for soaking a Hot Poultice in hot water before applying it.

Horses First Aid Kit – Conclusion

If you put together the above horses first aid kit, this will enable you to treat and manage virtually any straight forward first aid incidences that may occur, very easily. The frustration with health problems is not having the correct horses first aid kit to hand. Spending time putting all of the above items together in a drawer or box will enable you to quickly fix many of the day to day problems which can occur.