Comments on How to Put Together an Equine First Aid Kit

Use bag balm for smaller cuts. It disinfects the wound and will stay in place, unlike a runny ointment.

Use bag balm for smaller cuts. It disinfects the wound and will stay in place, unlike a runny ointment.

I have used and carry in my kit tampons or maxi pads. They are very absorbent, they are sterile, very inexpensive and, best of all, they work!

Add an empty two-liter squeeze bottle to your first aid kit list. It can be helpful in getting your horse to drink down liquids.

For a variety of wounds, keep a variety of sizes of sanitary napkins in your equine first-aid kit. The self-adhesive strips on the back adhere to the wrap and help hold the dressing in place. They are also good for applying ointments after cleansing wounds. Also, tampons are good for nosebleeds.

Bach Rescue Remedy can be helpful for a horse after any injury or trauma. A few drops in the mouth helps to calm the horse. Hydrogen peroxide is an effective treatment for minor cuts on legs, etc. Wash first with cool water if possible, then apply neat.

Always keep a bottle of cayenne pepper in your kit. Flush the wound with saline, or clean warm water, if possible. Pour some cayenne into your hand and pack it carefully, but firmly, into the cut. Cayenne has long been known to herbalists as a styptic or hemostatic, stopping or dramatically slowing the blood flow from a cut or wound in seconds. It's also an antiseptic, and a counter-irritant, helping to relieve pain. I've used this numerous times on myself, family members and large and small animals. It works amazingly well every time. Google "cayenne pepper" for more information. It'll save you, or your animal, some day.

Disposable nappies (diapers) are great for keeping hoof poultices in place and dry. Put the poulticed hoof in the middle of a small baby nap and close it around the pastern. Use tape round the top, as the tapes on nappies tend to be a little weak for horse purposes.

This is caused by no-see-ums (biting midges) which bite from dusk to dawn and the condition seems to be exacerbated by extreme heat. The bugs are a nuisance, particularly in moist areas, but we live in a very dry climate. However a neighboring property is heavily watered with sprinklers and has a pond near our barn. So you can have this problem in high desert. First, wash the black crud off with a mild soap like Ivory (no detergent) and rinse thoroughly. Mix Udder Balm half-and-half with Swat or Flys-Off to soothe irritated skin and keep the little buggers from biting (they hate grease). Repeat daily until midge season is over. There are several brands of udder balm - look for one with as much aloe vera and lanolin as possible and no alcohol (or as little as possible). The symptoms are a black filmy material. I told my veterinarian it looked like little pieces of dried polliwog skin - in hard-to-reach hindquarters areas - under tail, around udder, sheath, between "cheeks" etc. This mess grows rapidly, creating additional suffering as it expands. If your horse is in great pain you will need the veterinarian to treat it first to get the swelling down (to reduce the pain so you can do the rest). The black crud is serum from the horse's blood that is leaking through the skin in response to the midge bites. A friend told me that once a horse has reacted to midges in this manner, it has a tendency to recur.

Duct tape is a quick temporary way of holding deep cuts together until you get to the vet. It is easy to apply and will prevent major bleeding, and will stick no matter what.

This is caused by no-see-ums (biting midges) which bite from dusk to dawn and the condition seems to be exacerbated by extreme heat. The bugs are a nuisance, particularly in moist areas, but we live in a very dry climate. However a neighboring property is heavily watered with sprinklers and has a pond near our barn. So you can have this problem in high desert. First, wash the black crud off with a mild soap like Ivory (no detergent) and rinse thoroughly. Mix Udder Balm half-and-half with Swat or Flys-Off to soothe irritated skin and keep the little buggers from biting (they hate grease). Repeat daily until midge season is over. There are several brands of udder balm - look for one with as much aloe vera and lanolin as possible and no alcohol (or as little as possible). The symptoms are a black filmy material. I told my veterinarian it looked like little pieces of dried polliwog skin - in hard-to-reach hindquarters areas - under tail, around udder, sheath, between "cheeks" etc. This mess grows rapidly, creating additional suffering as it expands. If your horse is in great pain you will need the veterinarian to treat it first to get the swelling down (to reduce the pain so you can do the rest). The black crud is serum from the horse's blood that is leaking through the skin in response to the midge bites. A friend told me that once a horse has reacted to midges in this manner, it has a tendency to recur.

For a variety of wounds, keep a variety of sizes of sanitary napkins in your equine first-aid kit. The self-adhesive strips on the back adhere to the wrap and help hold the dressing in place. They are also good for applying ointments after cleansing wounds. Also, tampons are good for nosebleeds.

I found that a can of aerosol buffered saline solution (the kind used for soft contact lenses) really works in a pinch for flushing cuts when a water hose is not available. (Remember that aerosol spray hisses and is cold, so it may startle the horse.)

Always keep a bottle of cayenne pepper in your kit. Flush the wound with saline, or clean warm water, if possible. Pour some cayenne into your hand and pack it carefully, but firmly, into the cut. Cayenne has long been known to herbalists as a styptic or hemostatic, stopping or dramatically slowing the blood flow from a cut or wound in seconds. It's also an antiseptic, and a counter-irritant, helping to relieve pain. I've used this numerous times on myself, family members and large and small animals. It works amazingly well every time. Google "cayenne pepper" for more information. It'll save you, or your animal, some day.

Disposable nappies (diapers) are great for keeping hoof poultices in place and dry. Put the poulticed hoof in the middle of a small baby nap and close it around the pastern. Use tape round the top, as the tapes on nappies tend to be a little weak for horse purposes.

If you're in an area with poisonous snakes, take along a small piece of rubber hose to stick in your horse's nostril in case he is bit and swells up, as horses can't breathe through their mouths.

Having an up-to-date first aid reference book in the kit will help should a panicked owner forget what to do in an emergency. I'd also include a lead line, twitch, rubber gloves and thermometer sheaths - you may need to help someone else's horse, too.

Bach Rescue Remedy can be helpful for a horse after any injury or trauma. A few drops in the mouth helps to calm the horse. Hydrogen peroxide is an effective treatment for minor cuts on legs, etc. Wash first with cool water if possible, then apply neat.

Add an empty two-liter squeeze bottle to your first aid kit list. It can be helpful in getting your horse to drink down liquids.

I always keep a large bottle of Pepto-Bismol in my tack box. It's great for when your horse has beginning signs of colic. If it is just gas, it takes care of the problem and won't interfere.