What are the essential items for the first aid kit?

There are many items that can be included in a first aid kit but all should have the basic essentials. No matter how extensive your first-aid kit is, you should always call your vet in an emergency.

Essential items for the first aid kit include:

Vetwrap: To hold gauze pads and medication in place. Vet wrap is not intended to remain on the horse for a long time without being changed or redressed.

     Cotton wool: Use for dressings and wound care.

Saline solution: A mixture of salt and water used to clean wounds. 

Gamgee: A layer of cotton wool between gauze, creating a soft and absorbent padding.

Animalintex: Poultice and wound dressing.

  Thermometer: Used to take the horses temperature. Avoid glass thermometers as these pose a risk if they get broken.

Scissors: For wound dressing.

Petroleum jelly: Small jar of petroleum jelly or other lubricant to help insert thermometers.

Stethoscope: For monitoring the horses vital signs and listening for gut movement.

Duct tape: For securing poultice dressings on the hoof.

         Antiseptic wound powder, cream, or spray: For cleaning wounds.

There are many other items available that you may wish to consider keeping in a first aid kit such as wire cutters, a sharp knife, a clean bucket, cool packs, syringes etc. Your kit can be as substantial as you wish to make it but the above items are commonly used in first aid care and emergency. 

  

Think about your equine first aid kit. Do you have all of the essential items? What do you need to get? 

  If you don’t have a horse, check out the first aid kit at your yard. Is there anything missing? 

Learn about essential first aid skills in our online course

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Mindful equine partnerships are an organisation set up to influence a paradigm shift in human equine relationships. We aim to build a network of equestrian individuals and professionals who are choosing to care for and train their equines using methods based on science and ruled by ethics.