Equine First Aid Kit Essentials

An equine first aid kit is a must-have for every stable and float/lorry. You don’t need to have a range of injectable or oral medications on hand, and they don’t need to be very elaborate. They do however need to have everything you may need in an emergency. 

Our must-haves for an equine first aid kit are:

• A clean box/bag that has your all-hours vet number written on the lid. In a stressful situation it’s not always easy to quickly google and sort through the answers; and remember your vet's all-hours number can sometimes differ from their during the day number you have saved in your phone!
• A torch (with working batteries), this will come in handy more often than not!
• Thermometer (a normal equine temperature is 36.2-38.3°C).

• Normal scissors and bandage scissors.
• A notebook and pen to write down any instructions you are given from your vet over the phone or on arrival.
• Instant hot/cold packs.
• X2 sponges.
• X2 clean towels.
• Clean bowl/small bucket.
• Roll of cotton wool or gauze.                                   
• Anti-bacterial scrub.
• Sterile saline, very important especially for the float first aid kit.
• Preferred wound gels.
• Non-stick gauze/dressings for wounds.
• Adhesive and cohesive bandages.

• Stable bandages and pads.
• Wide duct-tape (especially useful when wrapping for abscesses).
• Wound powder.
• Fly spray.
• Spare halter.
• Hoof pick.
• Wire cutters.
• Farrier tools for removing shoes.
• Epsom salts- great for drawing out infections or heat from legs.