You know the importance of having a first aid kit in your home and your car, but have you given it much thought when it comes to your horses? Every horse owner should have a first aid kit in their stable, barn, tackroom or their trailer in the event of an emergency.
No one plans on accidents happening, but they are inevitable. And when they do happen it is in your best interest to be prepared. By creating a custom first aid kit for your horses, you can be confident that in the moment, you will be cool, calm and collected knowing you have exactly what you need to save the day until help arrives.
The Complete Checklist for Building a Horse First Aid Kit
The best thing about making your own horse first aid kit is that it doesn’t have to be crazy expensive or fancy. It just has to have all the essentials and a few other nice-to-haves for when your horse inevitably has an accident.
The first thing you’ll want to do is gather all your supplies. Use our checklist below to help you create a shopping list that includes everything you need to protect your four-legged friend.
1. Tote, Tupperware container or toolbox (to use for storage)
2. Different sized ace wraps and vet wraps (between 2” – 6”)
3. Duct tape and scissors
4. Wooden tongue depressors (for applying medication)
5. Tweezers or forceps
6. Gloves
7. Hand sanitizer
8. Small towels
9. Flashlight
10. Dawn dish soap or Betadine ointment
11. Triple antibiotic ointment
12. Bottled water
13. Antiseptic and rubbing alcohol
14. Diapers or sanitary napkins (for packing hooves or absorbing blood)
15. Sterile cotton or gauze
16. Cold packs
17. A hoof knife
18. A hoof pick
19. Epsom salts
20. A pocket first aid guide book
Owning a horse means being prepared for the good, the bad and the ugly. By creating a horse first aid kit, you can be sure you’re prepared for anything that comes your way. This list is just meant to get you started, over time you might realize some things you are missing and can add them to your kit.
Obviously, there are more official first aid kits you can buy to keep on-hand and that might make sense for keeping in a barn, but building your own is just as useful for a secondary option in your trailer or tackroom.
