Inside My Equine First Aid Kit

Horses tend to be a little accident prone. Here’s a list of everything I keep in my emergency stash.

I have two First-Aid kits — one for home and one for the trailer.  The home based kit is big and contains all of my backup supplies.  It’s in a giant plastic trunk.  The trailer kit is smaller, fitting in a duffel bag with a shoulder strap.  I check each one twice a year, replacing any outdated medicine and restocking other essentials as needed.

Toolbox:

Thermometer

Scissors

Stethoscope

Tweezers

Duct tape

Flashlight

Pocket knife

Bandage Central:

Disposable diapers and feminine pads ← Both are amazingly absorbent and the different shapes are suited for different injuries.  ‘Little Swimmers’ Diapers are waterproof making them extra handy for hoof applications.

Vetrap

Stable bandages and quilts

Illustration courtesy Lindsey Kahn

Medicine Cabinet:

Vaseline

Animalintex Poultice Pad

Fura-Zone Ointment

Corona Multi-Purpose Ointment

Betadine Surgical Scrub

Non-fragranced antibacterial dish soap ← Super cost effective shampoo.  I use Dawn or Ivory.

Saline ← Contact lens solution has a convenient nozzle top.

Swat Fly Repellent

No Thrush Hoof Powder

Liniment ← I prefer the gel varieties.

Epsom salts

Flat Tire Fix:

Hoof pick

Farrier’s rasp and nippers

Hoof testers

Hoof boot ← In case of a lost shoe away from home.

I also stock Bute, Benadryl, electrolyte paste, Perfect Prep EQ Extreme paste, the Hands-on Senior Horse Care book, backup copies of registration papers, Coggins, and updated pictures of my horses (with me in the photo → important for stolen/lost horse identification) in each kit.

Are you prepared for an emergency?  What’s in your kit?

Go Riding!