We all hope never to have to deal with an equine emergency at all, let alone away from home, the barn, and the vet. But if or when it does happen, best be prepared. Having an equine first aid kit and the knowledge to handle emergencies, from minor injuries to serious wounds, can make all the difference for your horse in an emergency situation.
While it’s important to have an extensive kit at home, or in the barn, keeping one in the trailer is just as important - emergencies are just as likely, if not more so, when away from the secure and comfortable environment your horse is used to. Knowing where to find everything is helpful when time is of the essence, and it’s equally important to know how to use the products in your kit, but that’s a post for another day.
Here are some of the most essential items for your equine first aid kit, both in your home/barn/trailer, and in a compact version you can take with you on the trail.
As an Amazon Associate, Equescapes may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our site, but you do not pay any more than the regular price for this service, and we personally stand by the products we recommend.
Equine First Aid Kit Essentials - at home, in the barn, and in the trailer
Since saving space is not crucial here, this kit can be more robust, containing a wider variety of materials, medications, tools, and supplies.
Tools
Stethoscope
Thermometer (and Vaseline for insertion)
Flashlight or headlamp (with working batteries)
Scissors
Tweezers
Wire snips
Latex surgical gloves
Syringes - varying sizes (60cc dose with catheter tip for oral medications, 10cc dose with hypodermic needle for injections)
Cold pack
Tongue depressors - an easy way to apply ointment
Twitch
Clean towel
Clean bucket
Rubbing alcohol - for disinfecting tools and injection sites
Saline solution - for flushing hard-to-reach places, such as eyes
Bandaging Materials
Having different shapes and sizes of bandaging material will be helpful in accommodating different wounds and different horses.
Cleaning solution - Betadine, Iodine, or Chlorohexadine solution
Hydrogen Peroxide for cleaning wounds
Non-adhesive bandages - Telfa pads
Gauze and/or cotton padding to keep bandages in place
Vet wrap to apply pressure and hold bandages in place
Elastikon or tape to keep smaller bandages in place
Pillow wraps and standing wraps for horses confined to a stall
Diapers - for padding a wrapped hoof
Medication
It’s important to pay attention to expiration dates on your medication, and keep everything current. Better to have it and not use it, than to need it and have it be expired and less effective. Exposure to extreme temperatures can also shorten the shelf life of some medications.
Anti-inflammatory medication - Phenylbutazone (Bute) or Banamine - Bute is available as a tablet or paste, in pre-measured doses to be given orally. Banamine is available as a paste or liquid for IV injection, but do not give an injection unless you know how to do so safely and correctly.
Sedative medication - Acepromazine (Ace) (IM or IV) or Dermosedan (oral)
Topical antibiotic medication - Neosporin or Triple Antibiotic cream
Antiseptic wound cream, powder, or spray
Electrolyte paste for dehydration
Equine First Aid Kit Essentials - on the trail
Emergencies and injuries can occur even on short trail rides, close to home, but you definitely don’t want to be caught in an emergency situation far away from the barn or trailer. Limited weight and conservation of space are an important consideration for your saddle bag kit, so this kit will contain more bare essentials, or smaller versions of the same supplies.
Where are you riding? Some supplies will be dependent on the region. For example, rattlesnake bites and supplies to treat them are a factor to consider when riding in the southwest, but less so in, say, Alaska.
Designate a kit or saddle bag for first aid. This way, all your first aid equipment is in one place and easy to find, rather than packed in throughout multiple saddle bags.
Some items are useful for people, too. Antibiotic ointment, bandages, etc. that are also crucial elements to a human first aid kit do not need to be in both. Save spaces by eliminating double items.
Multipurpose tool - knife, scissors, wire cutters, file, tweezers, etc. can come in handy for all sorts of things
Hoof pick
Emergency blanket - small compact blanket can be used to keep you warm if stranded, or as a sterile work surface to lay tools out on
Flashlight
Wet wipes
Latex gloves
Benadryl
Betadine
Sunscreen
Duct tape and bailing twine - you never know. Keep a horse or human's bandage in place, tape on a loose shoe, or pack a hoof to get a horse back to the trailer, repair tack, reattach a rein, make a lead rope, etc.
Vet Wrap
Hoof boots - even if you don’t use them regularly, they can be helpful in case of a thrown shoe
Freezer bags - can serve as buckets to water horses or soak hooves, pack out trash and waste
Tongue Depressors