Stable first aid kit checklist: the basic equipment
The following list is a guide to dressing material, aids and emergency information. It is best to agree the contents with your vet once – they know what makes sense for your yard and your horse.
Dressing material
- sterile swabs and non-adherent wound dressings in various sizes
- cotton padding or bandaging underlays as padding under the dressing
- gauze bandages and self-adhesive (cohesive) bandages
- adhesive tape for fixing, e.g. for a hoof dressing
- bandage scissors with a rounded tip
- a hoof boot that can keep a hoof dressing clean and dry
It is best to have your vet show you once how to apply a dressing. A badly applied dressing can do more harm than good.
Aids
- digital thermometer (use for the horse only)
- disposable gloves
- torch or head torch
- clean towels and a clean bucket used only for emergencies
- watch with a second hand or mobile phone stopwatch for measuring pulse and respiration
- cooling material such as cool packs or cooling boots from the cooling & therapy products – only use after consulting the vet and under supervision
- spare headcollar and lead rope, hoof pick
- notepad and pen for observations (time, values, behaviour)
Wound care and care products – only after consultation
Whether a wound is rinsed or treated with an ointment or spray, and with which product, is decided by your vet. Many wounds need to be examined first; an ointment that has been applied can make assessment more difficult. Medicines for humans may only be used on horses on veterinary instruction, and prescription-only products belong exclusively in the hands of the vet. So only keep the products your vet has recommended for your yard, and make a note of what they are for.
Emergency information to hand
- phone number of your vet and of a deputy or an emergency veterinary clinic
- number of your farrier or hoof trimmer and of the yard owner
- contact for horse transport in case your horse has to go to the clinic
- equine passport – note where it is kept
- your horse's normal resting values (pulse, respiration, temperature) and its approximate weight
Wound care: what you can do – and what the vet decides
With an injury, the first minutes are mainly about protecting your horse and yourself and not contaminating the wound further.
- Stay calm, secure your horse: tie your horse up or have it held, and look after your own safety.
- Put on disposable gloves and look at the wound without probing it.
- Call the vet and describe: location, size, bleeding, lameness, behaviour. Photos can help.
- Cover the wound cleanly, e.g. with a sterile swab, until the vet decides what happens next.
- Do not pull out foreign objects (e.g. a nail in the hoof) – leave them in place and inform the vet.
- No ointments, powders or sprays without consulting the vet.
Call the vet immediately in cases such as heavy bleeding, deep or gaping wounds, injuries close to joints, tendons or the eye, puncture wounds and treading on a nail, lameness, swelling or fever after an injury, and if you are not sure about the vaccination status (e.g. tetanus).
Colic and other emergencies: call the vet
With colic and other emergencies, there is no self-treatment from the stable first aid kit. Call the vet immediately if, for example, you notice the following:
- pawing, frequent lying down and rolling, looking round at the belly, sweating, restlessness
- no droppings, no gut sounds, loss of appetite
- difficulty breathing, coughing with feed or saliva coming out of the nostrils
- stiff gait, muscle tremors, sudden severe lameness or reluctance to move
- injuries or swelling on the eye
- suspected poisoning
Until the vet arrives: secure your horse, keep it calm, measure its values if this can be done safely, and write everything down. Do not give your horse anything by mouth and only feed it on the vet's instructions.
Pulse, respiration, temperature: the vital signs
The vital signs help you give the vet a clear picture over the phone. It is a good idea to measure them calmly on a normal day too, so that you know your horse's values. The following figures are guide values for an adult horse at rest; the vet assesses which deviation is important for your horse.
- Pulse: about 28–40 beats per minute, e.g. felt at the artery under the lower jaw
- Respiration: about 8–16 breaths per minute, counted at the flanks
- Temperature: about 37.5–38.2 °C, measured rectally; slightly higher in foals, about 38.0–39.0 °C
When taking the temperature, stand to the side of the horse and have a second person hold it.
Shelf life, storage and checks
- Storage: dry, clean, frost-free and protected from direct sunlight – ideally in a lockable cabinet or case, out of the reach of children. Follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
- Shelf life: check expiry dates regularly, e.g. every six months and after every use. Remove anything that has expired.
- Opened packs: note the date of opening. Sterile materials are no longer sterile once opened.
- Products prescribed by the vet: only use them for the horse and the purpose for which they were prescribed. Do not keep leftovers "in stock" for other horses; ask your vet about disposal.
- Restocking: replace anything used straight away – a stable first aid kit is only useful if it is complete.
- On the go: for shows, the trailer and hacks, a small second kit with dressing material, gloves, a thermometer and emergency numbers is worthwhile.
The basic equipment includes dressing material (sterile swabs, wound dressings, cotton padding, gauze bandages, self-adhesive bandages, tape, bandage scissors), aids such as a digital thermometer, disposable gloves, a torch and cooling material, as well as the emergency numbers of your vet and the veterinary clinic. Which care products or medicines also make sense is something to agree with your vet.
Your vet decides that. Many wounds – especially deep or gaping ones or those close to joints and tendons – need to be examined first, and an ointment can make assessment more difficult. Until then, cover the wound cleanly and do not apply anything without consulting the vet.
Only if your vet expressly instructs you to. Medicines for humans are not authorised for horses; whether they may be used in an individual case is decided by the vet. In addition, horses can legally count as food-producing animals – this is recorded in the equine passport and restricts the choice of products.
Immediately in the case of heavy bleeding, deep or gaping wounds, injuries close to joints, tendons or the eye, puncture wounds and treading on a nail, lameness, or if a wound swells, becomes warm or your horse develops a fever. Calling is also the right thing to do if you are unsure.
Call the vet immediately. Until the vet arrives, secure your horse, measure pulse, respiration and temperature if it is safe to do so, and write down your observations. Do not give your horse anything by mouth and only feed it on the vet's instructions.
Ideally after every use and also about every six months. Check expiry dates, remove anything that has expired, note the date of opening on opened packs and restock used items straight away.