The stable pharmacy: first aid for horses

A scratch on the head, small wounds on the horse's body or even a thick leg can happen when the horses are romping around in the pasture, playing with the paddock partner or just standing in the box - sometimes in an inexplicable way for riders . The stable pharmacy can help and you can quickly provide first aid for your horse.

Many horse owners would prefer to wrap their beloved animals in bubble wrap or cotton wool to prevent injuries. Unfortunately that is not possible. Small scratches, bites and quirks are part of it, but with the right utensils you can take care of your horse yourself. But the stable pharmacy is also indispensable in the event of serious injuries. Until the vet arrives, providing first aid to serious wounds can improve and ensure healing.

we have you 3 checklists with medication, bandages and useful tools put together for your stable pharmacy and explain what is needed and used for what.

medicines for horses

Aluminum spray: Covers hairless skin surfaces from harmful influences such as dirt and insects with a film-forming, elastic, breathable and metallic protective film. Clean and disinfect the wound before spraying!

Eye ointment / eye drops: To be used to reduce irritation of the eyes - use an agent without cortisone! A fly mask offers additional protection against drafts and insects.

Bepanthen / milking grease: Keeps wounds supple.

ColoSan®: For supportive treatment of food-related flatulence and gastrointestinal disorders such as mild colic or severe colic to bridge the gap until the vet arrives.

Disinfection spray / wipes: For disinfecting open wounds. Minor injuries can be cleaned more specifically with disinfectant wipes.

Hand sanitizer: The treating person should wash and disinfect their own hands before treating injuries and wounds of their horse.

Iodine: The disinfecting solution is suitable for cleaning wounds on larger areas.

Saline / NaCl: Wounds can be rinsed out and thus cleaned with a disposable syringe.

cooling gel: Promotes the regeneration of tendons, ligaments and joints after great stress or exertion, as it stimulates blood circulation. Swelling subsides more quickly and cooling gel can provide relief and soothing on bruises and mosquito bites. Do not apply to open wounds!

Mineral earth / clay: Cools muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints for a long time. Also has a lasting decongestant effect.

panthenol ointment: In the case of dry wounds, wound ointment can be used to prevent painful cracks as the wound heals.

Rivanol®: Disinfecting cast-on bandages with Rivanol® permanently cool the horse's leg and continue to disinfect the wound. Rivanol® cleans wounds, is anti-inflammatory and promotes healing.

Wound spray / wound ointment: Prevents wound infections (Betaisodona)

Zinc ointment / zinc spray: In the case of moist or weeping skin wounds (including mud fever), the zinc promotes the drying out of the wound and thus supports healing. A positive side effect is that the film of ointment or spray serves as protection against dirt and insects.

Bandage material for first aid

Bandaging cotton / bandage cotton: Is necessary for support bandages and is required for padding and dressing wounds. The padding should be laid out wrinkle-free so that pressure points are prevented!

Gauze Swab: The soft, absorbent and air-permeable gauze pads absorb liquid, which enables optimal wound cleaning and wound treatment (distribution of medication) is possible.

Cloth tape / duct tape / Tesa tape / plaster tape: Tape and adhesive tape are functional and versatile, for example to fix (hoof) bandages.

Gauze bandages: Usually consist of a thin fleece or gauze fabric. As a pressure bandage, gauze bandages are used to fix compresses and as wound dressings for injuries.

Self-adhesive bandages / elastic adhesive bandages: A quick and easy application of support bandages and other types of bandages is made possible by the self-adhesive property of the bandage. The advantage is that these only stick to themselves and do not stick to the fur. Nevertheless, never apply directly to an open wound!

Sterile compresses: Used to cleanse miracle workers. Make sure that these are sterile and that the compress does not contaminate the wound!

spray patch: Spray or film plasters are a flexible wound covering that prevents the penetration of germs. The protective film that is formed is breathable and keeps the skin supple and elastic during the regeneration process.

Bandage Gauze / Gauze Compress: It doesn’t matter whether you use gauze or a gauze compress – both serve to cover the wound.

Wound pads / wound covers: This prevents the ingress of dirt, bacteria and germs. In addition, wound secretion and/or blood is absorbed. Wound dressings and wound coverings must be packaged sterile, as there is direct contact with the injury! It is best to have different sizes ready for different sized wounds.

Useful tools in the stable pharmacy

Pad and pen: The PAT readings (more on this below) can be written down, or the veterinarian's instructions can be noted.

(Digital) thermometer: To measure temperature / fever. Tip: tie a string to it so that the thermometer cannot get "lost" in the horse's intestines!

Disposable gloves: Wearing it reduces the risk of infection with open wounds. Nevertheless, disinfect your hands before treating wounds or injuries!

Disposable razors: Fur at the edges of the wound should be removed so that the injury can be better treated.

Disposable Syringes: Wounds filled with NaCl can be rinsed out with disposable syringes or medication can be administered with them.

Ordinary scissors: For example, to open medicine packaging.

hoof tongs: A crooked/loose shoe can be removed or a hoof can be checked for tenderness (due to a hoof ulcer).

Cold compresses: For immediate use and direct cooling. Do not put directly on the skin as it can cause frostbite!

mix bottle: Drugs can be mixed in here.

nose brake: The nose brake can help nervous horses to calm down, because when used correctly, endorphins are released that suppress the sensation of pain. In this way, a safe (for the treating person) treatment of the potentially painful injury can be guaranteed.

Tweezers: Foreign bodies can be removed with this and if no tick tweezers are at hand, ticks can also be removed with it. Sterile dressing material can also be gripped with it.

Clean towels: An all-round helper, but ATTENTION! Towels are not sterile and should not be placed over open wounds.

Stethoscope: Not a must in the stable pharmacy, but a stethoscope can be helpful if thick winter fur makes it difficult to measure the pulse.

Flashlight: The best way to assess the severity of an injury to the horse's inner thigh or abdomen is with sufficient light.

Phone list: The most important telephone numbers for veterinarians, blacksmiths, barn owners, etc. should be accessible to everyone in an emergency and not just stored on their own mobile phones.

bandage scissors: Curved bandage scissors are useful for cutting bandages and removing them safely.

tick tweezers: Ticks transmit many pathogens, although horses are generally less susceptible than humans to infection from tick bites. Remove the tick anyway and avoid squeezing the tick!

Regular check of the stable pharmacy

If you are dealing with medication, you must regularly check the expiry date. Also check the dressing material to see whether it is still durable and sterile. The material could become brittle here and no longer have the desired functionality in an emergency situation. With bottles, ointments or tubes, the user must ensure that the lid or cap closes properly so that no moisture, no dirt and thus no pathogens and germs can penetrate. Aids such as clinical thermometers or tick tweezers can quickly break. Do not hesitate to buy a new one and refill your stable pharmacy as soon as possible.

Good to know: First aid for your horse

Here are some other important tips for managing your horse’s health:

PAT values ​​in horses

The PAT values ​​stand for the vital signs of pulse, respiration and temperature in the horse and are parameters that can give an assessment of the general state of health of an "adult" horse (~3 years and older).

P = pulse

A normal horse heart rate is between 28 and 40 beats per minute. It is practical that you only need a watch or your smartphone to determine the pulse rate as an aid, with which you stop 15 seconds in which you count the beats. Multiplied by 4 gives the number of beats per minute. But where can you feel the pulse? Very simple: You can feel the pulse on the lower jawbone of your horse and the regular throbbing that you feel is the pulse beat. It is best to practice feeling, timing and then counting the strokes correctly in a relaxed situation so that it also works safely in a more stressful situation.

A = respiration

A healthy horse takes 8 to 16 breaths per minute. To determine the breaths, set a stopwatch to 1 minute and count the nostril movements or the movements of the chest or abdomen during this time. When your horse breathes in, the nostrils widen and you can see an enlargement in the chest or abdomen.

T = temperature

The body temperature of a horse under normal conditions is 37,5 to 38,2 degrees. The body temperature of a foal can be slightly higher and is still within the normal range of 38,0 to 39,0 degrees. You measure the temperature with a clinical thermometer, which is best secured with a thread so that it cannot disappear into the animal's anus when measuring. A measurement takes place over a period of at least 3 minutes. But beware: Measuring fever can be a little uncomfortable/unfamiliar for your horse and you are in the area of ​​the hind legs. If possible, stand to the side of your horse - never directly behind the horse, because a hind hoof could easily hit you.

Practice measuring and writing down PAT values

Not only the pulse measurement, but also the correct counting of breaths and a safe measurement of the temperature needs to be practiced. Take your time and practice the movements so that the PAT values ​​can be routinely measured in a tricky situation. You can also put a cheat sheet with the PAT values ​​of your healthy horse in the stable pharmacy, because in an emergency your thoughts are usually elsewhere and a piece of paper to look up in an emergency is worth its weight in gold.

If the weather is very warm, the sun is extremely bright or the exertion from intensive training is very high, then the PAT values ​​can also deviate. However, the overall condition of the horse should not be neglected, because of course extreme weather conditions do not always justify the deviations in the values.

Conclusion: A well-equipped stable pharmacy is essential

The equipment in your stable pharmacy can give you and your horse more security in an emergency and enable you to provide first aid in a tricky situation. We recommend that you keep your stable pharmacy well stocked, checked regularly and ready to hand so that you can always contribute to the well-being of your horse.