What Do You Need In A Horse First Aid Kit?

Horses can be rather accident prone, and horse-involved human injuries are common among equestrians. That’s why it is very smart to keep a complete first aid kit in your barn and have another, smaller kit to take along when you ride.

In this article, we present horse first aid kit checklists for both, along with some interesting informational videos to help you compile equine first aid kits for your barn and your saddlebag. Read on to learn more.

Complete Horse First Aid Kit Checklist

Start with a large waterproof storage box. Fill it with:

1. A one-gallon bottle of distilled water for preparing sterile solutions
2. Infant sized disposable diapers for use as bandages and hoof wrap
3. A couple of rolls of sticky bandaging tape (e.g. athletic tape)
4. A large, clean syringe or squirt bottle for wound irrigation
5. A pair of 6-inch, blunt-edged, curved dressing scissors
6. An antiseptic salve or spray with soothing properties
7. One or two containers of salve for various purposes
8. A box of table salt for preparing saline solutions
9. A 3 inch wide stretchy, adhesive bandage
10. An antiseptic wash, such as Betadine
11. An 11 inch wide roll of cotton-wool
12. A spray bottle of antiseptic solution
13. A 3 inch wide roll of cotton gauze
14. List of emergency phone numbers
15. A nose twitch for extra restraint
16. A large jar of petroleum jelly
17. A bottle of fly spray or wipe
18. A package of Epsom salts
19. A horse thermometer
20. Spare lead rope and halter
21. An instant cool pack
22. Thick leg bandages
23. Disposable gloves
24. A plastic bowl

Keep your first aid kit ready to use and in good order at all times. Whenever you use an item, be sure to purchase a replacement and put it in the box right away.

Here, the University of Minnesota Extension shares:

Items To Include In An Equine First Aid Kit

Saddlebag Equine First Aid Kit Checklist

Start with a sturdy, small pouch that will fit in your backpack or saddlebag. Fill it with:

1. A card with your identifying information (name, age, phone number, medical conditions)
2. Pocket sized first aid handbook
3. An assortment of human bandages
4. A small bottle of antiseptic spray
5. List of emergency phone numbers
6. A couple of horse bandages
7. Disposable gloves
8. Emergency money
9. A pocket knife
10. A hoof pick

Here, the Budget Equestrian explains:

How To Make A Horse First Aid Kit At The Dollar Store

Should I Buy A Ready Made Kit Or Make My Own?

There are certainly plenty of choices in pre-made equine first aid kits to be had, but these tend to be fairly generic and fairly pricey. When you make your own first aid kits, you can save money and include the items you know you will really need.

That’s why, at the end of the day, it just makes more sense to assemble your own kits.

Draw from the information presented here to create a comprehensive, personalized horse first aid kit checklist that will help you in those time pressure situations, in which you need to react quickly to various horse health related matters.

Frequently Asked Questions