What to put in your horse's first aid kit? 🐴 👩🏽‍⚕️

When you share your life with a horse, you know that minor injuries, superficial wounds or emergencies can happen at any time 😢 A well-thought-out, well-organised and, above all, well-stocked first aid kit can make all the difference. It allows you to act quickly when needed, or while waiting for a vet if necessary.

In this article, we give you the complete list of essentials to have in your equine first aid kit, along with a few practical tips to help you stay organised 😉

🩹 Wound cleaning and care

A small cut, a graze or a bite? You need to be able to clean the affected area quickly and properly.

To have on hand:

• Antiseptic gauze pads 

• Cotton gauze squares or gauze on a roll, the more economical option  

• Some antiseptic ointment

• A disinfectant spray
  

• A healing cream

🤕 Bandaging and support

A clean wound deserves a well-applied dressing, especially if your horse risks getting dirty again.

To prepare:

• Some cohesive bandages (Flex-wrap)

• Some plasters

• Stable bandages

🪰 Fighting parasites

Insects can cause itching, injuries or transmit disease. Prevention is always better than cure!

Essentials:

• A tick remover

• Some fly and insect repellent

• A bot knife

🧪 Digestion and hydration

Certain supplements can help your horse recover more quickly or better cope with a sudden change (stress, heat, transport…).

To prepare:

• Some food-grade clay 

• Some electrolytes

• An oral syringe to make giving oral medication easier 

🦶 Hoof care

No foot, no horse! We all know this saying, and it rings especially true when your horse has their first abscess or a damaged frog…

Add to your first aid kit:

• Some adhesive bandage tape

• A treatment boot 

• A hoof bandage

• Some hoof clay

🦵 Leg care and prevention

Horses' limbs are put under a great deal of strain, and when the ground is hard or heavy, this can lead to injuries, tendonitis or windgalls.

To have on hand:

• A cooling gel for tendons

• A relaxing clay pot  

• Some therapeutic clay

• Some cooling boots

🚨 In case of emergency

Because you can never be too careful, these few items can really come in handy:

• A head torch or flashlight (in case treatment is needed at night)

• A small first aid kit for yourself: plasters, antiseptic, arnica, etc.

• Some petroleum jelly to protect the skin 

💡 The little extras to have

These products are not strictly necessary for everyone, but can make a real difference in certain situations. Use with care or on professional advice:

• A thermometer

• Disposable gloves

• Sterile gauze pads

• Saline solution in single-dose vials

Remember that your first aid kit should be kept somewhere clean and accessible, and all products should be checked regularly (expiry dates, packaging condition, etc.) ✨