Kitted out

Keeping a well stocked first aid kit will help you respond immediatly to your horse’s health needs. Pack all your first aid items in a sturdy, sealed, portable container. Plastic tool boxes with latches and handles work well.

Here’s a list of essential first aid items you’ll want to include!Need to build your own first aid kit?

Download Horse&Rider’s First aid kit list and get kitted out!

Horse&Rider’s First aid kit list

1 Your vet’s telephone number

And any other numbers you may need in an emergency, for transport etc

2 Latex gloves

To wear while cleaning wounds, to prevent them becoming contaminated

3 Torch and spare batteries

So you can carefully inspect wounds when it’s dark

4 Thermometer

To check your horse’s temperature

5 Stethoscope

To listen to your horse’s pulse

6 Petroleum jelly

To lubricate the thermometer before use and to protect the skin below a wound

7 Clean plastic bowl or bucket

To use when cleaning wounds

8 Roll of cotton wool, roll of gamgee

For cleaning wounds and bandaging

9 Bag of sterile saline solution and sterile hypodermic needle

The needle is inserted into the bag of saline, and the bag is squeezed so that the saline shoots out of the needle. It’s then held over a wound to flush it out after cleaning

10 Antibacterial scrub, such as Hibiscrub

For cleaning skin

11 Wound gel, such as Intrasite or Dermagel

To keep wounds moist and draw out any debris

12 Antibiotic spray and/or cream

To disinfect grazes

13 Pair of round-ended scissors

To trim around wounds and to cut dressings to size

14 Tweezers

To remove small thorns etc

15 Thick, waterproof tape, such as duck tape or tickitape

To make poultices secure

16 Sterile, non-stick dressings, such as Melolin

For placing over a wound, before applying a bandage

17 Poultice, such as Animalintex

To draw infections out of the feet.

A selection of bandages:

Padding bandage, such as Soffban or Cellona

To use as padding between the dressing and the outerbandage

Cohesive bandages, such as Vetrap

A stretchy outerbandage that conforms to the shape of the limb

Adhesive bandages, such as Elastoplast

To stop bandages from slipping

Set of four stable bandages

To support lower legs, put over gamgee or under a knee and/or hock bandage.