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After visiting our local Fleet Farm and refreshing myself on the hundreds of ways companies target horse owners in an effort to separate them from their money, I realized one product being offered in particular can be set up more completely and efficiently by myself. The product I saw was this little green, canvas bag. The bag was sparsely filled with a few first aid essentials. For this example of first aid minimalism, they were asking a rather hefty price. Not impressed with this companies frugality, I decided to take advantage of my own frugal nature and devise a sort of checklist of essentials for my own first aid kit for horses. sterile gauze 4X4's - used for covering any cuts and open wounds also work well for cleaning a wound thermometer - taking a horses temp... I prefer the electronic kind to the more dangerous mercury filled glass thermometers bandages - use for covering open wounds vet wrap - use for any number of things incluting securing guaze over a wound. vet wrap has made itself useful for more things than there is room to mention. an absolute must have. medical tape - securing bandages ice pack - for treatment of internal muscular and ligament damage. Aids in the prevention of brusing. twitch - used to restrain an injured horse antibiotic ointment - treats open wounds by killing bacteria while preventing the wound site from becoming a bacterial breeding ground. scissors - used for all sorts of things, you know that disinfectant spray - disinfects an open wound rubbing alcohol - used in cooling a horse, can disinfect hydrogen peroxide - disinfects an open wound poultice - A soft moist mass of bread, meal, clay, or other adhesive substance, usually heated, spread on cloth, and applied to warm, moisten, or stimulate an aching or inflamed part of the body. Also called cataplasm liniment - used to aid in cooling a horse, relieves muscular soreness fly spray - Keep flies off wounds. This list is by no means all inclusive but I think it makes a nice foundation for a very useful horse first aid kit. |
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