With 4-H horse show season in mind, it is vital to understand basic equine first aid and to prepare a first-aid kit. A well-constructed first-aid kit allows horse owners to manage minor injuries and stabilize more serious issues while waiting for veterinary care. Unfortunately, horses are somewhat predisposed to injury and ailments during travel due to the increased stress and exposure to new routines and environments; therefore, monitoring average physiological parameters will provide you with early warning signs of any issues needing intervention.

First, it’s important to have a baseline of your horse’s average temperature, pulse rate and respirations (TPR) prior to travel. Changes from the average range may indicate something as simple as stress or something that requires veterinary assistance. Appropriate ranges are:

• Temperature: 99–101 F

• Pulse rate: 28-44 beats per minute

• Respiratory rate: 8-16 breaths per minute

It is also important to take note of your horse’s normal routine and notice if something is out of the ordinary. Examples include:

• Changes in consistency, color and quantity of urination or defecation

• Changes in food and water intake

• Distress, including restlessness, pawing, circling, getting up and down, looking or kicking at abdomen

• Depression or lethargy, head down, head pressing, not aware of surroundings

• Lameness

• Respiratory distress and/or difficulty breathing

• Bleeding or swelling

• Nasal discharge

• Ocular discharge and/or squinting

A first-aid kit is easy to customize to your individual needs, and what you put it in it will vary based off your experience and discipline, as well as the distance and time traveled away from the comforts of home. Every first-aid kit should start with the following:

• Digital rectal thermometer

• Stethoscope

• Flashlight

• Tweezers

• Gloves

• Bandage scissors

• Nonstick dressing pads

• 4-by-4-inch gauze

• Vet wrap/elastic tape

• Brown roll gauze

• Diapers

• Duct tape

• Clean rags

• Antiseptic (chorhexidine or povidone-iodine)

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (phenylbutazone and Banamine)

• Sedation (under the direction of a veterinarian)

• Ulcer treatment

• Electrolytes

• Topical antibiotic ointment

• Topical wound spray (alum spray)

• Fly spray

When to Call the Veterinarian

Immediate veterinary attention is required under the following conditions:

• Uncontrolled bleeding: Wrap the wound to control bleeding. If you can no longer count the drops or if it doesn’t slow once wrapped, do not remove the first wrap, and apply a second wrap over it.

• Deep wounds: Especially those involving joints, tendons, or the hoof

• Puncture wounds: Due to high risk of anaerobic infection

• Signs of colic: Pawing, rolling, flank watching, inappetence

• Lameness with non-weight-bearing limb: This could be an abscess so a farrier may be the first call.

• Fever: Higher than 102 F

• Persistently abnormal TPR

• Neurologic signs: Ataxia, seizures, head pressing

• Eye injuries: Tearing, swelling, cloudy eye, redness, squinting. Eye issues are always an emergency.

• Suspected fractures

• Severe trauma

Delays in veterinary care can result in additional complications. When traveling out of town, search for local equine veterinarians. Many horse shows will provide contact information for farriers and veterinarians in the area. If you are not an established client, you may need to haul your horse to the vet.

While first-aid kits are indispensable, they are not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis and treatment. Improper use of medications or inadequate wound management may worsen outcomes. Regular review of kit contents, along with training in basic equine first-aid techniques, enhances preparedness and efficacy.

References

American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). “Basic First Aid Guidelines for Horse Owners.”

Freeman, D. E. (2018). “Wound Management in Horses.” Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice, 34(1), 1–18.

The Merck Veterinary Manual. (2024). “Emergency Care and First Aid for Horses.”

A basic equine first-aid kit is a necessity when traveling with horses. Photo by Brandi SIbley

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9/25/26
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