Horse care and first aid

 

**This post is for informational purposes only and not intended to replace the guidance and care of your veterinarian. **

 

There is so much more to owning horses than riding. That’s the best part for most of us, but I am just as content with the more mundane aspects of horse care. Daily care and grooming of my horses is just as enjoyable to me as riding is. There are things we should all have on hand to help us take care of our horses. I will share some of my favorite products and brands, and what I use them for. I am creating a general horse care and first aid list here. This will be an extensive list; however, it is not all-inclusive. The brands shown in any photos are just my personal preferred brands. You can use whichever brands you prefer or are available in your area.

Daily grooming, or at least getting a look at your horse daily (or even every other day), is a good way to avoid many minor issues such as scratches, rain rot, or summer sores. Catching small wounds early lets you treat them before they become a bigger problem requiring a veterinarian visit.

Quilt wraps – I prefer no-bow quilt wraps. The quilt wraps come in varying sizes. Pistol uses 10-inch wraps on his front legs and 12-inch wraps on his hind legs. Angel takes 12-inch fronts and 14-inch hinds, and Lasie and Highway are 14-inch wraps front with 16-inch hinds. I will be putting together a video on how to wrap legs properly. This is a useful skill to have, and one I learned in my days as a harness racing groom on the Chicago harness racing circuit. I will also show how to measure for the right size quilt wraps.

No bow quilts and standing wraps

Quilt wraps - I don't use these often

Standing wraps – NOT polo wraps.

Plastic wrap (for sweat wraps)

Electrical tape - for taping over the Velcro on standing wraps. It comes in fun colors!

Packing paper (for poultices)

Poultice – I prefer Horse Health Products IceTight poultice.

Epsom salt poultice for packing feet, IceTight poultice for legs, and Betadine scrub

Vet wrap – I always have a few rolls on hand. It comes in fun colors and patterns.

Gauze pads – for minor wounds on legs in particular. I also use them when using Sheath and Udder cleaner when I clean my grey mare’s udder, which I have to do often.

Gauze pads, roll gamgee, diaper for wrapping hooves, and vet wrap

Diapers – for wrapping hooves when packing them. Mainly for abcesses.

Hoof pack – Durvet Epsom Salt poultice is my go-to

Epsom salts – for hoof soaks. Also, handy when mixed with water as a soak for fire ant bites!

Duck Tape – for wrapping hooves.

Absorbine Silver Honey ointment – for minor cuts, scrapes, wounds.

Generic Desitin, Silver Honey ointment, Aloe Heal, Clear Eyes, and Thrush Buster

SSD cream (Silver Sulfadiazine) – for wounds – get this from your vet.

Farnam Aloe Heal – for minor scrapes, other minor wounds. I use on plant burns if my horses get into buttercups or nettles. I try to get those sprayed, but I miss some.

Farnam Clear Eyes – for irritated eyes.

Farnam Vetrolyn liniment – For use after hard training sessions and shows.  

Farrier's Fix Hoof Oil, Conditioner/detangler, Vetrolyn liniment

Farrier’s Fix Hoof Oil – I alternate with the Keratex, and use it on the soles of their hooves

Absorbine Santa Fe No-Slip Conditioner – I use it only as a detangler.

Betadine Scrub – to clean wounds, good for cannon bone crud also.

Wash cloths, hand towels, bath towels – There are a lot of uses for these! I wet a wash cloth and wipe the sides of their mouths where the bit rings sit after a ride, clean and cool itchy eyes, damp wipe sweat marks in cooler weather, drying areas I had to clean before medicating, washing their faces (mine don’t like water sprayed in their faces. Neither do I!). There are many other uses as well.

Gamgee cotton wrap – useful for some types of wounds.

Gauze wrap – can use over gauze pads and under vet wrap if you wish.

Fly spray

The two brands of fly spray that work best for me

Desitin – My go-to for scratches/pastern dermatitis. I use latex/rubber gloves to apply as it is hard to clean it off your hands. Clean the area gently with betadine scrub, dry well, and then apply desitin. You can also use Desitin on sunburnt noses or even as a sunscreen on noses.

Thrush Buster – for the treatment of thrush. There are some other thrush treatments, but this has been the best for me.

Apple cider vinegar – I use this for rain rot and cannon bone crud. Also on itchy tails. Can use straight or mixed 50/50 with water. For rain rot and cannon bone crud, I wash the area well with shampoo, rinse well, dry slightly, and then apply the apple cider vinegar.

Orvus - my preferred shampoo.

Apple cider vinegar, Quic Silver shampoo, Orvus shampoo

 Exhibitor’s Quic Silver shampoo – for white socks and grey horses! I do not use it on the day of a show (except for white leg markings) as it can make their coats a bit slick.

 

I have a more extensive first aid kit than most people will have, but I have more experience with more issues than many people will deal with. I am the “barn nurse” where I board, so I take care of most wound care. I have dealt with spider bites, summer sores (common in the south from fly bites), cellulitis, scratches, a large neck wound on a rescued pony (that was a bad one), and a variety of other issues. I have not listed everything I have in my kit. I am also experienced enough with these issues that a phone or text consult with my veterinarian is all I need in some cases. It leaves them free for more serious issues and emergencies. If there is something wrong with one of my horses that they feel they need to see the horse, then they come to see the horse. I will take photos or videos, depending on what is going on with the horse, to aid the decision as to whether I can handle something or if they need to come out. It is helpful to have most of this on hand, even if you need to have your vet come out. The ability to handle many of the things listed comes with time and practice, and guidance from your veterinarian is always advisable while you gain knowledge. It is important to learn how to recognize problems and to be able to take care of the minor ones yourself as much as possible. This isn’t about saving money or any reason other than knowledge that you should have, treating minor things before they become major, as well as lightening the workload on our veterinarians.

 

**This post is for informational purposes only and not intended to replace the guidance and care of your veterinarian. **

 

There are various reasons to wrap legs. The main reasons I have wrapped legs are when one of my horses develops cellulitis or other swelling, during a horse show to help reduce soreness, or with my one mare who “stocks up” when stall-bound for more than 12 hours. I dry wrap her to prevent her from stocking up when I know they are going to be in for an extended time due to the weather. Your veterinarian will give you treatment instructions for your horse and their preferred methods.

 

It is a good idea to have someone experienced with wrapping legs observe your technique as you practice wrapping legs and check your work until you have mastered it. It is possible to damage their legs if wrapped incorrectly. This is part of the reason I prefer the no-bow quilts, as it is less likely to damage the legs with them. Wrapping legs is a skill every horse owner should develop.

 

You should also have guidance/supervision when applying vet wrap as well, until you are well-practiced at it. Again, you can injure their legs if you are not careful.

 

Future posts on treating some of these problems are in the works, with more details on how I do things.

 

**This post is for informational purposes only and not intended to replace the guidance and care of your veterinarian. **