30/08/2024
Let's talk emergencies and horses being horses, we know its going to happen at some point.
An emergency is an injury or disease that is life-threatening or if not treated will compromise your horseās future performance. Being prepared can help remove some of the worry and stress caused by these situations.
Planning ahead is crucial. Knowing your horseās normal behaviour, appetite, activity and appearance will allow you to know when things are not right. Learn how to take a temperature and heart rate and what normal values are (this is a great free resource to print out https://hygain.com.au/blogs/library/know-horses-vital-signs). If you donāt have access to a stethoscope and canāt feel a pulse under the jaw, try just putting your flat hand on the skin immediately behind the point of the elbow, left side of the horse is better than the right for this, you should feel the heart beat in most horses, if youāre patient and relax.
Prepare an emergency kit with the following items, most of which can be bought from a chemist or cheaply online; thermometer, stethoscope, scissors, gloves, iodine (betadine), honey, Animalintex poultice (or a nappy), melolin dressing, cotton padding, self-stick bandage (Vetwrap), electrolyte paste, duct tape, instant cold pack, bucket, towel, sterile saline eye wash and flashlight.
Some subtle signs of an emergency include:
Not eating, depressed, standing alone lying down longer than normal, mild fever or abnormal gum colour.
Moderate signs include:
A squinting or swollen eye, heavy nasal discharge that is green or yellow, heavy sweating or sudden onset of lameness.
Severe signs include:
Rolling, pawing, unable to get up or move, walking drunk, profuse bleeding or difficulty breathing.
With any of the signs listed above, please call us on 0405 098 044. We can discuss what is going on and get headed to you and your horse as soon as it's necessary.
There are always some things you can do while we are on the way.
Colic: Keep your horse walking to prevent them from lying down and rolling and remove access to food.
Wounds: Take a photo and text it through. With heavy bleeding, apply a pressure wrap with your cotton padding and self-sticking bandage. If the wound is dirty, gently flush with clean water. Do not remove any foreign objects without veterinary advice.
Leg Swelling: Apply an ice pack or cold hose for 15 minutes
Swollen eyes: Keep them out of the sun, flush with sterile saline and take a photo.
Acute lameness: Have a look for swelling in the leg. Check the foot to see if there is something sticking into it. Keep the horse confined and still so no further damage is done.
Choking: If there is grass or feed coming from the nose, remove any remaining access to feed and water. You can massage the groove in the left side of the neck to help move the food through.
Difficulty breathing: Keep your horse calm and remove them from the area with any dust or pollen.
I will be running some first aid courses in the coming months for those that would prefer hands-on learning covering how to take a TPR, basic first aid for common injuries and simple bandaging techniques. I am also putting together a first aid kit for purchase. PM if you are interested in either of these so I can start a waitlist.
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