Equi-First Aid Tennessee

01/03/2024

Booking classes for 2024!! Reach out if you’d like to attend or host at your barn. I currently have 18 additional barns looking to schedule for spring.
🤠Schedule is filling up fast if you’d like to get your barn booked!!

*Current schedule:

🐎 Equine Health and Emergency First Aid.

**January 20th at Compass Equestrian in Ashland City, TN

**March 2nd at Reynolds Way Equestrian in Pulaski, TN

**March 23rd at LYC Farm hosted by Toni Hines in Gallatin, TN

**April 13th at White Nickel Ranch in Culleoka, TN

🐎Advanced Equine First Aid🐎

**May 18th at White Nickel Ranch in Culleoka, TN.

01/02/2024

12/28/2023

It’s that time of the year again, wolf tooth season has arrived! Before putting a bit in your young horses make sure you get them checked for wolf teeth and other issues before training begins.

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas Friends !

12/22/2023

Water remains as important for your horse in cold weather as it is in the summer. As a matter of fact, decreased water consumption in the winter is thought to be the primary inducing factor for impaction colic — although there are other predisposing factors such as poor hay quality, lack of exercise, internal parasites and dental problems.

Impaction colic is essentially constipation and most often includes the accumulation of hard, dry f***l material in the colon. The usual signs of impending impaction colic are depression, a decreased appetite, and decreased production and dryness of manure.

Studies demonstrate that you can increase your horse's winter water consumption if you provide access to heated water, but ONLY if that is the only source of water available. As always, if you have any questions about preventing colic in your horse, your local veterinarian remains your best source of information!

12/21/2023

Did you know this about Donkeys in the winter?

Interesting read!!

Baby it’s cold outside! ❄️⛄️

Many people think of donkeys as hardy, low-maintenance “small horses.” However, while they have similarities, donkeys are a completely different species and as such have a different physical, mental, and emotional make-up.

As the weather gets colder, it’s important to remember that donkeys are more sensitive to changes in temperature than their equine friends. They don’t grow a winter coat like horses and their hair is less waterproof, so they require shelter from the elements (like a run-in shed or a waterproof blanket). Being stoic animals, they also won’t show signs of discomfort and hypothermia until they are very sick.

Remember that every animal is different depending on age, breed, and other health conditions, so be sure with your primary veterinarian to address any concerns or questions!
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Brough to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee.

12/19/2023

12/16/2023

12/12/2023

We had such a wonderful class this weekend at Harpeth Shoals Ranch!
What an amazing barn family Jessica Kolb has at her facility!
All these ladies are now more knowledgeable & better prepared for an emergency situation.
Keep an eye on our pages for more classes in the near future!
Jessica is doing great things at her facility! 🐎 🤠

12/07/2023

Thrush is one of those equine conditions that most of us can do better at preventing and treating. Improving our horse’s footing, regular hoof picking, and using the right products can greatly reduce the incidence and impact!

12/06/2023

12/05/2023

Building a great relationship with your vet is more than just paying your bill on time. Being able to take prompt, correct action to save your horse in the face of an injury or illness, alleviate your horse’s suffering, and gathering & providing the right information to aid your veterinarian’s efforts are the best ways to promote your horse’s successful recovery.

12/03/2023

The current veterinary crisis is in full swing; vets are over run with clients, and many owners are not as prepared as they think they are. The numbers are overwhelming and the situation isn't going to get any better.

That's where we come in and give you the education you need to know in order to be your horse's first responder and triage until veterinary intervention can be reached.

We are an ambulatory Service (mobile teaching unit) providing Equine Health and Emergency First Aid training for horse owners, Safe Trailering Classes, Safe Livestock Handling For Emergency Responders, and so much more!

6 Certified Equine First Aid Professionals, 1 Junior instructor, and 1 nutritionist are seeking host sites and interested owners for our 2024 calendar.

Contact the Equi-First Aid USA Certified Instructor for your area for more information on hosting or attending a class near you.

11/29/2023

11/26/2023

Great information - and something we discuss in the Principles of Equine Nutrition class.
Compared to other animal species, the equine stomach is relatively small, occupying only 8% of the entire GI tract.
By comparison, the dog's is 60% and the cow's is 70%.
What does this mean?
That the horse's digestive system has evolved to ingest small amounts of food, almost continuously.
The dog, as a predatory animal, evolved to eat bulky, infrequent meals.
The cow is a herbivore, like the horse, but its stomach is compartmentalized and it works more like the horse's hind gut to process fiber.
The horse's GI tract is an unique hybrid. Its large intestine has a very large capacity, and this is where all the fiber it ingests is fermented, from which the horse derives its main source of energy.
Our modern forms of feeding tend to meet our needs, but not those of our equines. Remember this if you offer large meals of concentrate feeds for your horse - its GI tract simply cannot handle them.

11/19/2023

Do you know the signs of equine Lyme disease?

11/11/2023

11/10/2023

I’d love to help you all learn more knowledge to keep your sweet horses safe! Schedule a class on safe trailering! We can never be too prepared! 🐎

!!!First Aid Fri-yay!!!

We talk often about weight and equipment maintenance.

Welcome to my Ted Talk for the most obvious reason why we need to be able to accurately calculate weights, aside from medications/worming/etc. Most of these talking points are covered in our classes, so if you are interested in attending or hosting one next year, please do let me know.

Trailering. Trailering. Trailering.

You must know many things in order to safely trailer your horse/horses. Today, we focus on weight and in other posts we will focus on other things.

Just as in anything else, you must know your equipment.
What's your vehicle tow rating? If you know your vehicle's tow rate, then surely you understand that this has nothing to do with towing and stopping the load behind it. This is a small factor most don't consider ever at all in their mind when it comes to hauling horses.

Here's the deal: You should never assume that because your vehicle can tow a load that it can safely tow and stop the load behind it. Trucks with large tow ratings usually have big performance features such as heavy duty engines, springs, transmissions, frames, u joints, rear axles and brakes. This has nothing to do with the reasons why the truck is called a three quarter ton or half ton-those refer to payload, or how much it can carry in the CAB AND BACK.

Before towing, you need to consider how much weight the rruck can carry and tow at the same time; this number is galled the GCWR, or teh gross combination weight rating. This number is calculated using the weight of the truck, the trailer it can cow, and total cargo the truck and trailer can carry. This can be found in your owner's manual, on the tag on the door frame. If you don't know the GCWR, ask a dealer or a mechanic.

Next step: check your trailer manufacturer's plate. This also shows the GCWR of the trailer, which also includes the weight of the trailer and everything in it.

Before you do that, you'll need to know the maximum towing capacity of the ENTIRE hitch assembly. The hitch is made of the receiver, the insert, the ball and the tow vehicle. Each small piece has a rating of how much weight it can safely tow. The weight of the trailer and its load should NEVER add up to more than the rating of any of the pieces of the hitch assembly. Bear in mind that bumper pulls, goosenecks, and 5th wheels all have different numbers because some attach to the bumper and some are on the frame.

Up next: Choosing a trailer, trailer maintenance/safety, safe loading, checklists, and what to do while in transit.

11/07/2023

What if I told you there are very few certified instructors to cover the states on the map below?

What if I gave you the breakdown on the number of horses in each of those states?
TN: 206,000
SC: 95,000
NC: 306,000
GA: 250,000
FL: 500,000
AL: 186,000
MS: 113,000

Who would have ever thought that in those 7 states, the total number of horses is 1,656,000? Definitely not me.

Do you know the number of equine veterinarians in the us only totals 3,785 for 2023?

Looking at only those seven states is a startling expression of our veterinary crisis.

I'm not throwing any numbers at you to scare you; that's never the goal. Our goal is for you to be armed to the teeth in your education to be your horse's first responder.

Are you prepared? Most people think they are. Our classes are so full of information that most people walk away realizing how NOT prepared they actually are.

Our goal is to help you to work within the veterinary crisis and educate you on all the areas you can help your vet to triage your case and others. The more informed you are, the better chance your horse will survive.

The 6 of us are scouring the southeast looking for host sites and can accommodate classes in our areas of most any size. Everything from summer camps to conferences, we work independently or together depending on class size. We even have the only Jr Instructor in the United States in our area available to teach the youth and fundamentals classes!

If you are interested in hosting or attending, please contact the instructor for your area.

For the Love of Horses, they need you to be their first responder.

11/05/2023

11/02/2023

11/02/2023

Do you want a festive fall treat for your horse? Find out if pumpkin is a safe choice.

10/31/2023

10/26/2023

Conformational Features of Horses AGR 2070: Equine 1 Module 2: Anatomy & Breed Conformational Features of Horses Conformational Features KNOW HOW TO ASSESS CONFORMATIONAL FEATURES Although horses vary in size and characteristics, some aspects of good conformation are common to every horse. Conformat...

10/24/2023

10 things veterinarians want horse owners to know about Banamine.
1)Banamine is a brand name. Flunixin meglumine is the drug name but many people refer to it by the popular brand name “Banamine” made by Merck. This medication is available in injectable liquid and oral paste formulations.
2)Flunixin is classified as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which can be shortened to “NSAID.” NSAIDs reduce inflammation, pain, and fever by decreasing certain biochemical reactions in the body. Other drugs that are also classified as NSAIDs include phenylbutazone (Bute), firocoxib (Equioxx®, Previcoxx®).
3)Flunixin treats pain. By far the most common implication for the use of flunixin in horses is analgesia, or pain control. Flunixin provides good pain control for visceral (in the belly) and ocular (eye) pain. It is often used in cases of colic (abdominal pain) to make the horse more comfortable which reduces the risk of harm to the horse and handlers. It is important to note that flunixin does not cure the cause of colic; it temporarily relieves signs by providing pain relief.
4)Flunixin can reduce fever. A normal horse’s temperature is between 98.5 and 100.9°F. Like humans, horses can develop a fever secondary to an infection or illness. Many febrile horses will not eat or drink well when they have a fever but their appetite improves once the fever decreases. Flunixin can be used to reduce the horse's temperature often making them feel better. On a cautionary note, we often recommend owners take a temperature BEFORE giving flunixin as this can also a mask a fever.
5)Flunixin lasts 12 hours in the horse’s body. Some owners with a sick horse give a full dose of flunixin and then redose the horse a few hours later when he/she became uncomfortable again. This practice is not recommended for two reasons. First, overdosing can increase the risk of adverse effects including kidney damage and gastric ulcers. Second, if a horse's clinical signs do not resolve with a full dose, an examination by your veterinarian is likely warranted sooner rather than later and administering a second dose may delay treatment.
6)Flunixin can cause gastrointestinal and kidney damage. The same pathways that are down-regulated by flunixin to reduce pain and inflammation also partially protect the kidneys and stomach. At a normal dose the risk of these side effects is reduced. However, patients treated with an overdose or long term dosing are at an increased risk for renal (kidney) damage, gastric ulcers, and hind gut (colon) ulcers .
7)“Stacking” NSAIDs is not recommended. As previously stated, other drugs commonly used in horses that are also classified as NSAIDs include bute, Equioxx and Previcoxx). It is important to note that giving either of these medications together or in combination with flunixin can cause the same adverse effects as overdosing. For this reason,we do not recommend “stacking” NSAIDs or administering two of these drugs together. Many geriatric patients receive Equioxx or Previcoxx daily for pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. If this is the case, we recommend discontinuing that medication before starting another NSAID an allowing enough time for the body to clear the first drug completely.
8)Flunixin does not cause sedation or cure colic. Although we often use flunixin in colic cases, it is for the purpose of pain control. Alleviating the signs of colic by controlling pain is safer for the horse and handler when a horse is being treated and gives the horse’s body time to respond to treatment (ie oral fluids, IV fluids, motility agents). We often recommend removing hay/grain from a horse that has been administered flunixin for signs of colic until he/she can be examined by a veterinarian. In some cases, once the horse FEELS better he/she will try to continue eating and make the colic worse. If you think your horse may be colicking, we recommend calling your regular veterinarian and following her/his recommendations on medications and feeding.
9)Flunixin should NOT be given in the muscle (IM). Oddly enough, Banamine is still labeled for IM use in horses on the bottle but I strongly recommend against this practice. In rare cases, IM administration of flunixin (or phenylbutazone) has been known to cause a secondary condition called “Clostridial myositis” which can be fatal. The medication irritates the surrounding muscle tissue and bacterial spores can take advantage of the inflamed environment and cause a massive release of toxins. This disease is extremely painful and the treatment can be quite gruesome but horses that are not diagnosed and treated promptly may die from toxic overload. For this reason, we recommend only injecting flunixin in the vein (IV) or squirting the injectable fluid or paste in the mouth.
10)Flunixin injectable solution can be administered by mouth. The injectable formulation of flunixin can be administered by mouth at the same dose as IV use. Oral administration (either injectable solution or paste) takes about 20-30 min to reach full effect compared to 5-10 min with an IV injection. Oral administration does not take significantly longer than IM injection to reach peak absorption and is much safer for the horse.
Lastly always call your veterinarian if you suspect your horse appears off in any way before administering any medication.

10/21/2023

10/16/2023

What if I told you there are very few certified instructors to cover the states on the map below?

What if I gave you the breakdown on the number of horses in each of those states?
TN: 206,000
SC: 95,000
NC: 306,000
GA: 250,000
FL: 500,000
AL: 186,000
MS: 113,000

Who would have ever thought that in those 7 states, the total number of horses is 1,656,000? Definitely not me.

Do you know the number of equine veterinarians in the us only totals 3,785 for 2023?

Looking at only those seven states is a startling expression of our veterinary crisis.

I'm not throwing any numbers at you to scare you; that's never the goal. Our goal is for you to be armed to the teeth in your education to be your horse's first responder.

Are you prepared? Most people think they are. Our classes are so full of information that most people walk away realizing how NOT prepared they actually are.

Our goal is to help you to work within the veterinary crisis and educate you on all the areas you can help your vet to triage your case and others. The more informed you are, the better chance your horse will survive.

The 6 of us are scouring the southeast looking for host sites and can accommodate classes in our areas of most any size. Everything from summer camps to conferences, we work independently or together depending on class size. We even have the only Jr Instructor in the United States in our area available to teach the youth and fundamentals classes!

If you are interested in hosting or attending, please contact the instructor for your area.

For the Love of Horses, they need you to be their first responder.

Sara Carter
Linda Yopp
Jackie Matteo
MJ Aylesworth
Taylor Yarbrough
Equi-First Aid USA
Equi-First Aid Texas

10/15/2023

Well, it’s raking season, which also means potentially harmful leaves blowing into our paddocks. Keep an eye out for hazards and symptoms and provide enough forage to reduce the risk of horses eating leaves or accidentally ingesting them.

10/12/2023

09/20/2023

Come join us for another great class at White Nickel Ranch on Sunday September 24, 2023.

Equine Health and Emergency First Aid.
**This class is for ages 16 yrs and up.

Standard class is a pre-requisite to Advanced classes we will be holding in the near future.

Register on link below or please message me with any questions.

Please click the link to complete this form.

09/20/2023

This one is for the kids!!🤠🐴

Equine Health and Emergency First Aid hosted by White Nickel Ranch on Saturday September 23rd, 2023.

Sign your kids up and join us to learn how to take proper vital signs, recognize when their horse is in distress, how to bandage wounds and countless other valuable lessons.

***Ages 8 - 15 yrs old.

Use link below to register or message me with any questions.

Please click the link to complete this form.