2 min read
There’s nothing worse than your horse cutting their leg or getting an abscess late on a Sunday night when all the shops are closed, so here are our must-have items to keep in your first aid kit so you never get caught out!
1. Roma Cohesive Bandages are our go-to when it comes to cuts and wounds. They’re easy to use being a self-adhesive bandage and can be used in a variety of circumstances. Always make sure you have two up your sleeve in case of an emergency!
2. Elastotape Bandages are commonly used on top of a cohesive bandage and are made from a strong, woven elasticated fabric. These are fantastic to use for extra support, immobilisation, compression bandaging, securing a poultice, and dressing retention.
3. Cotton Wool provides cushioned padding and support, ideal for areas like the fetlock, hock and tendons. When it comes to wounds, cotton wool can also be used as a wound dressing for infected and discharging wounds, plus provides protective wound padding underneath cohesive bandages or elastotape bandages.
4. Gauze Swabs are an item that can do multiple things! Use them as a dressing for a wound or to clean wounds. You can apply topical ointment to the skin and then stick a gauze over the top and bandage to keep them in place.
5. Our top pick when it comes to wound cleaning is Betadine Solution. This antiseptic product is powerful, effective and suitable for multiple uses. It works by quickly killing bacteria and fungi around wounds and abrasions, allowing them to heal cleanly and quickly.
6. Virbac Cetrigren Antiseptic Spray is our go-to product for cuts, scrapes, superficial wounds, and even provides protection from insect associated damage. Cetrigen is an antibacterial topical application for use on open wounds in cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, poultry, and all other animals, so it’s worth its weight in gold!
7. Animalintex Poultice And Wound Dressing is perfect for those pesky abscesses you can’t draw out, and works to draw out any bacteria in wounds. You can use it a few different ways: hot, cold, and dry. Hot is ideal for drawing out abscesses and infections. Cold is ideal to reduce swelling and soreness, and dry is perfect as an antiseptic dressing.
8. Needing to keep a poultice in place, but your paddocks are muddy? The Roma Cloth Tape is for you! This strong and versatile adhesive tape is easy to use and can be torn by hand so you don’t need scissors. It will keep your poultice/bandage in place.
9. If you’re worried that your horse may be unwell, the first thing you should check is their temperature with a thermometer. A horse’s normal temperature is somewhere between 37-38.5ºC, so it’s important to be able to check this regularly and easily.
10. Removing bandages can be tricky without the right scissors so having a pair of Roma Bandage Scissors will make life easier! These are specially designed for the removal of bandages and feature a bent stainless steel for easy bandage removal.
At Horseland we’re here to help care for your horse’s wellbeing. We offer all the essentials to keep your horse healthy and happy, from wormers and equine first aid supplies, to supplements and pest control. Head into your local Horseland store or browse our range of horse health products online.
