The stall pharmacy for emergencies - Fill it clever with the checklist

Nothing displeases us riders more than a sick or injured horse. How quickly it can happen that your darling kicks himself in the pads during a romp in the paddock, a scuffle between fellow riders ends with a bite wound or he gets a small graze while rolling around.


These are mostly harmless wounds that you can easily take care of on your own. It is therefore advisable to have a first-aid kit in your stable. This way you are well prepared and can administer first aid to your horse in no time.

While you can take care of small things yourself, in case of more serious injuries you should of course contact the vet as soon as possible.

It is advisable to make a telephone list for emergencies (vet, owner, farrier...) and to keep the veterinary pharmacy and list close at hand. This will make it much easier for you to act immediately.

But what belongs in the stable pharmacy? Which medicines are useful?

With our 3 sub-items it will certainly be easier for you to fill your horse pharmacy.

The stable pharmacy checklist:

1.Medication:

- Blue spray (disinfectant spray)

- Aluminium spray (film-forming, breathable and disinfecting protection)

- Betaisodona or povidone-iodine (also disinfectant)

- Equimyl(R) emulsion (immediate relief of itching)

- Rivanol(R) solution (antiseptic, locally applicable for poultices and baths)

- Colosan (this is the best first aid for horses at the first signs of colic)

- Clay paste (cools pleasantly and is ideal for tendons and ligaments after heavy use)

- Zinc ointment (for weeping skin wounds)

- Panthenol ointment (wound ointment for horses with dry wounds)

- Flower essences according to Dr. Bach for acute cases (not a must, but a plus as quick psychological help)

- Cooling gel (useful for swellings without injury)

- Saline solution

2.Material for bandaging:

- Self-adhesive bandages

- Sterile compresses (for cleaning wounds)

- non-sterile compresses (for padding the frog furrow or for attaching the ointment)

- Tissue tape/armour tape (for hoof dressings)

- gauze

- adhesive plaster tape

- sterile and non-sterile wound covers (ideally in different sizes)

- Gauze bandages and elastic bandages (for fixation)

- Bandaging cotton wool

3.Tools and accessories of a first-aid kit:

- Tick forceps

- Stethoscope

- tweezers

- Scissors (possibly stainless steel, curved bandage scissors)

- Disposable gloves

- Fever thermometer (preferably with a wrist strap and a clothes peg so that it does not disappear in the bottom!)

- Torch

- cool packs

- Possibly a nasal decongestant

- Disposable syringes

- large, sterile syringe (filled with saline solution perfect for rinsing out fresh wounds)

- a medical shoe should be mentioned (one size fits all would be ideal)

- hoof dressing tools (keep rasp, hoof knife and horseshoe removal pliers separate, because of germs!)

- Curd soap (old stable master's remedy: good for the smallest wounds, insect infestation and initially emerging thrush)

- Small pad and pen (to write down the PAT values).

Note:
The medicines should be checked regularly. Are they already opened, dried up, empty or has the expiry date already passed?

Make sure that bottles and tubes are closed properly! Always wash your hands before handling or use disposable gloves! If you have a show horse, ingredients must be taken into account and this information must be mentioned to the vet. Ideal: Before buying your medication, you can easily check the active ingredients at the online pharmacy.

Important know-how for you:

PAT values (for an adult horse):

Pulse: 28 - 40 beats per minute. Palpable at the mandibular artery (behind the gaucho) or at the metatarsus.

Respiration: 8 - 16 breaths per minute. Visible e.g. on the nostril or flank movement.

Temperature: 37.0 - 38.5 °C (measured in the anus of the animal).

Don't be ashamed to write this data on a small piece of paper and add it to the stable medicine cabinet. In fact, in an emergency you will be so confused that this little cheat sheet is worth its weight in gold. These preliminary measurements are also a great help for your vet.

Homeopathic remedies can be a useful addition to your stable pharmacy. Horses respond really well to the small globules. They are also easy to dose and handy to administer. For example, NUX VOMICA is an effective remedy for initial colic in addition to the well-tried Colosan. APIS MELLIFICA can also help you and your horse with nasty insect bites.

Would you like to prepare yourself even better in practice for an emergency? That is possible. Many clinics or vets offer a first aid course for horses. PAT measurement, cleaning, bandaging etc... - everything is clearly explained and learned there. In combination with your pharmacy, you will be well prepared. Even better if you never need it!

Our recommendation:

We at Animalon recommend ordering your utensils for the stable pharmacy online on the Shop Apotheke homepage. The Shop Apotheke delivers super fast within 1-2 working days and even free of charge from an order value of 19 €. This way, you'll have your "cupboard full" in no time at all.

Further advantages of the Shop Apotheke:


- You can look at it at home in peace
- qualified staff are available to answer your questions or give you detailed advice on the free hotline
- a super price/performance ratio
- You undoubtedly have a more extensive selection
- great products from well-known brands
- collect so-called RedPoints which you can then redeem for instant discounts

Visit the Shop Apotheke website and convince yourself of the extensive range and the absolutely brilliant price/performance ratio.

Written by Marie Augustin