FIRST
AID
FOR
YOUR
HORSE
First Aid for the Horse Owner
There are many situations which can cause extreme distress to horse owners, especially
when owners feel useless whilst waiting for a vet to arrive. Here are some of the common
equine emergencies and what you can do if they happen to your horse.
Normal parameters for a horse
To know whether your horse is unwell you need to know what is considered to be normal.
Here is a table with are basic parameters that a vet will always check, or would like to know
information on, when they are speaking to you in regard to an emergency. On one side is
what is considered to be normal, on the other what is abnormal.
Parameter
Mucous Membrane Colour
Normal
Pale pink
Abnormal
Dark pink, red, purple, black,
white
Capillary Refill Time (CRT)
1-2 seconds
< 1 sec and > 2 sec
Heart Rate
28bpm (large or v.fit horse) 44bpm (smaller or unfit
horse)
12-20 breaths/min
> 48-50bpm
>20 breaths/min
Gut Sounds
Hear a gurgle every 20-30sec
Decreased or increased
Temperature
37.5-38.5oC
< 37.5 and >38.5oC
Digital Pulses
Just able to palpate
“Bounding”
Faeces
Formed balls
Urine
Yellow, can be clear or
cloudy
Watery, unformed or firmly
formed with mucus
Red, brown discharge
(beats per min)
Respiratory Rate
(breaths per min)
** Please remember that these parameters need to be assessed in conjunction with the
demeanor of the horse and other clinical signs it may be showing.
Explanation of parameters:
Mucous membrane colour: the colour of the non-pigmented area of the gums. You can see
the gums easily by peeling back the upper or lower lips. Some horses will have areas of their
gums that have dark pigment so look black, this is normal.
Capilliary Refill Time (CRT): when you press the gums of your horse so the colour goes white
and count how long it takes for the colour to come back. This assesses perfusion of the
peripheral circulation. Can be very short when in shock and long when dehydrated or blood
flow has slowed for various reasons.
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Heart Rate: You will need a stethoscope to assess this and even then in large horses, it can
be difficult. For the best chance to hear the heart, the stethoscope should be placed on the
left side of the chest tucked forward underneath the left elbow. Measure in beats per minute
(take over 15sec and then multiply 4)
Respiratory Rate: Can measure this by looking at the abdomen as it enlarges when a breath
is taken (breaths/min).
Gut Sounds: There are 4 places to listen for gut sounds and these listen to different areas of
the gut. Again, you will need a stethoscope for this. You listen to the left and right sides, in the
flank area. The upper measurement is taken at the top of the flank whorl and the lower
measurement is taken at the bottom of the flank whorl.
Temperature: a thermometer in the rectum, hold in place for 1minute.
Digital Pulses: This is probably the hardest measurement to take - there are vessels that run
on the inside and the outside of each leg that can be easily palpated. The pulse can be taken
by gently placing your fingers over the vessel at a level just above the fetlock and feeling for a
pulse. If you press too hard, you will occlude the vessel and you won’t feel the pulse, so be
gentle! Also, get an idea of what is normal for your horse by feeling the pulses regularly.
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Common First Aid problems and what you can do
1. Wounds: Most occur on the lower limbs, which don’t have a lot of underlying muscle or
tendon, but, despite how awful it looks, the basic 1st aid is still the same.
 Try to clean off the gross dirt and contamination with a gentle hose. Do not spray firmly
as this can cause dirt to travel deeper into wounded tissues.
 Attempt to stop bleeding by applying firm pressure with a clean towel.
 Try not to touch the wound poke fingers into it. Despite how dirty it looks, your hands
can easily contaminate the wound with bacteria or push dirt and other contaminants
further into the wound.
 Once clean, apply a clean pressure bandage to cover the wound.
 Call your Vet. Information they will want to know;
o Where is the wound?
o How big is it and how deep?
o Is there any bone or tendon showing?
o How lame is your horse?
2. Colic: Possibly one of the scariest situations that a horse owner can encounter. Good
news is, probably about 90% of the horses we see with colic do not require referral and
improve with some pain relief and a drench!
 If you have a box or a clean paddock and can move your horse without causing injury,
move your horse into this area. This way, you can monitor how much faeces they pass.
 Don’t offer food if you can help it, if there is a blockage in the intestine (impaction)
feeding will worsen the situation.
 Monitor the signs of colic in your horse, i.e. flank watching, pawing, lying down or
rolling.
 You can walk your horse and note if the signs of colic disappear while you are walking.
 A common myth is that letting your horse roll will cause a twist in the bowel. Whilst this
can happen, it is a VERY rare occurrence and there is no point in injuring yourself in
order to stop a horse from rolling. If they want to roll, stand clear and let them do it.
Horses with colic, will roll but not shake once they are up.
 If it is safe enough and you are able to, take as many of the vital signs as you can.
 Call your vet as soon as you notice signs of colic- don’t wait. The longer you wait, the
worse things will get. Information your vet will want to know;
o How long has it been happening?
o What sort of signs is your horse showing?
o Has it passed any faeces?
o Has there been any change in diet or routine recently?
o If you have taken vital signs, your vet will appreciate that information!
3. Laminitis: One of the most common situation owners of ponies will encounter. Laminitis is
caused by high sugars in fast-growing green feed and is most commonly seen in spring and
early summer, although can be seen at any time of the year. The signs of laminitis can range
from non-weight bearing lameness in one limb to a shuffly gait with weight shifting.
Management for laminitis includes removing the pony from the green feed, pain relief and
padding the feet and box rest in deep bedding. If you believe your pony has laminitis it is
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important to contact your vet as if left untreated it can lead to sinking of the pedal bone which
is essentially fatal to the horse.
4. Non-weight bearing Lameness (foot abscess/fractures): Finding a horse with on-weight
bearing lameness in a horse is always very stressful. Lameness of this degree can be
something as minor as a hoof abscess or as serious as a fatal fracture. If you find your horse
with severe lameness it is better to leave them where they are and call your Vet as moving
them may exacerbate the problem or also leave your horse susceptible to injury to the other
limbs.
5. Sore eyes: A sore eye is something that many owners do not take as seriously as they
should. The eye is a very sensitive organ and if injury to the eye is not treated promptly it can
mean blindness or even the eye needing to be removed. Signs of a sore eye include,
weeping, squinting, bluey/opaque/white look to the eye, bloody, swelling around the eye,
foreign body, e.g. grass seed or stick poking out and redness. If you see these signs, you can
give the eye a clean with clean warm water but there is not much else that can be done and it
is imperative that you call your vet to check the eye out.
6. Snake Bite: Despite many horse owners being terrified of snake bite, it is actually quite
uncommon and most horses with suspected snake bite actually are suffering from another
disease. The common signs of snake bite are collapse, muscle fasciculations (shivering),
sudden death, swelling around the bite region which is most commonly the muzzle. If you
notice any of these signs or suspect that your horse has been bitten, you must contact your
Vet immediately- the vast majority of horses will die without anti-venine.
If you are ever concerned about any issue with your horse it is better to be safe than
sorry. Please don’t hesitate to contact our experienced and dedicated staff at Tony’s
Practice on 5427 9200. We provide 24 hour emergency care, 7 days a week, 365 days
of the year.
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