Points to consider when traveling with your horse:
Traveling to a distant state or just across town, you will need to do some advanced planning. In Missouri it is your legal responsibility to have a current coggins test and if you are crossing state lines you will also need to have a health certificate. Coggins tests are testing for exposure to the disease Equine Infectious Anemia. This is a federal test that normally takes about a week to obtain. A health certificate is a testimony by your veterinarian that your horse is healthy and able to participate in public events, including transport on state and federal highways.
When traveling with your horse, it is important that you carefully examine the trailer in which your horse will be riding. Make sure there is enough room (width and height) for your horse. Make sure it is well-ventilated and clean. The floorboards should be carefully inspected to make sure they are not worn or rotted. Care should be taken to make certain the trailer is properly secured to the vehicle towing it. Lights should be in proper working order. When trailering the horse, leg wraps can help ensure protection from wounds and may provide some support to the legs over long hauls.
Finally, if you will be traveling, our doctors strongly recommend that you have a first aid kit available. If you have needed supplies, over the phone we can often help you manage an injury, begin needed medications and guide you to the nearest qualified equine veterinarian for assistance. Keep our number, 1-800-828-4517, handy as we are available to help even if you are out of town.
Equine First Aid Kits: Supplies for an emergency kit can be obtained from several sources. General bandaging materials are available at local tack stores as well as online catalogs. General medications and wound cleaning supplies are available at any pharmacy and prescription medications can be obtained from or through your veterinarian. A couple of skills you may want to develop would be the art of giving an intra-muscular injection or shot and the ability to take a horses temperature and determine how to obtain a pulse or heart rate with a stethoscope. A stethoscope can also be helpful in listening for intestinal, i.e. gut, sounds if you suspect your horse is suffering from a bout of colic. Talk with your veterinarian about these issues. Click here for a good source of materials for an emergency kits.
A good emergency kit will have the vast majority of the following items:
A stethoscope - Normal respiratory rate 16-20 breathes per minute. A normal heart rate is 30-40 beats per minute
A thermometer - Normal temperature is 99° - 101.5° F
Blunt tipped bandage scissors
A twitch for cooperation
A good flashlight
A good hoof-pick
A pair of wire cutters for injuries involving wire fences
An assortment of needles and syringes
Phenylbutazone i.e. bute tabs or paste for injuries, sprains and strains
An injection of Banamine for colic
Some form of an injectable tranquilizer
A bottle of an oral antibiotic such as Trimethoprim sulfa tablets for injuries and infections
Some form of topical antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin
A tube of a triple antibiotic opthalmic ointment
A tube of a hydrocortisone cream
Some disposable exam gloves
A pack of 4x4 gauze
A bottle of Betadine or similar wound cleanser
A bottle of peroxide for wounds
A roll or two of a bandage material called Elastikon
A couple of rolls of 6 inch brown roll gauze
A supply of Vet-Wrap or similar wraps
A role of cotton or Gamgee
Some Telfa or similar non-stick wound pads
A small container of Epson Salts
A roll of duct tape for a waterproof hoof wrap
The list for a kit such as this can go on and on and we list these in an effort to assist you in developing your own kit. Many times the goal is to provide immediate treatment to buy you and your horse time to seek professional help. At times you may be on the road and a very long distance from help, and in these instances with these items and an available phone, we can generally help guide and assist you through most problems.
Remember that preparation can provide tremendous rewards.
