6 Things to Do Before an Emergency
- Post emergency contact information for your vet and farrier in the barn and save it in your phone.
- Know how to take your horse’s temperature, pulse and respiration and be aware of these typical resting vital signs. “We do resting TPRs for every horse in the barn and those should be posted in every barn or in a notebook,” says Samantha Burton Henley, facility manager at Sandy River Equestrian Center.
- Check your first-aid kit monthly and toss out and replace expired medication.
- Replace anything you take out of your first-aid kit as soon as possible.
- Educate yourself. Make sure you know how to use everything in your kit or have your veterinarian show you. Practice wrapping your horse’s leg before a stressful emergency situation.
- Keep your horse’s health records up to date and handy so you can answer any questions your vet might have about his medical history.
Practical Horseman 2018