Hey there. Long time no see! I know I said that I wouldn't be posting anything until June, but I am procrastinating quite a bit. Yesterday I did a huge amount of revision so I took the afternoon off to give the ponies some TLC. I then proceeded to make and post a video to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooyNOxI4hTA). I feel since I did that I owe the blog something as well so here is a bit of first aid for your pony, there wont be any pictures I don't think but part 2 I shall show you my kit.
Hello. So today class we are going to be talking about first aid. Now to clarify before the start this is not a veterinary opinion and in most cases of injury and in all cases of ill health you should call your vet. Now, throughout the years we have not had many medical problems with our ponies but some which are quite common. Here are some things that are a good idea for your pony.
1. Wound powder/cream.
2. Bandage and wool roll/gamgee
3. Absorption pads/poultice
4. Tweezers
5. Tick removers
6. Veterinary book/horse management book
7. Passport with all relevant records
8. Hibiscrub (You can buy this but medical people will be able to find some usually)
9. Scissors
10. Towels
11.Tape
12. Cloth/duster
13. Fly repellent
14. Wire cutters
Okay, so this all seems quite excessive, but most of this stuff you already have lying around, scissors, passports, wire cutters, cloth and fly spray are all permanent features in my stable (not in a first aid kit). It's likely most times where you do not need a vet is when your has had a wee scrape or something so I have a huge array of wound tentative supplies. Hibiscrub is brilliant for EVERYTHING, ears, hooves, mouths.. it is such a good antibacterial. You want tape and scissors to secure bandages and towels to mop up blood and other stuff. The cloth is good to apply sprays if your pony is spooky and I would also suggest muslin cloths for absorbing blood from wounds. (Muslin cloth is good for bandage as well if that is all you have) Plenty of times our pony's have had their legs stuck in fences so I think keeping a pair of wire cutters around is very handy. You always want to have your passports around so if you have the vet round, they can see what shots the pony has. Now this is just a suggestion but either be aware of your ponies insurance or have guidelines somewhere to hand. I have my insurance policy booklet close to the stable so we know what we can claim on and what we can't.
Right, I would suggest that you have arrangements for stabling if your horse needs boxrest and always have bedding and hay available in emergencies. We have one stable and two ponies, if both our ponies were to become ill/injured we have a neighbour with a barn set aside and numbers for local yards. Last year, Shannon, cut her heel on a fence, this is a very awkward wound to dress and heal. She managed this on my last week of school before summer so I had to stay home and make sure she was ok, we had arranged a holiday a few weeks later and she was still needing to be kept indoors and attended to, so we drove her over to the local yard where blue and I ride and they took care of her for the week. The care their was exceptional! Even though she misbehaved and was very ill mannered and bargy when we brought her, she soon settled down and everyone really liked her :) . I think, generally having contacts is a good idea so if you can try and visit local riding schools and yards, maybe find some hacking buddies just so that in these emergencies you do have people to turn to.
I would also suggest to get some surgical gloves but cleaning your hands in hibi scrub if you cant get gloves is a good idea. For those of you who are allergic to surgical gloves, superdrug does really good latex free glove which are pretty cheap. Now anytime, where its out of the ordinary and you don't know whats going on, CALL YOUR VET. Try to be aware of common illnesses you horse is likely to suffer from and to know the tell tale signs for it. The common ones I focus on are colic, laminitis, choking, flu infection and strangles. Lumps and bumps should be checked for whenever you are grooming your horse, if you are concerned that your horse is suffering from an infectious disease, try to isolate it, as quickly as possible!
Now, last little tip. When these emergencies do occur, stay absolutely calm, getting yourself in a state isn't going to help the situation. Stay calm and collected when around your horse, if you are squeamish then get someone else to do it, if you aren't looking at what you are doing then your likely to make a mistake. The internet is great in this scenarios but do not talk yourself into a frenzy, if you don't know what is going on, call a vet, maybe not to get them out but at least to get their opinion. Some situations can be quite traumatic for all involved, its best to stay as calm as you can and just don't get worked up and try to support the pony who is ill or injured. Also, WARNING, I'm about to get quite deep so feel free to stop reading. If your horse or pony is so ill or injured and the only thing to be done is for them to be put to sleep, do not try and change the situation and make it worse. It's a horrible situation that people go through but having a tantrum at the vet is not going to make the problem disappear, I find my love for my horse is so extreme, I would do so much for them, and when you are in that situation it is so hard to accept it has to happen and it is, actually, the nicest thing to do for them.
WOW, okay, now that was a depressing ending, sorry xx Like I said earlier, this is not a professional opinion and is just my experience so please when you are unsure CALL A VET. Righto, I hope you guys are enjoying this sun and continue to. I shall be back, very soon :D Until the next time lads :)
