Horse First Aid Kit Checklist and How to Take Vital Signs

Horse first aid kit checklist: why this fall is the time to restock

A good horse first aid kit checklist starts with two tools: a digital thermometer and a stethoscope. Add clean bandaging supplies, a spare halter, your vet's phone numbers, and the know-how to take your horse's temperature, pulse and respiration (TPR) before you ever need it.

September 2026 has given every barn a reason to open the box and check it. New World screwworm, a fly whose larvae feed on living tissue in wounds, was found in a Presidio County, Texas ranch horse on Sept. 9. A second U.S. horse case, a working ranch horse with a leg wound in Grant County, New Mexico, was identified on Sept. 17; US Equestrian reported USDA's confirmation on Sept. 22.

US Equestrian now asks owners to look over their horses every day for wounds, swelling, drainage, a foul smell or maggots. At the same time, strangles reports have come in from at least six states this month, including 20 confirmed cases at one private facility in King County, Washington.

Fever is often the first clue with strangles, showing up 24 to 48 hours before other signs, which is why veterinary guidelines call for checking temperatures twice a day during an outbreak. Yet in a 2020 owner survey cited by The Horse on Sept. 14, only 45% of owners correctly gave a horse's normal resting heart rate. A kit only works if you know what normal looks like.

What to keep in the barn: the supply list

Keep everything together in one clean, waterproof box with a lid, somewhere anyone at the barn can find it. Tape a contents list and your vet's number inside the lid.

Tools to check the horse

• Digital thermometer, with a string and clip tied to the end
• Stethoscope (an inexpensive one works fine)
• Watch or phone that shows seconds
• Flashlight or headlamp, plus a penlight for eyes and mouth
• Disposable gloves
• A card with your horse's normal vital signs

Wound supplies

• Sterile saline, for flushing wounds and eyes
• A mild antiseptic scrub your vet approves
• Sterile gauze pads and non-stick wound pads
• Roll cotton or sheet cotton, plus standing wraps
• Self-adhesive bandage ("vet wrap") and elastic adhesive tape
• Blunt-tip bandage scissors
• Clean, lint-free towels and instant cold packs

Hoof emergencies

• Hoof pick
• Poultice pads
• Disposable diapers, which make a soft, absorbent pad over the sole
• Duct tape, the tough outer layer of a hoof wrap

Handling and the unexpected

• Spare halter and lead rope
• Wire cutters for fence tangles
• Emergency ID tags for evacuations
• A twitch, only if your vet has shown you when and how to use one

Paperwork (in a zip-top bag)

• Numbers for your regular vet, a backup practice and the nearest equine hospital
• Coggins test and vaccination records, plus insurance details
• Who can make decisions if you can't be reached, and your spending limit for emergency care
• A list of any medications your horse takes

A word about medicines

Many online lists tell you to stock pain relievers. Keep only medicines your vet has prescribed for your horse, labeled with the vet's instructions, and give them only when your vet says so on the phone. Pain medication can hide the very signs your vet needs to see, especially with colic.

Pack a smaller copy for the trailer and trail rides. For everyday handling habits around the barn, see our safety guide.

Normal horse vital signs: the numbers to know

These are typical ranges for an adult horse at rest. Your own horse's normal matters more, so take readings on three or four calm days and write them on the card in your kit.

Exercise, heat and excitement all push the numbers up. Temperature also shifts by about 1 to 2 °F (roughly 0.5 to 1 °C) over the day, so note the time of every reading. Foals naturally run faster heart and breathing rates; ask your vet what's normal for a young horse.

How to take a horse's temperature, pulse and breathing

Practice in a quiet moment with a helper holding the horse. A horse that knows the routine stands still when it matters. For the bigger picture, see our health basics guide.

Temperature

1. Put a little lubricant on the thermometer tip.
2. Stand beside the hip, close to the horse, never directly behind.
3. Move the tail aside gently, slide the thermometer in and clip the string to the tail hair.
4. Wait for the beep, then take a second reading without removing it. Research summarized in Equine Disease Quarterly in 2026 found later readings often came out higher than the first.
5. If the two readings differ, take a third. Clean the thermometer after every horse.

Pulse

• Press the stethoscope just behind the left elbow. Each "lub-dub" is one beat.
• Count for 30 seconds and multiply by two.
• No stethoscope? Use two fingers to feel the artery that runs under the jawbone.

Breathing

• Watch the flank rise and fall. One in and one out counts as one breath.
• Count for 30 seconds and multiply by two. On cold mornings, the breath clouds at the nostrils are easier to count.

Gums, hydration and gut sounds

• Gums: Lift the upper lip. They should be moist and pink.
• Capillary refill: Press a thumb on the gum until it turns pale, then let go. Pink should return within 1 to 2 seconds.
• Skin pinch: Pinch a fold of skin on the neck or shoulder. It should flatten again within 1 to 3 seconds.
• Gut sounds: Listen high and low on both sides of the belly. Gurgles are normal; silence is a warning.

When to call the vet now

Call right away, day or night, for any of these. When in doubt, call: your vet would rather hear from you early than late.

• Any sign of colic: pawing, rolling, looking at the belly, no manure or no appetite
• Heavy bleeding, or a wound that is deep, gaping or spurting
• Any wound on or near a joint or tendon, even a small one
• A nail or sharp object in the hoof, or a horse that won't put weight on a leg
• Eye injuries: squinting, tearing, swelling or a cloudy eye
• Choke: feed and saliva coming out of the nose
• Trouble breathing, or hives with a swollen face
• Stumbling, weakness, or a horse that can't get up
• Maggots in any wound (vets report suspected screwworm to animal health officials)
• A foaling that isn't progressing, suspected poisoning or signs of heatstroke

Worth a same-day call

• A temperature of 101.5 °F (38.6 °C) or more at rest that holds on a repeat reading (over 105 °F is an emergency)
• Swelling, heat or lameness that isn't improving
• Skipping a meal, or drinking much less than usual
• A foul-smelling hoof with lameness, which can be more than simple thrush

What to do before the vet arrives

1. Stay safe. A horse in pain can kick, strike or drop suddenly. Keep a handler at the head and never kneel beside a horse that might roll.
2. Call first, then collect numbers. Your vet will ask for TPR, gum color, when signs started, manure and water intake, and anything already given.
3. For colic, remove all feed. Hay, grass and grain come out; water can stay. Let a quiet horse lie down, and walk a restless one gently, never to exhaustion.
4. For bleeding, apply pressure. Hold a clean pad firmly on the wound. If it soaks through, add another pad on top instead of pulling the first one off.
5. For limb wounds, keep the horse still. Gently clean around the wound, cover it with a non-stick pad and keep the horse stalled. Ask your vet before putting anything into the wound.
6. For a nail in the hoof, call before you pull. Vets prefer X-rays with the object still in place when possible, because its angle and depth show what it may have hit.
7. Give no medicine, food by mouth or home remedy unless your vet tells you to.
8. Keep notes. Recheck vitals as often as your vet asks, and take photos or a short video to show the vet.

Keep the kit ready: what to watch next

A kit is only as good as its last restock. Refill it after every use, and put a twice-a-year reminder on your phone to check expiration dates and flashlight batteries.

• This fall: Check horses daily for wounds, especially if you live in or haul through Texas or New Mexico, where screwworm zones keep changing.
• Strangles season: If your barn has an alert, take temperatures twice a day and log them.
• Cold snaps: Horses often drink less when it turns cold, a known colic risk. Know the resting heart rate before winter.
• Monthly: Practice TPR on a calm day and update the numbers on your card.

Ask your vet to show you how to wrap a leg and hoof at your next routine visit; ten minutes of hands-on practice beats any video. For more everyday routines, see our care guide.