Equine First Aid Essentials: Emergency Care for Horse Owners
Be ready when it matters most.
Equine First Aid Essentials teaches you how to recognize emergencies, respond correctly, and make confident decisions when your horse needs you most.
From wounds and colic to choking, laminitis, and allergic reactions, this course focuses on the real situations horse owners face at the barn and on the trail.
What you’ll walk away with:
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Know when something is an emergency and when it’s not
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Handle common situations with confidence while waiting for your vet
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Communicate clearly and effectively in urgent situations
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Build a first aid kit that actually prepares you
Self-paced online course + final exam + certificate included.
What You'll Learn
Emergency Conditions Covered
- Lacerations & wound care
- Eye injuries
- Penetrating trauma
- Limb fractures & cellulitis
- Acute laminitis
- Choke (esophageal obstruction)
- Colic
- Down horse
- Tying up
- Allergic reactions & anaphylaxis
Skills You'll Develop
- Identifying early signs of pain, illness, and distress
- Safe medication administration (oral, eye, and intramuscular)
- Building and organizing an equine first aid kit
- Trailer preparedness and hauling safety
- When and how to call your veterinarian effectively
Full Learning Objectives
- Be able to perform a basic physical exam of the horse
- Know normal reference ranges for TPR in the horse
- Learn how to safely take the temperature of a horse
- Learn the three important steps to take when a horse has a laceration
- Understand why the location of a wound is critical
- Learn how to arrest hemorrhage
- Understand when suturing is necessary and possible
- Learn how to appropriately clean a wound
- Learn how to correctly apply a bandage to a wound
- Recognize signs of ophthalmic injury or disease
- Learn how to apply medication to the eye
- Learn when you should and should not remove a foreign body from a hoof
- Understand the mechanics of laminitis
- Know how to recognize signs of acute laminitis
- Know how to assess digital pulses
- Understand the causes and treatment for cellulitis
- Recognize signs of distress/irritation in the equine
- Understand how and why choke occurs in the horse
- Know how to respond to a choking horse
- Recognize symptoms of colic
- Understand the impact of grain overload
- Know what to do when a horse colics
- Be familiar with common medications used during colic
- Know how to safely roll/reposition a down horse
- Understand the cause of Tying Up
- Understand the difference between an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis
- Be familiar with common equine emergency medications
- Understand weight distribution in a horse trailer
- Understand the importance of a “pre-drive checklist” for hauling
Why Horse Owners Take This Course
Equine First Aid Essentials is one of our most popular courses because it focuses on the situations horse owners face most often. From minor injuries to serious emergencies like colic, laminitis, choking, and allergic reactions, it prepares you to act quickly and confidently.
Developed by equine veterinarians, this course combines science-based knowledge with practical skills you can apply immediately in the barn.
Course Level
Beginner to Intermediate
Continuing Education Eligibility
PATH Intl, Herd Institute, ETAA
Audience
Horse Owners, Homeschool Students, New Horse Owners, Horse Enthusiasts, Barn Workers, Stable Managers
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