ARCHIVE EQUINE NEWS STORIES

Story by: Jackie Bellamy-Zions

If your tack locker lives in an unheated area and stores your first aid kit, there are certain items that may need relocating once temperatures dip below zero.

1. Topical creams and ointments - hard to spread once frozen, separation can occur and the active ingredient may not withstand the cold.
2. Injectable medications – many do require storage in the fridge but others must be kept at room temperature. Always check with your veterinarian where to store medications.
3. Oral medications – while some medicines can withstand a wide temperature range, certain ones require storage between 2°C and 8°C, and others can be irreversibly degraded even by brief periods at sub-zero temperatures – check the bottle and if you do not see any directions, consult your veterinarian.

Also check expiration dates and dispose of any medications that look damaged or past their effective date safely – your veterinarian will often take them off your hands or will be able to advise best practices.

Now that your first aid kit is up to date, how about updating your skills?

Following on the heels of a highly successful, hands-on Equine First Aid workshop held at Grand River Raceway in Elora, Equine Guelph announces the launch of a new one-week online Equine First Aid course on TheHorsePortal.ca! The first offering will run Feb 25 – March 4, 2019.

Guest expert Dr. Laura Frost from Halton Equine Veterinary Services, will be guiding participants through topics including:

The Principals of Triage – including the do’s and don’t of first aid
Horse Assessment – how to do a health check and common injuries/sicknesses
Wound Management
Your First Aid Kit
Responding to Painful Eye Issues

Accidents and injuries can happen at any time and as a horse care giver it is essential to learn how to administer first aid safely and effectively until professional help arrives.

Equine First Aid on TheHorsePortal.ca has been developed with the input of top equine veterinarians and will be of great value to everyone involved with horses – grooms, trainers, drivers, coaches and riders. When minutes count, we need to know how to make the most of every second.

This course is made possible through a grant from the Grand River Agricultural Society. Equine Guelph thanks all the partners involved with this project: Ontario Racing, Intercity Insurance Services Inc. and CapriCMW Insurance Services Ltd., Ontario Equestrian, Standardbred Canada and Grand River Agricultural Society.

Give yourself the peace of mind knowing that you can help your horse when they need you most. * Registrants are to be 16 years of age or older.

Register today: TheHorsePortal.ca