Equine practical first aid courses

fankino04

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Hi, a friend who's a vet nurse in a horse hospital is looking at alternative jobs / careers with a bit more flexibility and the chance to be her own boss. We were throwing ideas around and one of them was to run basic first aid courses for new horse owners, obviously shes got the experience and training / qualifications, but do you think there is a market for it?
 

HorsesRule2009

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I think it would be in demand, but personally feel that potentially would need to travel slightly so those attending didn't dry up, or if near an ag college see if she can get in there? As they have new pupils every year.
I just think if only offering them in immediate area that there may initially be a large number wanting to attend but it wouldn't be like human first aid needed for jobs etc that would have to be repeated every x number of years, so numbers may dwindle.
 

Sealine

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A few years ago the RVC did a session for their clients. I can't remember if there was a charge but if there was it was minimal. It started with a session in one of the lecture halls on 'When to call the vet' where we were presented with various scenarios and had to vote on whether we would call the vet. The vet then talked through each scenario and the risks of delaying calling the vet e.g. injuries close to joints, eye injuries etc and what to do/not do whilst waiting for the vet e.g. don't apply ointments to injuries. There was a demo and have a go sessions with model horses on bandaging, poulticing and injecting anti-biotics (and probably others things I can't recall). We then had a demo from the fire service on what happens in an emergency involving horses. The scenario they used was a horse trapped in a ditch. They had a model horse and talked through the whole process.

What to have in a good first aid kit would be useful to include.

I've also been to talks from emergency services responders on how to deal with an emergency e.g. horse box break down/fire or rider fall requiring an ambulance and a general talk from the fire service on fire prevention and dealing with a yard fire.

If you could put something together in consultation with emergency services and present it as a more general horse first aid/safety course it may broaden your audience.
 
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What to include would most definitely be:

Emergency pressure bandage - vein/artery whatever cut.
Splint bandage
Robert Jones
What to do with a nail in a hoof
Standard bandage over a wound
What to use to clean - initially and ongoing
Ongoing care of wounds
What various lotions and potions to use and what ones to avoid

These are just some of the things we deal with every day (well not every single day obviously but some are once or twice a season jobs) and it's amazing just how little people know of the basics.
 

toppedoff

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What to include would most definitely be:

Emergency pressure bandage - vein/artery whatever cut.
Splint bandage
Robert Jones
What to do with a nail in a hoof
Standard bandage over a wound
What to use to clean - initially and ongoing
Ongoing care of wounds
What various lotions and potions to use and what ones to avoid

These are just some of the things we deal with every day (well not every single day obviously but some are once or twice a season jobs) and it's amazing just how little people know of the basics.
Lotions and potions especially daunt me, they just go over me head 😂
 
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Lotions and potions especially daunt me, they just go over me head 😂

So many people use Sudocrem - if your competing don't! It has a mild analgesic in it now. It never used to but at some point in the last couple of years they have added it in and you could fail a drug test for it. Plus it's just pointless. Purple spray is just an ink dye to make sure you remember where the would is 🙄 Hibiscrub is just for day 1 or 2 of wound cleaning, it's too harsh after that and salt water should be used.

Things I really rate - Intracite, Silveraid, manukau honey.

I have learned so so much over the years working in racing and end up being the Go To person for most ailments 🙄

I did surprise a vet one day. It was the day I lost Gray. As he turned up I said that he had has phynadine but that was 3 hours ago so I would like him to have a top up and you will need sedation. He kind of looked at me questioning but drew up the dope and brought the bottle of phynadine with him. We got drugs into Gray whilst I was explaining we need to find out what was going on with his jaw. Vet turned and said "I will go get some cleaning kit and some bandages out of the truck for the leg wound." His face was a little shocked when I said don't bother. We need to find out what was going on with the jaw first because if it was something I couldn't fix then there would be no point trying to fix the wound on the leg.

And I was right. The jaw was not only dislocated but it was shattered. We were pulled shards of bone out through the wound in the skin there. I couldn't fix that. I could have put a 19yo horse with melanomas through major reconstruction surgery and lose him to a bone infection £10k later. And that was just the jaw injury, that didn't include the ribs that I know had gone (but I knew hadn't punctured his lungs) and all the flesh wounds - including the partial degloving to the cannon bone on a front leg.

Eta - sorry that went massively off tangent 🙄😂😂
 

toppedoff

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So many people use Sudocrem - if your competing don't! It has a mild analgesic in it now. It never used to but at some point in the last couple of years they have added it in and you could fail a drug test for it. Plus it's just pointless. Purple spray is just an ink dye to make sure you remember where the would is 🙄 Hibiscrub is just for day 1 or 2 of wound cleaning, it's too harsh after that and salt water should be used.

Things I really rate - Intracite, Silveraid, manukau honey.

I have learned so so much over the years working in racing and end up being the Go To person for most ailments 🙄

I did surprise a vet one day. It was the day I lost Gray. As he turned up I said that he had has phynadine but that was 3 hours ago so I would like him to have a top up and you will need sedation. He kind of looked at me questioning but drew up the dope and brought the bottle of phynadine with him. We got drugs into Gray whilst I was explaining we need to find out what was going on with his jaw. Vet turned and said "I will go get some cleaning kit and some bandages out of the truck for the leg wound." His face was a little shocked when I said don't bother. We need to find out what was going on with the jaw first because if it was something I couldn't fix then there would be no point trying to fix the wound on the leg.

And I was right. The jaw was not only dislocated but it was shattered. We were pulled shards of bone out through the wound in the skin there. I couldn't fix that. I could have put a 19yo horse with melanomas through major reconstruction surgery and lose him to a bone infection £10k later. And that was just the jaw injury, that didn't include the ribs that I know had gone (but I knew hadn't punctured his lungs) and all the flesh wounds - including the partial degloving to the cannon bone on a front leg.

Eta - sorry that went massively off tangent 🙄😂😂
Haha thank you for the little insight with the things you use/don't use. haven't had to deal deal anything yet thankfully but I know touching wood will be futile with horses 🤦‍♀️ and so sorry to hear about Gray, sounds very awful - don't worry about the tangent!
 
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Haha thank you for the little insight with the things you use/don't use. haven't had to deal deal anything yet thankfully but I know touching wood will be futile with horses 🤦‍♀️ and so sorry to hear about Gray, sounds very awful - don't worry about the tangent!

I also have some amazing images on my phone of xrays, tendon scans, wounds etc! Might start a new thread for that...
 

fankino04

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There's definitely a market for it. There's one being run up here for £80 a person. Not sure what is actually involved in it as I didn't look closely at it. Its not something I would be interested in.
Have you got a link to whose running that, just to be nosey for research purposes x
 

jules9203

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I ran a few low level equine first aid sessions, in my area, and they were really popular. I'm not a vet nurse or a vet but am BHS Stage 4 qualified and had many years experience. I think this could be a really good idea, especially if you were prepared to travel with it. I'm sure lots of livery yards would be happy to hold a day/half day session.
 

fankino04

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I ran a few low level equine first aid sessions, in my area, and they were really popular. I'm not a vet nurse or a vet but am BHS Stage 4 qualified and had many years experience. I think this could be a really good idea, especially if you were prepared to travel with it. I'm sure lots of livery yards would be happy to hold a day/half day session.
Can I ask did you need any sort if insurance or indemnity type cover for teaching this?
 

Vodkagirly

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I thought a course would be useful and organised one for my riding club. Was only £5 each but very little interest so ended up cancelling.
 
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Oh my god yes please 😆 I'd love to see those, would be very interesting

 
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