Equine First Aid: A Stable Herd
Your horses’ lives are in your hands and they rely on you completely for their health and welfare. In an emergency, do you know what information to give your veterinarian and what to do before your vet arrives or you transport your horse to the clinic? Can you take your horse’s vital signs? Can you do basic wound care? Do you know how to cover an eye injury? Can you recognize signs of illness? Do you have an equine first aid kit? Do you how to trailer your horses safely? If you can’t answer all of these questions with a definitive “Yes!” for all the situations that might arise, then Equine Emergency First Aid training is exactly what you need. Are you fully prepared for a disaster – flood, fire, hurricane…? If not, the Disaster Planning & Emergency Preparedness course is for you. Do you haul your horse? Safe Trailering Practices will help you keep your horse safe & legal on the road. Host barns receive complimentary trainings, non-profit hosts receive donations.
Equi-First Aid USA helps horse owners and horse lovers improve the health and safety of their equine companions by delivering classes in equine health and emergency first aid, advanced equine first aid, disaster planning, and safe trailering training to individuals, clubs, and organizations. The program was established in 2007 with the vision of educating horse owners in emergency first aid and providing quality training. The classes were developed by veterinarians in conjunction with farriers, equine chiropractors, equine massage therapists, and other equine experts and are revised and updated when appropriate. The classes are recognized across the US, Canada, Australia and beyond. The organization is governed by a team of veterinarians and a Board of Advisors.
Contact us to either join a class or to set one up. Instructors are available across Canada and the USA.
Classes
Equine Health and Emergency First Aid (1 day) $159.00
Our most comprehensive course! Join us for a one day course covering: what your vet needs to know, conditioning a horse to accept treatment, taking vital signs, dealing with lacerations, punctures, colic, choke, collapse, casting, shock, hoof issues, recognizing pain in the horse and pain source identification, spinal health, injury prevention techniques and so much more! All attendees receive a certificate of completion, first aid manual and a “vitals” reference card.
Advanced Equine First Aid – Plan, Prepare, React! (1 day) $159.00
Join us for a one day advanced equine emergency first aid course and learn what to do in the more serious situations. Covering everything from serious lacerations to poison, burns to bites, fractures to sucking chest wounds, this course prepares the student to handle serious injuries while waiting for the vet. All attendees receive a certificate of completion and a manual.( Equine Health & Emergency First Aid is a pre-requisite prior to attending the Advanced class).
Advanced Wilderness & Remote Equine First Aid – Plan, Prepare, React to emergencies while out on the trail! (1 day) $159.00
Join us for a one day highly advanced equine emergency first aid course and learn what to do in the most extreme situations! Covering everything from lacerations to poison, burns to bites, fractures to sucking chest wounds, this course prepares the student to handle serious injuries while in wilderness and remote locations. All attendees receive a certificate of completion and a manual. (Equine Health & Emergency First Aid is a pre-requisite prior to attending the Advanced class).
Disaster Planning and Emergency Preparedness Training (1 day) $159.00
A MUST for any livestock owner, this course will train you in fire prevention, planning for and executing safe evacuation procedures, hidden dangers and responding to first aid emergencies. It also covers what to do in natural disasters such as flooding, wild fires, ice storms, hurricanes, tornadoes and more. Don’t be unprepared – we can help you help your animals. This course is suitable for any livestock operation, not just horses and is supported by the insurance industry. All attendees receive a certificate of completion and a manual.
Safe Trailering Practices (1 Day – ages 14+) $159.00
Keeping your horse safe is your number one priority. Is your trailer safe and do you know what your horse experiences during a collision? What are the protocols, your responsibilities and liabilities when involved in an accident and laws around hauling? Do you know if the size and layout of your trailer provides your horse comfort and stability or if is putting strain on their body, leading to potential injury? Join us for a hands-on day of learning how to keep your horse as safe as possible and be prepared for the unthinkable. All attendees receive a certificate of completion and a manual.
Equine First Aid Fundamentals (half day – ages 10+) $89.00
This is a half-day, fast-paced clinic covers the fundamentals of equine first aid. Working hands on with the horses, you will learn to take vital signs, recognize pain in the horse, detect colic, and participate in plenty of bandaging in realistic scenarios! All attendees receive a certificate of completion and a first aid reference handbook.
Backcountry First Aid (half day – ages 10+) $99.00
This class is designed for the trail rider who needs to know Equine First Aid Basics while in a remote location. This three-hour course is a super-condensed version of our Advanced Wilderness class and covers: planning for your trail adventure, including communications, what to pack etc.; preparing your horse(s) for the trail, including conditioning and how much they can pack; vital signs; wounds; bandaging; snake bites; fractures, and more! Includes a reference guide to pack with you and a certificate of completion.
I Can Help! Horse First Aid for Kids (3 hours – ages 5-10) $59.00
Have a horse crazy youngster? Sign them up for the 3 hour kids program. They’ll learn horse safety and basic first aid in a fun, hands on environment. There’s even a recipe for horse cookies in their handbook and they’ll all get a certificate of completion! No horse experience necessary!
YAY OR NEIGH – Farm Safety for Kids (half day – ages 5-10) $59.00
In this fun and interactive class, kids will learn about staying safe around livestock and machinery, as well as fire and other extreme situations! This 3 hour course will give your kids the tools they need to be safe, proactive and make good decisions.
Safety First – The Barn and Beyond (3 hours) $59.00
Looking to buy your first horse? Your first acreage? New to the world of ranching or just want to get close to a horse and learn more about them? Join us for a 3-hour comprehensive safety course focusing on farm safety, livestock safety and – of course – safety around horses!
Certified Safe Facility Program
Facilities that are certified as CERTIFIED SAFE by Equi-First Aid USA have met the following criteria:
- They have hosted an Equi-First Aid USA-sanctioned Equine Health and Emergency First Aid clinic and have staff or volunteers onsite with current first aid certification.
- They have hosted an Equi-First Aid USA-sanctioned Advanced Equine Emergency First Aid (either version) clinic and have staff or volunteers onsite with current advanced certification.
- They have hosted an Equi-First Aid USA-sanctioned Disaster Planning and Emergency Preparedness clinic and have staff or volunteers onsite with current certification.
- They have an ongoing relationship with Equi-First Aid USA, remaining up-to-date on new health and emergency protocols, and host a minimum of two Equi-First Aid USA-sanctioned courses per year, with any of the currently certified Equi-First Aid USA Instructors.
- Facilities who meet these criteria are awarded an annual Certified Safe certificate to hang on their facility wall. They will also have their facility listed on the Equi-First Aid USA, with website link and contact information at no charge.