Equine Emergency Checklist: What to Do Before the Vet Arrives

The moments between recognising an emergency and the vet’s arrival are the ones you can prepare for. Everything else is out of your hands.

Call first

Before anything else, call your vet. Describe what you are seeing, when it began, and any vitals you can take. Then follow their instructions rather than barn-aisle advice.

What to do while you wait

• Take the vitals you can — temperature, heart rate, gum colour, gut sounds. These help enormously over the phone.
• Remove food if colic is suspected, so you are not adding to a possible blockage.
• Keep the horse safe and quiet. Hand-walk only if the horse is willing and you can do it safely.
• Clear a path for the vet’s vehicle, and have someone hold the horse.

What not to do

Do not give Banamine, bute or any medication unless instructed — it masks the symptoms your vet needs to read. Do not walk a painful horse to exhaustion. Do not wait to see whether it passes when signs are escalating.

Prepare before you need to

Write your horse‘s normal vitals on a card in the tack room. Save the emergency number in your phone. Know how your area’s after-hours rotation works, and keep the trailer roadworthy. Preparation is the part you control.

Frequently asked questions

What should I tell the vet on the phone?

What you are seeing, when it started, the horse’s vitals if you can take them, and what you have already done. Be specific and calm.

What vitals should I know?

Temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, gum colour and capillary refill. Learn your horse’s normal figures now, while nothing is wrong.

Should I give medication while I wait?

Not unless your vet instructs it. Painkillers mask symptoms and make the examination harder.

What should be ready before an emergency?

Your vet’s emergency number, a working trailer, a halter you can find in the dark, and a written record of your horse’s normal vitals.