As a horse owner, you know that your buddy can show up any time with a scrape or a cut. That’s why barn first-aid kits are equine essentials.

Any kit should have plenty of clean absorbent materials — even diapers or sanitary napkins will do the trick. For wound compression to help stop bleeding, add elastic bandages or even polo wraps, which are usually used to wrap a horse’s legs for protection. Also include a bottle of mild soap or iodine antiseptic for wound cleaning.

Silver sulfadiazine cream — that’s SSD — or triple antibiotic ointment is useful for some wounds. You might also keep a make-shift splint on hand — one fashioned from a PVC pipe cut lengthwise, which can be shortened to size.

Ask your veterinarian for more suggestions as well as tips on when to attempt wound management yourself and when to reach out for help.