FIRST AID FOR HORSES

Many people with sick or injured horses do not know how best to care for or treat the animal until the Vet arrives. A knowledge of first aid is invaluable.
First aid is the immediate management of any illness or injury and can be crucial in minimising the harm done after an accident. For straightforward injuries, basic first aid is still important to limit the primary damage, reduce complications and help in producing a full recovery as rapidly as possible.

FIRST AID FOR HORSES provides information on this essential first treatment and when it is necessary. It will not replace the need to call the vet but will help you to recognise problems before they become critical emergencies, give you an indication of when to seek veterinary advice and provide constructive suggestions as to what can be done whilst awaiting the vet's arrival.

The book will help the layman understand the treatment approach used by the vet and explain why, in some cases, timing is critical, whilst other situations will benefit ftom a 'wait and see' approach. It also answers the most frequently asked questions that a vet has to deal with on emergency calls, some of which involve genuine emergencies and others do not. Photographs of clinical cases have been used to illustrate a number of possible situations and the purpose of the book is to help you distinguish them and then know what to do once you have recognised a problem.

FIRST AID FOR HORSES should not be relegated to the bookshelf but should always be within easy reach of every horse owner and student when required.

Karen Coumbe studied at Girton College, Cambridge, and qualified as a veterinary surgeon in 1984. She worked for five years in a mixed practice and then moved to work solely with horses in 1989. Since then she has become a partner in a busy equine practice in Mereworth, Kent She has a particular interest in the training of equine veterinary nurses and is an examiner for the new equine vet nurse qualification. She is married and has one daughter.