Hands-on Horse Care: The Complete Book of Equine First-Aid
March 11, 2010 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Product Description
Three simple-reference sections use carefully crafted questions and answers devised by veterinarians to provide all the tools needed to deal with everything from general horse care and welfare to more serious illnesses and injuries. With its highly visual flow-chart format readers can start with an observed symptom, determine whether it’s a potential problem that warrants action and be guided towards the best course of action to take. Full of invaluable instruction … More >>
This book would be useful to anyone who handles horses regularly. I will be getting it out any time I wonder, “Should I call the vet?” Anyone with horses knows that happens frequently. But this book will see a lot more use than that.
In addition to basic wound care and evaluating vital signs, the book covers skills which have become less common in modern barns such as making and using poultices, wraps, and hoof boots. It gives clear instructions, usually with photos, for many necessary horsekeeping skills like giving shots, keeping a first-aid kit, and determining which leg is lame. Common toxic plants are charted with their locations, symptoms, and treatments. While I like to have more details and usually pick my vet’s brain for hours, the glossary gives basic descriptions of many conditions that can get the curious started on researching more in depth explanations.
The book is not a veterinary manual though; it is a reference for what horseowners can do without needing the knowledge that veterinarians go to school for years to get. The first 192 pages are about determining, through yes-or-no question flowcharts, whether a symptom warrants calling the vet or using a home treatment. The home treatments are described clearly with your safety and your horses needs in mind.
Rating: 5 / 5
I would compare having this book to having a good mentor that’s been around horses for several years. You walk out to the barn, you notice some symptom or sign and instead of bugging that mentor with a phone call; you look up the symptom in the book. The book will help you analyze the situation and whether or not you should call the vet. For me, it has eased some fears and provided some basic knowledge about what is going on with my horse.
Rating: 4 / 5
I really loved this book!! It gave me a lot of information about what was wrong and what to do and even though I don’t own a horse yet, it gives me a feel on what to expect when I start working with them to that extent. I do wish it was spiral bounded but other than that it was an awesome book.
Rating: 5 / 5
Nothing can replace your vet, but this one is a keeper. No barn should be without a copy.
Rating: 4 / 5
This book will pay for itself with the money you will save from unnecessary emergency vet visits. Using clear yes/no questions, the book takes the guesswork out of knowing whether you need to call the vet or if it is something that you can treat yourself. The book is alphabetized by sign, so if your horse has a bump, you look up “bump.” It tells you exactly how to deal with the just about any problem and, if you need to call the vet, what you can do while you’re waiting. In addition, it is a handy reference guide with vaccination and deworming schedules, how to check a horse’s condition, how-to give injections or wrap and has a photographic index of plants that are toxic to horses. In my opinion, EVERY barn and horse owner should have a copy of this on hand.
Rating: 5 / 5