One area we have not touched on is a First Aid Kit that should be carried in your horse trailer whenever you haul your horse. It can be as simple or as complicated as you like.  We keep a similar kit in all the barns on the farm.  I, for one, don't like having to walk from barn to barn in the middle of the night in the dark when something is needed.  (Horses are always the most ill at three o'clock in the morning in a pouring down rain or the coldest night of the year....)
  I realize that all people are not comfortable with treating their animal but sometimes it is very necessary to stabilize a situation (under the vet's supervision via the telephone) until he or she can get there.  Many times, if a colic can be caught in the very early stages, you can keep the vet updated by phone and circumvent a visit entirely.  But I want to stress that unless you have been at this a very long time as we have been, always seek the advice of the best course of treatment for your horse.
  Over the years, we have become familiar with the drugs necessary to treat the different ailments and illnesses horses are plagued with.  Always write the directions down.  Sometimes in the heat or rush of things, it is very easy to mix them up and it can be fatal to your horse.  Always keep the pharmaceuticals in their original containers and any that need to be refrigerated; do so.  There are combinations of drugs that the layman should never mix unless directed by your vet.  This can cause severe founder or even death to your horse.
  If an ailment isn't treated, it can cause a secondary condition such as colic due to the stress. 
  Many people like paste banamine and paste bute (similar to human aspirin).  Keep in mind that if your horse is colicing, then his gut is not working and these pastes won't be absorbed into the system and will be ineffective. 
  We carry injectible banamine.  The dose for an average sized horse 900-1200lbs. is 10cc.  We give it with a 20gauge 1 1/2 inch needle in the neck.  We were shown the proper placement of the injection by our vet.  If given incorrectly, you can do nerve damage to the horse.  I keep individual alcohol swab pads to wipe down the area where the injection is going to be made.  Most people are not comfortable with this and should allow their vet to train them so that they have the necessary confidence to be able to help out their horse in an emergency situation.  When you insert the needle, always attempt to draw a little fluid back into the needle to make sure you haven't hit a vein.  If blood comes into the syringe, withdraw the needle and do it again. 
  Many horses experience stress from being away from their familiar surroundings and this can manifest itself into a stress colic.  We have always treated this by an injection of banamine and handwalking 15 minutes out of every hour.  If your horse doesn't show any signs of relief after an hour, a vet should be consulted and he/she may need to come and examine your horse and plan out a course of action to bring relief. 
  Any and all eye injuries need to be examined by a vet as quickly as possible.  Untreated, your horse could very easily go blind and even lose an eye.  We keep sterile saline solution on hand at all times.  Ointments for the eye sometimes contain steroids and certain injuries should not be treated with steroids so the advice of a vet is mandatory.
  These are items that should be a part of your first aid box. 1.  4inch by 4inch sterile gauze pads, 2. several rolls of vet wrap, 3. nitroferozone salve, 4. swat (nitroferozone w/a fly repellent included), 5. a bottle of injectible banamine, 6. bute tablets, 7. SMZ (sulfa drug) tablets, 8. 12cc syringes, and 9. 20 gauge 1 1/2 inch needles (disposable)...never re-use a needle and syringe, 10. alcohol, 11. scissors,  12. paste electrolytes and 13.  liniment.  You might want to add a tube of gall salve in case your horse's girth area becomes irritated after a battle. 
  We also keep sports medicine boots (you can use leg wraps if you're more comfortable with them) and bell boots as part of our gear that we carry along.  If your horse over exerts itself on the field and stresses his ligaments or tendons, liniment and wraps will be needed to help ease his discomfort.  We would also give him a tab of bute in his feed (if you know your horse will refuse to eat it like that then crush it, add a little water in a syringe and give it to him like a paste wormer). If the pain is severe, we would give two tabs of bute (or you can use the paste bute) two times a day for three days, then one tab two times a day for three days and then one tab of bute one time a day for three days.  The bute which is like aspirin works the same way as if you were taking aspirin for a sprain.  Taking only one is most times ineffective.  Keep in mind that both legs would be wrapped as the uninjured leg takes on the additional weight that is shifted from the injured one.  When using a wrap, always be certain that the wrap is snug for the necessary support but not so tight as to constrict blood circulation.
When our horses come back from a battle, they are either walked back to help cool off and if they are still hot, we loosen the girths, hand walk them for a few more minutes until their breathing becomes normal and their veins relax.  We all then remove bits and bridles and saddles.  We take care to examine our horses for any cuts that may have been received while in battle and check the saddle area for unnecessary wear spots and any galling that might have been caused by a breast collar or girth that might have been tightened too much.  We always fill water buckets and place them where they will be warm so that when the horses return and are cooled out completely, can drink reasonable amounts.  We keep a careful watch as to how much water each animal is consuming as it is very important that they keep hydrated -  No different than their human athlete counterparts.
  Always put a dressing of nitroferozone ointment on any cuts or scrapes to help ward off any infection.  We place the Fly Repellent ointment (Swat) around the cut (not on it) to keep away gnats or flies.  If you find that your horse has received a puncture, make certain that there is nothing lodged in the wound and keep it clean.  If it is deep, you might want to decide whether it needs the attention of a vet.  To ward off infection, we would begin a regime of SMZ's (I do not carry penicillin with me as it requires refrigeration) at a dosage of 9 tabs crushed and added to my horse's feed twice a day.  Most horses don't have a problem with this as it appears to have no taste.  Make certain to keep a close eye on the puncture for proper drainage, no heat or undue swelling and if you're comfortable that the horse will be okay until you get him home,  have your vet examine him. 
  It is your responsibility as a rider to make certain that your horse is physically capable of handling the exertions of the field.  Please take the time to work your horse so that he isn't expected to run a marathon without conditioning.  If you aren't able to ride your horse at least two to three times a week to prepare, work him in a roundpen for 20-30 minutes to help condition his muscles and build up his stamina.  If you don't have a roundpen, then work your horse on a long line.  The result will be the same.  Horses out of shape suffer the same casualties as their human counterparts when pushed beyond their level of endurance.  Horses die of heat stroke and heart attacks the same as humans.  If your horse succumbs to heat, dismount immediately, loosen its girth and take it to a shady quiet place immediately.  Apply water from your canteen with a wet rag to the poll area behind the ears to help bring its respiration and body temp back to normal.  When you feel that you can move him safely back to camp, do so. Offer him water and make him as comfortable as possible.  In severe cases, a vet would need to be called and quite possibly fluids be given intravenously to help your horse overcome its heat prostration.  Horses out of condition are also susceptible to pulled ligaments and tendons.  A bowed tendon can take up to six months to heal (the whole of a re-enactment season) and requires many hours of careful tending and a very unhappy horse because it can't be turned out with its buds; not to mention the cost of the vet visits as your horse's progress will need to be monitored closely. 
  Twenty minutes in the roundpen or on the long line can save many hours of toil at a thankless job later on.
  Let's face it, our horses are a major monetary investment, not to mention the fact that they sometimes hold a spot more dear than that of our spouse (they seem to have a better understanding of us) and deserve the best care and treatment we can give them.