Just curious to see what everyone keeps in their first aid kits and what’s most important to always have on hand - and I’m curious if everyone keeps both banamine and bute on hand or just banamine? Also, should equioxx and gastroguard be kept on hand too?
Hot take: all the "goo"s aren’t necessary.
Saline, dilute betadine, wrapping supplies, poultice, meds, thermometer.
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Banamine injectable (given sublingual) is the only RX.
Syringes to dose (w/needles to draw up), Vetwrap, gauze 4X4s, triple ABX ointment, saline, digital thermometer (& lube for that) & seasonally: Zyrtec.
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Don’t forget a good flashlight. In case you have a horse emergency during a power failure. And a light sure is helpful when checking out their “under carriage” or other hard to see areas.
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I just restocked so my list is as follows:
Banamine
Bute
Syringes
Saline
Vetwrap
Sterile cotton wrap
Clippers
Sterile gloves
Poultice
Instant ice packs
Thermometer
Duct tape
Diapers size 2
Maxi pads
Towels/Washcloth
Vaseline
Betadine
Lik it kit for idiot horse
Nonstick pads
Ointment of choice
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This is a great list! Something I just realized I need while poulticing an abscess recently was good bandage scissors.
Also:
Stethoscope
Surgical scrub like betadine or chlorhexidine. Betadine was mentioned above, but chlorhexidine is also a great surgical scrub
Wraps such as standing wraps and no-bows
Buteless bute along with banamine or bute
Along with banamine for colic, I keep a digestive paste just in case of colic and banamine isn’t working
Surgical scissors or a scissors of some sort
Extra halter
Extra hoof tools like a nippers and extra hoof pick
Eye wash
The old brown listerine since it’s a great anti-fungal
Tongue depressors
Access to sedatives
Also, always have headache medicine and period products on hand for the humans. 
ETA: and snacks for the horses (keep their minds on something else) and the humans (to keep their mind on something else).
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It’s nice to have some bute tabs or powder on hand (lasts longer than paste) for the times where a week or so of that NSAID can help determine if a vet needs to come out
Banamine however is much more useful for more urgent situations, like you’ve talked to your vet about a colic issue and they say to give X amount of banamine either while they’re on their way, or to see how things play out.
Phenybutazone is more likely to be more useful than firocoxib, it’s the difference between a non-selective COX inhibitor (bute) and a selective one (firo) and the amount of pain management they typically have
GG - if you can get a couple of tubes locally I’d do that, rather than having a $30 tube expire all the time. Just know it’s not a good idea to use omeprazole + an NSAID at the same time, at least not more than a few doses, as it can cause hind gut issues.
I’d rather keep a bottle or 2 of Nexium (or generic) on hand to start using asap while waiting to get UG/GG if that’s the desired course.
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Eye ointment - without a steroid. A little ointment and a dose of banamine (of course after a pic and advice from your vet) can be the difference between an inconvenience and a big deal.
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@Bonnie2, your vet is so different than mine. My vet always likes to see (in person, not just a photo) an eye before putting any medication in the eye.
In my world, eyes are always an emergency call if they require any type of treatment.
My first aid kit is quite basic.
All those general wound cleaning and dressing things (including a variety of wrap options).
I have banamine on hand because I am an hour from my vet so when I call if someone is looking colicky they have me dose while they are getting there.
Lots of the other stuff is more stuff I have, but not part of my first aid kit (tools, extra halter, lead rope, lots of hoof picks because you need lots to be able to find one).
I do not keep any sedatives on hand.
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For the meds my vet sells me a couple doses of bute and banamine as I rarely use it without her coming out within hours. Usually super cheap vs wasting a tube of anything.
I buy betadine or chlorhexidine from CVS or Walgreens.
You can fill up travel containers and keep smaller quantities in the trailer or in tack locker to save space.
I also keep a human product called Bleed Stop that stops bleeding so fast.
Does your vet readily dispense banamine and/or bute to folks to keep on hand “just in case.”
I ask because my experience is that she will do this for a specific horse in case of a specific problem but is hesitant to just hand out “what if” meds from her truck.
I agree in the ideal world every eye issue should be seen by a vet, asap. Reality is, that isn’t possible in some cases. Closest vets are sometimes a 3 hour trailer ride to them, no farm calls. Or there’s 1 vet covering 500 square miles and your eye isn’t as serious as a gaping chest wound, for example. At least a non-steroidal antibiotic eye ointment is safe - good thing if there’s a scratch, won’t cause problems if there’s an ulcer.
My vet does, she always asks me if I want any bute or banamine while she’s there, “just in case”. She’s 45 minutes from me if she’s at home and not the other side if her from from me, and a dose of banamine might be useful before she gets there. I’d always call her first, and she knows that, so she knows I’m not going to just give some banamine for a bit of colic, wait an hour, then call her frantically when it didn’t work. I’ve also called her for some weird lameness issues that were not at all an emergency, or even a next day thing, and after talking, a 3-5 day course of bute to see if things change has sometimes been suggested and then call her if things aren’t better, or are worse.
I’ve also been her client for 35 years, which makes a difference as well.
Thank you for all your responses! This has been super helpful 
People have given you a pretty good list of meds, bandaging etc so I’ll add a few other things on the “useful other stuff” side. I bought a pellins pacifyer (racing hood with steel mesh eye cups) - wasn’t the cheapest purchase but it will save a horses eye - had a mare that wouldn’t stop rubbing an eye injury and making it worse. The other thing I include is tools - I keep a sawzall with a wrecking blade and bolt cutters with my first aid kit.
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I also keep a racing hood with several eye cup choices in my med kit after a very unexpected adverse ocular reaction to sedatives prior to unrelated surgery (horse had never had a reaction previously or thereafter to sedatives). At the time it happened I was very unprepared and had to drive several hours to pick one up at the only local-ish place that carried them - if they hadn’t had one, I would have been in a real pickle as neither anyone I knew locally nor multiple vets’ offices had anything of the sort.
He understandably wanted to rub his painful eye and I had nothing hardshell to prevent this (I had a lot of recommendations for bras, etc. but this wouldn’t stop the fabric from contacting the eye and contributing to more ulceration).
I used a Jacks brand with movable cups (not wildly expensive) and I hope to never repeat it but it worked and got us through it with no lasting issues!
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I only ask for banamine.
They actually ask if I need anything, and we discuss if I am about to toss out another bottle of banamine because it expired but I am happy to do that because I did not need it.
I have no boarders, just my horses. So technically they are giving it to me for specific animals.
I am also a long term client of this vet practice.
Mine does. I keep a tub of Bute for bones and bottle of banamine for bellies (and eye pain). I’m keeping my horses at home and do all of their care. I’m the resident expert…well, me and the donkey.
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