Equi-First Aid USA

Equi-First Aid USA

Because YOU Are Your Horse’s First Responder!

Are you prepared to aid your horse in an emergency? Horse emergencies can happen anywhere — in the barn, on the trail, during transport, or late at night before the veterinarian can arrive. That is exactly why Equi-First Aid USA has become such an important educational resource for horse owners across the United States. Led by Owner and CEO Amber Palmer, Equi-First Aid USA offers veterinarian-designed, hands-on courses that help horse owners become more confident, prepared, and capable during emergency situations — from equine first aid and wilderness response to disaster preparedness, safe trailering practices, and even horse first aid classes for children. Equi-First Aid USA also offers instructor training opportunities for those interested in helping educate others throughout the horse community.

A Nationwide Equine Education Company

Equi-First Aid USA is a nationwide equine education company focused on equine health, emergency preparedness, trailering safety, disaster planning, and hands-on first aid response. The company offers veterinarian-designed courses that combine classroom learning with practical, real-world experience using live horses. Their instructors are certified, insured, and trained to maintain high educational standards while helping horse owners gain confidence during stressful situations.

A Partner To Your Veterinarian

Equi-First Aid USA emphasizes that their courses are not intended to replace veterinarians. Instead, the programs are designed to help horse owners recognize problems faster, respond more effectively, and provide support until veterinary care becomes available. Their mission is simple but extremely important: improve the lives of horses while increasing the survival rate of horses during emergencies.

Why This Training Matters

If you own horses, no one is more responsible for their care than you are. Most horse people will eventually face some type of emergency — a severe cut or laceration, choke or colic symptoms, heat stress, laminitis concerns, trailer accidents, injuries on the trail, wounds requiring immediate care, natural disaster evacuation situations, horse handling emergencies, or transportation problems while hauling. Horse owners, trainers, and instructors are usually the first people on the scene, and Equi-First Aid USA helps you stay calm, evaluate situations more effectively, recognize danger signs earlier, and provide support until professional veterinary help arrives.

Full-Day Courses

Full-day courses run $169 each and include a break for lunch. They are both fun and highly educational — you will leave with a clear understanding of the topics discussed and demonstrated:

• Equine Health and Emergency First Aid — $169. One of the organization's most popular courses, focused on practical emergency response, pain identification, hands-on learning, and life-saving measures you may need before veterinary care becomes available.
• Advanced First Aid Techniques — $169. Expands upon basic first aid knowledge to build additional confidence handling more advanced emergency situations.
• Wilderness First Aid — $169. For trail and backcountry riders facing emergencies in remote locations where veterinary help may be far away.
• Livestock Handling and Safety for First Responders — $169. Education for first responders and emergency personnel who may need to work around livestock and horses during emergencies.
• Mare and Foal — Horse Owners Guide To Foaling — $169. For breeding operations and rescues; covers the stages of labor and how to recognize normal vs. abnormal progression, foal CPR and emergency response techniques, key developmental milestones, biosecurity protocols, common complications, and when to call the vet.
• Disaster Planning and Emergency Preparedness — $169. Think ahead for fires, floods, storms, and evacuations by creating emergency plans and organizing supplies before disaster strikes.
• Safe Trailering Practices — $169. Safe hauling practices, transportation safety, and emergency preparedness while traveling with horses.

Half-Day Courses

The half-day courses are affordable, fun, and will leave you confident to handle many common situations requiring medical attention:

• First Aid Fundamentals — $99. A half-day, fast-paced clinic on the fundamentals of first aid. Working hands-on with the horses, you will learn to take vital signs, recognize pain, detect colic, and practice plenty of bandaging in realistic scenarios. All attendees receive a first aid reference booklet.
• On The Road To Safe Hauling — $70. Spend an hour in person or online learning the essentials of safe hauling — from selecting the appropriate trailer to calculating your loads. Equi-First Aid USA also works with advisory board members who have extensive experience in horse trailer safety and manufacturing.
• Horseman's “Back Country Guide” to First Aid — $99. A condensed version of the wilderness course that helps you plan, prepare, and react to emergencies in the backcountry, from communications to packing and injury to illness.
• Essentials in Emergency Preparedness — $70. A two-hour course covering disasters, alert types, mapping out your property, the essentials of your “Go Bag,” nose-to-tail assessments, identifying shock, and what to have on hand for shelter in place. Comes with a workbook for your planning and personal preparedness notes.
• I Can Help – Horse First Aid for Kids — $69. Have a horse-crazy youngster or a 4-H group? This 3-hour kids' program teaches horse safety and basic first aid in a fun, hands-on environment (ages 5-9 recommended; no horse experience necessary). There's even a recipe for horse cookies in their manual, and every child receives a frameable certificate of completion.

Online Theory Course

An online “Theory” course is also available — the theory portion of the Equine Health and Emergency First Aid class. Spend three hours online learning about conditioning your horse to accept treatment, vital signs, and how to deal with lacerations, punctures, burns, colic, choke, shock, casting, and more. Students are mailed a manual covered during the Zoom meeting and may attend the hands-on portion at a later date.

Real Hands-On Learning With Live Horses

Hands-on training is one of the biggest reasons horse owners appreciate these programs. Equi-First Aid USA uses live horses during training whenever possible, so students work directly with horses while learning important emergency response skills. The organization also provides learning materials, manuals, charts, and hands-on tools including bandaging materials and other first aid supplies used during courses. Rather than simply listening to lectures all day, you gain practical experience that can improve real confidence and understanding.

Meet Amber Palmer

Amber Palmer is the Owner and CEO of Equi-First Aid USA and the Owner/Operator of Steep Ridge Trails LLC. She assumed ownership of Equi-First Aid USA in January of 2024 and brought with her an extensive background in both business and human healthcare, spending many years in the human healthcare field before focusing full-time on horses, equine education, and mentoring instructors. Amber is deeply involved in teaching courses, supporting instructors, and helping expand equine emergency preparedness education throughout the United States.

Get Prepared With Equi-First Aid USA Today

Because YOU are your horse's first responder, the time to prepare is before an emergency happens. Find a course near you, ask about online options, or learn about instructor training and bring this education to your own community.