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SPRING 2016 ISSUE
EQUINE MATTERS
8
DANGEROUS HORSES
In some circumstances, difficult horses need
handling or treating immediately. In these
cases a variety of techniques can be
employed to give short term control over a
difficult horse to ensure it can be dealt with
or treated safely. For horses which barge,
using a bridle or chiffney bit to hold them,
rather than a head collar, can give the
handler additional control.
The correct use of a nose twitch is a useful
technique for safely restraining horses for
short periods of time, such as injecting a
needle shy horse. A nose twitch is usually a
short piece of rope placed around the
upper lip of the horse and held in place by
a pole. It is thought that a nose twitch
initially causes some discomfort and leads
to distraction in the first couple of minutes;
however after a few minutes some horses
start to appear more relaxed and calm.
Studies have shown that a nose twitch
stimulates the release of endorphins which
have painkilling properties. When using a
twitch it is important to leave it on for a
couple of minutes to get this effect. Results
can be quite variable between horses,
with some showing a marked sedative-like
response.
Skin twitches can also be employed to give
short term restraint; this involves taking a
handful of skin just in front of the shoulder
and holding it tightly. I believe it only serves
to offer a quick mild distraction, but can
be useful in distracting a difficult horse
long enough to give a quick injection,
e.g. vaccinations.
Chemical restraint now plays a big role in
modern veterinary practice allowing vets to
carry out a wide variety of diagnostic and
therapeutic procedures safely in standing
horses. Sedatives are usually administered
via an intravenous injection which requires
the horse to be still enough to allow
accurate injection of the drug
(figure 2)
. In
some horses one of the above techniques
may need to be employed to allow safe
injection. Alternatively, the horse may be
sedated orally or by injection into the
muscle. These techniques may be sufficient
to then carry out the necessary task, or
allow safe intravenous injection subsequently.
It is important to remember that a sedated
horse is not rendered “safe”; they may still
react suddenly and can be less predictable
despite looking completely docile moments
before. Handlers should never forget this
and always wear appropriate safety
equipment, e.g. hat and gloves
(figure 3)
,
and position themselves accordingly.
Figure 2. Extension sets added to an
intravenous catheter and secured to the
skin provide the ability to inject the horse
safely from a distance
Tips for needle shy horses
●
Try to habituate your horse to having their neck rubbed in the region a vaccination would
be administered.
●
Begin introducing soft pinches of the skin in this area and reward good behaviour with a
small treat or verbal praise. Continue this until the horse no longer reacts.
●
Gradually increase the intensity of the pinches, or use a ballpoint pen pressed against the
neck to represent a needle and syringe. Continue to reward good behaviour.
●
Take it slowly and try this little and often; the aim is to habituate the horse, which may take
some time, so be patient.
●
When your horse accepts this from you, introduce someone else doing the same technique.
Figure 3. A nurse holding a sedated
patient, wearing a hat, gloves and
suitable footwear