HAPPY, HEALTHY HENS
(Page 5 of 6)
particular and are anxious to sell the tack, not fit the
animal. Check your saddle carefully to be sure that it's
centered on the withers. Pressure sores over or behind the
withers are often caused by a saddle that is too low on the
back. Sores along the spine itself are often caused by
cheaply made saddles that are nailed together underneath
(with nails still evident) or by saddles with a high arch
that bounce on the spine during exercise.
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Be sure to brush the back of the animal—even if there
is no time to brush the rest of the horse-prior to saddling
or applying any type of equipment. Likewise after exercise,
it helps immensely to wash the area under and around the
saddle, massaging areas of high contact. The saddle should
be cleaned with soft detergent (Murphy's oil soap) and
leather conditioner on a regular basis. Saddle pads quickly
absorb sweat and debris, and also need to be changed if not
washed frequently.
When actually saddling the horse, place the saddle a bit
forward on the withers and slide it back, snugging it into
place with the girth. This will eliminate hair bunching
inappropriately and causing sores. After the girth is
cinched, be sure that there is no fold of skin trapped
underneath it. If necessary, stretch the front legs out one
at a time, as if shaking hands with the animal to pull the
folds smooth.
Once a sore has developed, the quickest cure is to give the
horse's back a rest. In fact, if the horse needs to be
ridden, bareback is best. Otherwise, use different forms of
exercise and equipment which will not come near the injured
area. Experimenting with different saddles may help down
the line. But with an open sore, new tack may exacerbate
other painful areas, as the horse has learned to compensate
and shift weight appropriately to move under the painful
tack already. Rest is essential, as is cleanliness. Hot
packing and carefully drying, as well as preventing fly
contamination, will help. Most dressings occlude air which
is conducive to healing the broken skin. You can use a
horse with a saddle sore if you cut a pad so that no part
touches the sore, and place another pad over this one.
However, beware, as this pad arrangement slips easily and
usually causes old sores to worsen and new ones to appear.
Dear Andrea:
I have a five-year-old mixed terrier/shepherd who limps
very badly and has trouble getting up and standing any
length of time. She can no longer jump on the bed or couch.
What can I do?
-Rose M. Jolly Kendall Park, NJ
Dear Rose:
There are a number of problems which affect the back and
hind limbs of dogs, causing them a great deal of pain or
inability to exercise. The first step in diagnosing them
would be through manipulations performed by your
veterinarian. Once you know where the problem
originates-muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments,
nerves-X-rays are probably in order. Your veterinarian may
want to perform more specialized studies such as scans, dye
studies, or muscle activity measurements, to identify the
severity of the problems.
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