Horse Care: Restrain and Medicate Your Horse

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Tools of the horse care trade: (top to bottom) a balling gun, a horse pill or bolus, another balling gun, and a dose syringe.
Tools of the horse care trade: (top to bottom) a balling gun, a horse pill or bolus, another balling gun, and a dose syringe.
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Don't stand
Don't stand "back" from a horse and excite it by jerking on its lead rope.
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Get in close to the animal and reassure it with a confident voice and firm hand.
Get in close to the animal and reassure it with a confident voice and firm hand.
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Train your horse to raise a foot when you press on that leg's tendon.
Train your horse to raise a foot when you press on that leg's tendon.
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You can hold a horse's front foot in your hand.
You can hold a horse's front foot in your hand.
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A jerk on the rope will get the critter's attention.
A jerk on the rope will get the critter's attention.
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A twitch's loop is slipped over a handful of upper lip.
A twitch's loop is slipped over a handful of upper lip.
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It's easier to cradle a rear foot between your knees.
It's easier to cradle a rear foot between your knees.
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If you need more control, thread a lead rope through the ring on the left side of a horse's halter and pass the loop in the line under the animal's upper lip.
If you need more control, thread a lead rope through the ring on the left side of a horse's halter and pass the loop in the line under the animal's upper lip.
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The
The "skin curl."
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Stand to one side and hold the twitch firmly. If necessary, two people can grasp the horse's ears, hold its head down, and cross their legs in front of it to keep it from striking forward.
Stand to one side and hold the twitch firmly. If necessary, two people can grasp the horse's ears, hold its head down, and cross their legs in front of it to keep it from striking forward.
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The
The "same-side leg lift."
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Mouth restraint: hold the head down with one hand and insert the thumb of the same hand into the gap between the horse's teeth.
Mouth restraint: hold the head down with one hand and insert the thumb of the same hand into the gap between the horse's teeth.
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A balling gun or dose syringe can be used while you mouth-restrain a horse.
A balling gun or dose syringe can be used while you mouth-restrain a horse.
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Hold the tongue outside the mouth.
Hold the tongue outside the mouth.
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Gently pull the tongue out through the gap
Gently pull the tongue out through the gap
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The applicator needs to go this far back into the animal's mouth.
The applicator needs to go this far back into the animal's mouth.
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Outline of the area into which neck I.M. injections are given. 
Outline of the area into which neck I.M. injections are given. 
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Sub-Q injection site.
Sub-Q injection site.
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Hold the tongue out and insert the applicator into the toothless gap, then push the instrument over the tongue.
Hold the tongue out and insert the applicator into the toothless gap, then push the instrument over the tongue.
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The thigh injection.
The thigh injection.
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A neck I.M. injection.
A neck I.M. injection.

Horses can be more frustrating (and dangerous) to restrain and medicate than any of our other domestic critters. These large animals have exceptionally good peripheral vision, and even the gentlest horse — if not properly restrained or trained — may suddenly use this advantage to unleash an arsenal of flailing hooves and crunching teeth upon the unsuspecting handler.

Of course, horses aren’t always that ornery. If you employ the basic equine handling techniques that I’ll describe in this article — along with a little caution and a lot of plain old “horse sense” — you should be able to restrain and treat your equine friends without causing excessive discomfort to either the animals or yourself.

Hold Your Horse(s)

First of all, if you plan to work with horses you should smell like a horse. A good horseman or -woman maintains constant physical contact with any animal that he or she treats. To do this, keep your shoulder firmly pressed against the beast’s shoulder or flank, depending, of course, upon which end of the critter’s body is being treated. This contact will reassure a nervous horse and won’t allow it to get enough leverage to kick at you.

Remember, too, that “as goes the horse’s head, so goes the horse,” and this “head restraint” can’t be accomplished without a sturdy halter and lead rope. The flat, woven rope halters seem to be the best choices, especially since the leather and single-strand rope varieties will often break at the least opportune moments (when you have a double handful of angry animal, for instance).

  • Published on Jan 1, 1979
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