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Discussion on Anticipating trouble vaccinating yearling | |
Author | Message |
Member: Heidim |
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 9:37 am: When my 2005 foal needed vaccinations, we backed him into a corner of the stall and let him have it as gently as possible. By fall, he stood like a soldier for shots. He was fine with worming, too. A few weeks ago, I went to worm him again and he resisted way more than I expected. I had a chain over his nose, and that made it a bad experience for both of us. Realize I wasn't expecting him to act up at all. The only way I was able to worm him was to gently rub the tip of the applicator around his muzzle until he let me insert it into this mouth. Now, I'm anxious about giving him his vaccinations. Someone suggested using a chain over his upper lip just to give him something else to focus on. This seems like good sense and yet I don't want him to pull back again and have yet another bad experience. My big concern is when the needle actually goes in. Is there any way to make this a positive experience for me and for him? Those reconditioning/desensitizing articles sound so good, but I have my doubts about working up to pricking him again and again with the needle. |
Member: Hwood |
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 10:10 am: Heidi,I sympathize totally. Giving injections is one of the things I hate most to do, but is something that I have often needed to do, especially when a horse is colicking. Most of my present horses are great about injections right now, but we have a three year old filly that spent a week in a vet hospital for a puncture wound, and she has become a real problem for injections . . . striking out and kicking . . . I will be interested to hear how others of you have dealt with this problem. |
Member: Christel |
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 10:44 am: Heidi, I have encountered this situation several times. I think my horses sensed my discomfort and thus made it more difficult.One of my last years weanlings acted like your horse. After watching Chris Cox on RFD-TV work w/ an older horse to get him to stand still for farrier work, I thought what he did might just work for my shot shy weanling, and remarkedly it did. Chris used the 'move the hindquarters' manuever. While holding lead rope, bend head toward you and ask for the hindquarters to move away from you. Do this on both sides till the horse will move and keep moving till you ask it to stop. After mastering this I would then hold the syringe next to neck (with cap on needle) then gently at first hit the neck w/ the syringe, if horse moves around ask for the hindquarter movement, then ask to stop, try again, and repeat as long as horse moves when you hit him w/ the syringe. It took about 30-45 minutes for it work well enough to get a shot into the horse. I found after this he would not jump away from me when I came w/ needle, he would move just a little, but I was able to get it done. All the time I was consoling the horse that it was 'ok', he finally got convinced-lol. On worming, I do the Tellington Touch (massagaing the lips, and gums) w/ my horses mouths and this seems to help w/ worming and bridling actually. Most horses really like the gum and lip massages, usually not at first but hang in there and keep doing it, all of mine love it now, but sure didn't at first. I don't use chains and twitches unless it is absolutely necessary, I figure the horse knows something is up when these things are brought out. I try to be very patient and confident especially w/ young horses when doing these things. The extra time you take in getting this done w/o a fight will make it an easy task from then on. Hope this helps and my explanations were not too confusing. Chris |
Member: Canter |
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 1:14 pm: Heidi,The barn owner where I board was surprised this spring when a normally very calm and stoic 3 year old bolted with the syringe in her neck. She had never been a problem before when receiving worming or vaccinations. The owner, who has raised a few babies started desensitizing the filly to future jabs by poking a stiff finger into her neck and rump at various times. Often when we hang over the fence & chat and the filly comes up for a scratch, the owner jabs her while I scratch her nose; at feeding time, during grooming, etc. Now I can't say for sure that this will work for this little horse as she's not needed another needle since then, but I can say that all their other horses stand like troopers for all procedures. |
Member: Heidim |
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 1:27 pm: I am SO PROUD of myself and EVEN PROUDER of my yearling. The vet was here today, hence, my reasons for asking about vaccinations. He was nice enough to leave me the syringe to do the yearling myself. He also told me it would last refrigerated a few days (I was hoping for a few weeks). Anyway, I knew I was on limited time. My yearling likes to be brushed, so I decided to spoil him a bit by doing that for about 15 minutes. Lo and behold, he started to fall asleep. I thought, "Here's my moment!" I ran up to the fridge, grabbed the syringe, and started brushing again. I did as you suggested, Clive, and pressed the needle cap against his neck. He was fine with it. Then I took off the cap, eased the needle in and injected. He brightened a bit, but didn't move at all. I went back to brushing him immediately (except for the place where I'd just injected him) and then, after a bit, took a second syringe and pressed the cap against his neck again. He just stood there, so I stroked him and told him what a good boy he is and continued brushing. So, what I expected to be a free-for-all turned out to be nothing at all. I also massaged his lips, and that went well after a minute or so. So, now I'm all prepared to worm and vaccinate the next time. What a confidence builder! I believe it helped a lot that I wasn't expecting to vaccinate him today and so there was no opportunity to transfer my anxiety to him. Thanks for the ideas. It really helped. Hope it goes just as well for you, Holly. |
Member: Heidim |
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 1:30 pm: Whoops, I meant "Chris" and not "Clive." Sorry. So much for my Dale Carnegie training.Fran, your friend's jabbing technique sounds a lot like Chris' poking with the needle cap. Think I'll incorporate that into the yearling's training. Seems like we can never handle them too much. |
Member: Banthony |
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 3:07 pm: Wow! I am so impressed with these suggestions and results. Definitely things I am going to try.We have two yearlings. The colt will let you do anything to him as long as you are stuffing his face with carrots. The filly, however, has gotten pretty tough. The last time we vaccinated her we had to get a good shoulder roll on her to do it. These suggestions are definitely be better. |
Member: Sjeys |
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 3:33 pm: We had the same problem as Linda. Two babies; colt was okay and yearling mare was a huge handful. We actually got a different vet to come out than had jabbed them the first time and that worked. Nothing wrong with the first vet but they decided they hated him. I know we will have to work throught it eventually. New vet was a very quiet guy and just walked right up and did it. I tried the poking thing, the thumping thing...they get used to that but not the needle .I'm going to try the Chris Cox thing as I am just starting to work with them on the natural horsemanship kind of handling. Thanks! |
Member: Sswiley |
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 5:42 pm: These are all great techniques.I agree, never use a restraining device unless you absolutly have to. It makes them tense and the more they tense the more it hurts. I vacinate all my horses myself and they like that much better than the vet doing it. I can have a baby that I can walk right up to, stick'em and they wont even know it. Then if a vet does it it freaks them and they get skittish about it. The only vaccination my vet does is Rabies, and my horses are pretty good for them. So, bottom line, the more you can do it yourself under a relaxed atmosphere the better. |
Member: Christel |
Posted on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 11:56 pm: Congrats Heidi!!Have you ever considered being a nurse- you are obviously a good shot giver. Things go so much better when calm, that seems to be the hardest part for me when giving shots, especially to a young horse. Susan, I wouldn't even pretend to understand why it worked so well. I am trying to grasp the 'unlock the feet, unlock the mind' concept that so many tv professionals are talking about these days. I was desperate for something to work when I saw Chris Cox use it. All the work I was making the colt do may have taken the edge off me and maybe I was calmer, heck I don't know. Way to go Heidi, glad I could help. Chris |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Thursday, Jun 1, 2006 - 7:14 am: Great ideas guys. This is really a form of halter training and our article on halter training explains how to properly use the chain over the nose. But we also have articles on using positive reinforcement to shape behavior see these and more related articles on the menu, Training Horses ยป Training Your Horse's Mind.DrO |
Member: Eoeo |
Posted on Thursday, Jun 1, 2006 - 9:56 am: I do something that seems to work very well. Have very little trouble with it. I take my fingernails and scratch the area I am going put the needle in. I do this for about 30 seconds, you don't have to use a lot of pressure. They aren't startled as they are sometimes when you poke them with something. This desensitises the area and they usually enjoy the scratching. Then I pop the needle in. Usually works like a charm.EO |
Member: Dsibley |
Posted on Thursday, Jun 1, 2006 - 10:16 am: Just another thought...my 4 y/o hated wormer. At 16.2, he would just stick his nose in the air, knowing there is no way we could get it in his mouth. I started putting some cherry jell-o in water in a big syringe. Worked like a charm! He looks forward to his treats, and is pretty stoic about the 'real stuff' when we have to do it. |
Member: Heidim |
Posted on Thursday, Jun 1, 2006 - 12:28 pm: Chris, you wouldn't want me as your nurse as I get queasy at the sight of human blood. I've even been known to pass out. Nice thought, though.I liked the advice in the last two posts. Desensitizing of some sort seems to be the trick. Much safer and saner than jabbing a young horse unexpectedly. |
Member: Sully |
Posted on Sunday, Jun 4, 2006 - 12:04 pm: I have an older brood mare that came with issues with shots and worming. I purchased the bit wormer and this works slick with her. As far as shots go, I let a vet do them and she does not act like she even knows it happened. He is so quick at it that I wonder if in the past they made a big deal out of it and that is when she started getting worried and fighting.Sully |
Member: Hwood |
Posted on Sunday, Jun 4, 2006 - 12:21 pm: I have found the same thing, Sully. I guess that's one of the reasons I like having a vet do it. Most of the vets are so darned quick at it . . . I just can't seem to be that quick. I've tried the desensitizing on one of my geldings who just got worse . . . all the desensitizing just seemed to give him more warning and he got more primed to cowkick.Sully, where are you located? My husband really loves cutting and cutting horses. He has a couple of young mares that are from cutting stock. |
Member: Sully |
Posted on Monday, Jun 5, 2006 - 11:07 pm: Holly....I am in Sioux Falls, SD I keep brood mares here and a mare that I cut on, but my trainer is in MS. Where are you located?Sully |
Member: horsgran |
Posted on Friday, Jul 24, 2009 - 8:02 pm: Hello from Horseygran - Guess we are pretty lucky in that we have good facilities including two horse crush's - one for weanlings and one for bigger horses. However, vaccinating can be scary - even with rubber lined yards and rubber lined crushes. Agree with Robert - training youngsters is very important and our foals are halter broken and taught to lead by 5 days old. But there can still be issues - we put all our stock in crushes to worm and vaccinate and have somebody at the front feeding oats - feeding oats (or your choice of feed) enables horses to relax - the chewing releases endorphans in their brain and it means that part of their brain has to undertake an activity whilst they get the injection. We inject into the rump unless they require medication into the vein - this we always leave to the vet! Again, must emphasise that well handled stock does improve the safety level. However, we have had a very well handled gelding jump up and put his front legs over the well padded crush gate - we just opened the gate and he slipped off - pretty scary though. } |