MANAGEMENT Help for a needle-shy horse
Q:My 14-year-old mare is terrified of injections. She swings her hind end and stiffens her neck so the veterinarian can’t get near. Our veterinarian suggested we desensitize her by pinching her neck and poking her with toothpicks. Nothing has worked. I really don’t want to twitch her because this is already traumatizing her. When she was young she had a bad experience with a different veterinarian, and I guess she’s never forgotten it.
Do you have any suggestions on how to calm her so she isn’t needle freaked? My mare is generally good-natured with no health problems. Susan Baker Waukesha, Wisconsin
A:Any number of horses feel the same way about the veterinarian that yours does, and who can blame them? It is unpleasant to get shots, even when you understand why you need them. I actually find it more remarkable that most horses don’t mind. Here is what you can do to make this task safer and easier for your horse.
First, assess her ground manners in general. Be honest with yourself and consider asking a trainer to watch you interact with her. Does she fully and consistently respect your space, and do you hold her attention and control her movement at all times? If not, this is where you need to start. Only when you have established yourself as her unquestioned leader will you have any chance of controlling her when she is frightened. A number of natural horsemanship trainers and clinicians offer
PATIENCE: specific groundwork exercises for assuming the role of leader.
Once you have gained your mare’s respect on the ground, see what happens with a stranger. Does she challenge a new person, or does she have consistently good manners? What if the situation is a little scary or unfamiliar? You may need to enlist the help of a professional trainer if your mare is difficult to control on the ground.
If basic manners are not the issue ---or after you have addressed any problems that you did find---then I agree with your veterinarian: It is time to desensitize your mare to the experience of getting shots.
Set yourself up for success by allow-