Fany clipped and Captain p*ssed off!

[FanyDuChamp]

Mixed day today.
Firstly the dentist to both of mine.

Now Captain has to be sedated for the dentist, not nasty but can be head shy and he is 7ft when he waves his head in the air. So vet arrives, he'd been out to Fany a couple of weeks ago and she had been perfect, as always. No issues at all. I explain carefully that Captain is not like Fany, he hates vets! This is the horse that is perfect for dentist and doesn't really need tying for the farrier but he has a thing about vets. So I say "come straight in sedate and get out" Bless him the vet wants to check his heart, which I fully understand and appreciate as the right thing to do. However, Cappy is now eyeing him up and I can see him thinking, not really a good thing! Poor vet walks in goes to listen and Cappy is after him, swinging his bum and warning him off, he doesn't actually aim to kick but does lift his leg. Vet keeps trying to listen, Cappy keeps warning him off. In the end vet gives up and Cappy thinks he's won. Vet then comes into sedate him and Cappy is terrified, by this time properly kicking out, so in the end had to be twitched, which, although I know it doesn't hurt him, I don't like because he is sensitive around his face. This was unnecessary as if vet had been quicker he would not have been a danger and could have been quickly injected. Anyway good news is he has "excellent" teeth for his age. But please will someone tell me why vets don't listen!? I told him several times that Cappy is vet phobic, vet said he thought I was exaggerating! I am not an expert on horses but I am an expert on Captain!

Onto Fany, excellent as ever for dentist, all good her wolf tooth is fine. Then we thought might as well clip her, she had never really been clipped before, she stood for 2 hours perfectly! Never lifted a hoof or even really turned around and our clippers are noisy. She is now happily rugged up, no longer an itchy Fany! Captain doesn't need clipping, thank God.

So how the hell have I got two such opposite horses? And how else can I help Cappy to get over his vet phobia?
FDC

 

[AprilBlossom]

Afraid I have no useful advice but the immature little kid in me did chuckle at the thread title

 

[vikkiandmonica]

Not got any advice I'm afraid, other than possibly asking a vet to come in and stroke him/feed him whenever he's at your yard? Must admit, the title and this made me chuckle:

"no longer an itchy Fany"

 

[FanyDuChamp]

Afraid I have no useful advice but the immature little kid in me did chuckle at the thread title

There is just no way to explain Fany has been clipped with out it sounding thoroughly disgusting! I just have to put up with you lots puerile minds
FDC

 

[FanyDuChamp]

VikkiandMonica- Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately we have tried that, our usual vet tried a couple of months ago to give him his favourite ginger biscuit. Captain snorted at him and went and stood at the other side of his stable, would not take it off him.
FDC

 

[Booboos]

Vets do need to check the heart rate before sedating otherwise they could be risking the horse's welfare. I am afraid I can't see how the vet could have skipped this step. Was there no way you could restrain the horse and distract him while the vet worked? From what you say his behaviour got a bit dangerous there so if the twitch worked then that's a really good thing - at least you found a solution and got the teeth done.

 

[Paddy Irish]

Maybe if you invited your vet round on a more ' social ' level so that Captain could meet him outside his stable and have a positive relationship with the vet instead of someone who always comes round to do something ' nasty ' just a thought - glad to hear your fany is all clipped out - any particular pattern or just the total bald look?

 

[dafthoss]

Ha poor fany she cant have a thread without every one becoming little children and laughing. I think we need photos of her looking all smart and not teddy bear like espeshaly as she was such a good girl.
Poor captain but good news on his teeth. Have you tried getting every vet to give him a little pat and a treat when they are on the yard, I know our vets at home are more than happy to if there is something nervous as it makes their job easier next time.

 

[AprilBlossom]

For the record, I think Fany is an absolute gem - so beautiful, and had made me think I would actually quite like a big chunkster of a heavy one day myself.

And I can sympathise, we had a pony at the RS I worked at called BIlbo...sadly a couple of the kids got his name a bit wrong, then he decked me (embarrassing much!) so the name kind of stuck...lol

 

[FanyDuChamp]

Vets do need to check the heart rate before sedating otherwise they could be risking the horse's welfare. I am afraid I can't see how the vet could have skipped this step. Was there no way you could restrain the horse and distract him while the vet worked? From what you say his behaviour got a bit dangerous there so if the twitch worked then that's a really good thing - at least you found a solution and got the teeth done.

I absolutely agree a heart check is necessary and desirable, but a green vet and terrified 17-3hh rearer do not a happy mix make! He is a great vet and Captain is generally a total gentleman, just put the 2 together and it can get difficult. The problem is distracting him is impossible, he spots the vet as soon as he comes into the barn, and from then on will not take his eyes off him/her, even if the vet is not there to see him! We've tried everything Cappy used to get his teeth done 6 monthly so we've had loads of practise! I do think he has had a very bad experience at one time, probably gelded very late and is very phobic now.

Luckily the twitch worked but it is not ideal and I am going to be looking at a gel the vet has recommended. So if anyone knows anything about a sedation gel could they let me know. As the situation was stressful for all concerned, most of all my lad.

Thanks for your help,
FDC