Horse getting his booster jabs today and I'm dreading it!

GeeGeeboy

GeeGeeboy

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My horse really not good with vets and hates needles. Last time the vet tried to inject him(for a hay allergy ) she could hardly get near him and had to give up, prescribing something to go inhis feed instead. Thats not an option today.
I have no stable for him so it has to be done outside. Poor boy absolutely panics. I was thinking just to do a lot of food bribery but any other suggestions would be helpful.
 
I am very surprised the vet didn't suggest this one unless it is a different vet, but there is an oral sedative (not sedaline or similar) which is as effective as the intravenus sedative used to knock them right out (standing). It is new but the vet will know about it. I would suggest you make sure he brings some but it can take a while to work so could cost you in time. Best option would be for the vet to drop some off to you prior to appointment so you can "prep" your horse.
 
I agree with Mcnaughty, i would have picked up an oral sedative from your vet beforehand so you could have given it to him before they arrived.

It is very tricky when they don't like needles. Your only choices today are to either have a large selection of very interesting treats on hand or twitch him. It should be over in seconds but unfortunately takes much longer & often repeated attempts when they mess about.

Keep safe & good luck.
 
My lad is the same, gets completely worked up before the vet goes anywhere near him. He is past the point of being bribed by food too. This year we managed it quite painlessly by me walking him into his stable and the vet injecting in the bum as he walked past - he barely realised what had happened but it was all done then.
Could you try this in the field perhaps?
A lot of it is down to the horse picking up on your stresses though and there is not much you can do about that. Good luck, hope it goes well.
 
Offer the food exactly as the vet goes to jag him. Horses can't think about two things at once:cool:

RM has a bit about desensitising to injections ( involves elastic band not needle) in Train your young horse.
 
My daughter's mare hates needles - she really is needle phobic. The vet has to have the injection out of sight completely and I restrain her at her head and distract with a treat and then just a quick in and done by the vet :)

I have seen her tow the vet around the stable (his fault he didn't believe me) and try to ram him into the wall. She goes into blind panic and has always been the same and just hated injections. She won't change now at 19 yrs old.
 
Domosedan gel is the stronger oral one. You need to be very exact about administering though, needs to go on their gums rather than into stomach. It is def more effective than Sedalin though.

My big horse is dreadful with needles, used to be that we could twitch and get over and done with quickly, but after a week at RVC he's now almost as bad for a twitch as a needle. I'm afraid we have dispensed with the nicely nicely approach, as soon as vet arrives I get headcollar on, in stable, rope goes through metal ring on wall, and I simply hang on for dear life.... It's not pleasant BUT it's over in 2 mins whereas before we would be dancing round fighting with him for 15-20 mins minimum and the end result was the same - he has to have his jabs!
 
I'm the one with the problem in our yard I nearly passed out last year when they took blood from my old lad to test for cushings. Strange but I'm an ex nurse but can't see blood needles etc on any family inc fids.
 
My 3year old had a field accident in January, and after spending 8days in the vets practice and have needles everyday she now has a huge hatred for vets.

She had to start from fresh with jabs as I went 3days overdue :/ and we couldn't get near her. Had to send a more competent vet as she frightened the first one away.

She's due for her final lot of the 3 next week and I'm dreading it as well as she's currently turned away with no access to a stable. The 'domosedon' someone else mentioned is brilliant. My vet will only prescribe it to horses that they have given it to themselves. Luckily mine has already had it before and they know what a nightmare she is with the vet so she has agreed to give me some.
 
Do vets learn much about animal behaviour at college? As others have said, shove a carrot in one end and the needle in the other -- preferably simultaneously!

I also repeatedly pinch the area the needle will be going into so it feels like another pinch! My vet said she'd never seen that done before. Surely, it's common sense?
 
You need my vet. He is amazing! He came out last week to do annual boosters for dogs and horse, plus microchip the horse. None of them knew they had been injected. He is so quiet, and my nervy mare was just gazing at the horizon while he did the jabs. It's a skill that is worth rubies to me.

Anyway, I hope your horse is/was OK? Agree that doing them in the open air is usally much less stressful.
 
Dry Rot said:
Do vets learn much about animal behaviour at college? As others have said, shove a carrot in one end and the needle in the other -- preferably simultaneously!

I also repeatedly pinch the area the needle will be going into so it feels like another pinch! My vet said she'd never seen that done before. Surely, it's common sense?
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Yes I slap their neck or chest. Seen the vet do that doing intra muscular injections into the chest and its such an obvious thing to do to stop them noticing.

People with horses who are needle phobic consider doing some training for this and make your life and the horses life easier.

I am needle phobic (only myself I have no problem injecting animals!) and it's a lot worse if there is a build up and a waving of the needle going on before it's done. Far better if someone strode up to me whacked me on the leg gave me 50 quid (i am not into carrots!) and injected me before I noticed.

But if anyone does it I'll punch them on the nose just so we are clear lol
 
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Well, as predicted, my boy was pretty awful. Vet tried to just jab it in and take him by surprise but he was wise to it. After that it was a case of spinning round and rearing up. I used a lot of food bribes but he was just too wound up at this point. I suggested jabbing him in the bum but vet said he would probably just "end up booting her one" !! Eventually, she ended up twitching him . He was still not happy but she got the needle in. Her parting comment was that he was just being "a cheeky monkey" !! Poor boy is genuinely terrified.
 
my horse is terrified of needles and at 17.2 and me being 5ft4 at a push he's too big to mess around with, so now we use a lip rope underneath his top lip on him and he is perfect. It may seem mean, but he stands perfectly still and i would much rather have him with that on than me or the vet getting injured IMHO.
 
My appy was vile with the vet an we tried everything with him but he knew who the vet was and really wanted to hurt him.

We found walking him in a 20m circle in a bridle/ control halter and then the vet came up walked by him patting him etc and jabbed him real quick then got out the way asap.
 
Yeah, that's the thing kokopelli, he just knows that's it's a vet. I've tried different ones and thought he'd be better with a female but as soon as their car pulls up he's on edge.
 
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