Sedation- Ignore the dangers at your peril

[red marksman]

Heard this weekend of a terrible incident where a pony was sedated to be clipped and half an hour later it was dead. it got me wondering whether we sedate horses too easily and without considering what might go wrong. If you take a dog or cat to the vet to be sedated you have to sign a form to say that you accept that there are dangers- perhaps their should be a similar proceedure for horse sedation, it might make people think whether it is co mpletely neccessary.

 

[Happy Bird]

That's awful - do you know any more details ????

Personally I only sedate if absolutely no alternative. For clipping, I found my mare more receptive to quiet perseverance with very quiet cordless clippers - it's taken two long years and the expense of having to buy the clippers but well worth it. I still can't clip her head or her bum - but I can still do a very high trace so she is comfortable.

I do find a lot of people who sedate just because it makes life easier.

Saying that, surely the pony had other problems ????

 

[GTs]

Sedating is easier than training and people are lazy! I have been very vocal that I think people sedate for unnecessary things, and to be honest I only feel sad for the horse in situations like this.

 

[Tia]

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Sedating is easier than training and people are lazy!

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Now that I totally agree with!

 

[Sal_E]

Agree.

 

[teapot]

My friend's horse was given ACP for clipping. Didn't kick in at all. About 4hrs later pony practically collapsed in her stable - had had an allergic reaction to it. Mate had to stay with her all night to make sure she was ok

 

[Ferdinase514]

I'm going to have splinters in my ar*e for this one!

Can see both sides. I've had to Sedate Finni when he's freaked out in the lorry (he's an intermittently bad traveller) and i've done lots of work on his travelling.

I've also spoken to people on yard who've told me that they've given their horse 19 ACP tablets to clip. That I found unacceptable.

 

[beh]

now although i agree with all the comments above- people must remeber that there are risks in everything we do or give to our horses/ponies. Accidents happen and they always will, yes people may give out ACP like pieces of cake (not meaning to sound harsh) but noone does it (i think) just for the hell of it, there is always a point to it. ACP can be used alonside training the horse to be ok with clippers etc and causes a lot less stress to the horse.

 

[Tia]

I disagree, which in turn must mean that you don't agree with us above

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Sedation should be used for medical purposes........not for preening procedures which can almost always be overcome if the handler can be bothered to correctly train/desensitise the horse.

 

[sojeph]

Must admit I'm incredibly surprised by the amount of people on here that sedate their horses and the fact that its so easy for them to do so!
I have a very nervous pony in my care ATM who is terrified of you going anywhere near his head. I'd like to get a headcollar on him and handle him and sedation would certainly help but wouldn't really solve the problem.

 

[eventingdiva]

TBH there are risks with everything we do with our horses, my young mare had a major strop yesterday on a ride, lost all thought of self preservation and nearly went over backwards when she reared up. If she'd broken something and had to be pts would we then not hack out?
I dont think mild sedation is necessarily a bad thing in some situations, i sedated one of mine when she was on box rest for 2 months, as she was getting very stressed, a bit of sedalin and she was fine, and surely this has got to be better for her than running round the box stressing?
Also, am going to sedalin young mare tomorrow to clip her again, she wasnt overly impressed last time, and as this is only her second time being clipped, i'd rather she was a bit sleepy and the situation didn't stress her out. x

 

[flohelf]

Sedation is definitely for the comfort of the owner... and does put the horse at risk.
Another bad example of sedation when used by inexperienced handlers: At a yard I used to be, they miscalculated the dose and when the horse suddenly realized what was being done to him, panicked, got really violent, hurt himself really badly + owner. The owner survived. The horse didn't.

 

[eventingdiva]

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Sedation is definitely for the comfort of the owner... and does put the horse at risk

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I dont think its necessarily for the comfort of the owner, i wouldnt sedate a horse just for the sake of it, i'd just rather have the horse a little bit sleepy than thrashing around during something it doesnt like, scaring itself and putting itself and handler in danger. x

 

[Ferdinase514]

What about riding sedated horses?

Have worked with 1 or 2 that have been ACP'd for walk work after tendon injuries.

 

[loopeepee]

I agree that sedation is used more freely than possibly in the past. However, I have to use it on Sullivan to clip him. It is definatly not a decision taken lighty, and I/we have tried many times, in different ways, to desensitise him. But, he is simply terrified. Nothing will calm him, he was beaten as a youngster for not standing still during clipping, and now is pertrified of the damn things.
Therefore sedating him is the way that causes him far less stress and gets thge job done without hurting him/scaring him/making the situation dangerous for others.

 

[eventingdiva]

I would never ride a heavily sedated horse, but there is no way im risking myself for an idiotic horse who could be made a hell of a lot safer with a little (and i mean little) bit of sedation.
Also, as you mention, when coming back from an injury, obviously depending on the nature of the horse, but i would consider mild sedation for its early work, esp if it isnt getting any turnout x

 

[SilverSkye]

From what i understand sedalin doesnt just make your horse a bit sleepy it works on the central nervous system and slows down the messages sent round the body, therefore your horse may be completely freaking out mentally but everything has been slowed and physically you cant see the effect.

 

[eventingdiva]

Well nothing i've ever used sedalin on has suffered any mental problems as a result!
It makes mine sleepy and lovely to work with...! x

 

[lizzie_liz]

My last horse was sedated to be clipped, you could not get clippers near him, let along on him and that was with them switched off. even with some sedation he was still really bad to clip, his legs would be flying and he would try and bite you. he needed the clip and it was the safest way. he was given a lot of sedation but i wouldn't ride him that day

 

[Chambon]

Ive never needed to sedate anything... guess I'm just lucky... or that my horses are well mannered?

I did hear today from a friend of mine who's next door neighbour had sold two yearling fillies that were being collected this afternoon, and the owner was planning to sedate them in order to load and travel them.

My first thought was why?

 

[Skhosu]

I tried sedation once, never again. It didn't stop my horse throwing himself around, made him more dangerous as he was sleepy and not quite with it.
I disagree with sedating every time to clip/pull manes etc. If they need it, get them used to it, and if you can't don't clip!

 

[SilverSkye]

I think sedation definately has its place But ( and i am not trying to argue just giving my opinion....) in the horsey world is often used as a quick fix when in reality training is what was actually needed. sedalin and Acp are prescription drugs and are depressents in humans if i rang the doctors and asked for some vallium as i was a bit scared of something there is no way they would just prescribe it!

 

[red marksman]

What made it even more upsetting was that the pony was a section A that was only going to be pottering around with a small child on it.Why the hell did it need clipping anyway??

 

[Agent XXX999]

My horse is currently sedated in his box because of the fireworks. Just wondering how I am supposed to train him?

 

[SilverSkye]

Did say it has its place, think a horse that is likely to injure itself as a result of fireworks is a justifiable reason to sedate. Hope he is settled and hopefully that will be the end of them for the year! ( although i doubt it they seem to go on forever!!)

 

[Tia]

By desensitising him to loud bangs and noises. Horses can be trained to accept pretty much anything and everything that goes on in this modern day.

Once again though, it all goes back to sometimes it all seems like too much work for the handler.

 

[Ferdinase514]

[ QUOTE ]
My horse is currently sedated in his box because of the fireworks. Just wondering how I am supposed to train him?

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How is he going to eat over night, as I'm assuming you didn't give a sedated horse hay?

 

[Agent XXX999]

He had his hay. He gets sared, foaming, and almost colicky with the stress of it all - cantering round his box and genuinely petrified. It took him all momrning to settle and even foam in the ears didnt settle him. My vet agrees that it is much safer to give him some sedation.

He is used to loud bangs, noise, etc as he lives on a busy yard but he is a very sensitive horse and genuinely scared of fireworks. If you want to scare your horse by accustoning it to loud bangs and crashes so be it but I would prefer to go by the advice of my vet and have a contented animal.

Any advice, however, on accustomising a 17hh sensitive and very sharp competition horse to fireworks without stressing us both completely out would be very much appreciated!

 

[Skhosu]

umm.... I was always told to stay with a sedated horse and not to feed them, in case they lean over they're door (drowsing) and choke themselves (not sure if this has ever happened) and in case tehy choke?!

 

[Agent XXX999]

sorry - I meant he had his hay prior to his sedalin so he is without tonight....but if he had the hay and not the sedalin he would be mushing it all in to his bed by cantering round.