Twitch - love or loathe

twitch

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Will your horse let you comb his mane? I have a stresshead for pulling-I never ever pull, it was a struggle getting scissors near his mane as he wouldn't let me put two hands nead his mane. Perseverance meant he now allows the solocomb to do its work. Resorting to the twitch for something that is not urgent and repeats itself throughout the horses life is a bit silly and wussing out of the hard work.
 
If you use a mane thinner with the solo comb you get an excellent result-you just have to know what you're doing with the solo comb and not just hack at it..
 
Twitches are a necessary evil.

There is a time and a place for them, I wouldn't be without one.
 
she lets you brush her mane, use a rake on it but to get the right effect it needs pulled. She isnt plaited for showing.
I usually find if they are twitched and let you do a procedure like pulling after a couple of times they are less stressed and dont need a twitch.
IMO anyway
 
SusieT said:
Will your horse let you comb his mane? I have a stresshead for pulling-I never ever pull, it was a struggle getting scissors near his mane as he wouldn't let me put two hands nead his mane. Perseverance meant he now allows the solocomb to do its work. Resorting to the twitch for something that is not urgent and repeats itself throughout the horses life is a bit silly and wussing out of the hard work.
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i consider my horses mane to be pulled as urgent...hes a warmblood and i show him, i cant plait him properly with a long mane and to be honest i think he looks hideous with a long mane and hideous with a cut mane....he lets me brush/comb it but as soon as i start pulling or using a solo comb he freaks and hes blooming dangerous as he is a big boy ! i have tried many times to teach my horse to have his mane pulled and he just isnt having any of it - so why not use a twitch ? if it caused him pain he clearly wouldnt let me put it on him ! i genuinly cant see a problem with having a twitch on for a few minutes as it makes it less stressful for him AND me - if twitches were really that evil they wouldnt still be so popular
 
Have and would again use one for vetinary/emergency treatment if it was necessary

absolutely would never use on for mane pulling or anything so very unnecessary
 
I didn't vote as I am somewhere inbetween. I have used a twitch and some horses actually seem to enjoy the experience. However, it is not suitable for all horses. I have known some fight it and others get a reaction to it after it is removed and become really angry and aggressive. On the whole, I think it has a useful place in equestrianism.
 
I don't like using one, but it is the only way the vet can get anywhere near my older girl with a needle. Trying to do it without means you run the risk of being killed. It isn't too bad if you are injecting into a muscle as you can just about get away with it, but anything requiring precision into a vein twitching is the only way.
 
Many years ago I used to have to use one to clean my boy's sheath without getting kicked! He was never as trusting around his 'bits' after the nasty vet came and took a couple of parts away!!!

When he started to look happy to see the twitch and put his nose up for it I was never sure if it was the twitch he enjoyed or the willy wash....so thought I would try the wash without the twitch and he was fine to do.

I can't remember the last time I twitched him (or why!- he's 17 now) but I don't think he would object if I tried now.

I have not voted as neither love nor loathe
 
My old mare was a dream to clip apart from under her belly, when she'd get very ticklish and kick out. Sedalin didn't help and she ended up in a state, trying to throw herself around the box but still doped up.

Whacked on a twitch next time we clipped, 5 minutes and the belly was done, released her and she continued munching her hay. Much safer and kinder IMO :)

I have also done it with my fingers when I've had a panicking horse. Once a horse got stuck next to ours in the trailer at a show and was thrashing around, too dangerous to get near to release it. Got to it's head, grabbed its lip and twisted and horse went still, droopy lipped and drooling, people managed to release it and stop it causing injury to its self. IMO it was the best way, horse was in blind panic.
 
I too don't love or loathe them. I don't own a twitch because the only horse who (didn't need, so much as a twitch helped) I can use my hand and fairly gently hold the end of his nose. Result is a very sleepy horse!

If there's an emergency, or you need to do something urgently, then I don't mind using it, better than potential injuries!

I read once that the end of the nose is an accupressure point, and the pressure from a twitch releases calming endorphins, which would appear to be the case with this horse in particular!

J&C
 
Put loathe.... but since I've never needed to use one for anything I suppose I shouldn't have put either... interesting comments though...
 
I use The a twitch (a metal twitch which is the humane one i think?) for clipping my cobs legs and his neck.

As soon as he sees the Twitch he knows whats coming..getting the twitch on him is somewhat a challenge!

But once ive got it on his lip hes dopey for the next 10 mins.. left on any longer than that it doesn't seem to work
 
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