Twitch - What are your thoughts?

[milliepops]

I hate reading about people twitching to pull a mane. Manes dont need pulling. If it hurts the horse, dont do it.

I would agree with this. Kira grows a more or less complete double mane but she gets so upset if you try and pull it, I decided never to bother and we just have enormous plaits for shows. It's easy enough to keep fairly neat and tidy with a solocomb and a bit of time. The TB has the perfect mane to be scissored off and the others have been somewhere in between, I don't pull any of them (nor tails).

I've been lucky that all mine have been fine to clip with a bit of time and practice. The 2 currently on the yard stand quietly without being tied up. I will never be able to clip the TBs ears though, he is very very earshy and I would say either he's been twitched or else someone has been aggressive about touching his aural plaques in the past.

 

[StableMum]

We twitched my daughters mare as a last resort when she needed eye drops and it was impossible to get them in without the risk of causing more damage to her eye. She needed them for 5 days twice a day so sedation was not an option. It proved to be simple and effective, she fell into a kind of trance quickly and it took seconds to administer the drops. We ended up calling it her happy place. It didn't in any way make her head or 'nose' shy.

 

[Goldenstar]

I use one if I need to I would choose it over sedation as I don’t like giving my horses drugs like that unless I have no choice .
for instance I twitch one horse to safely clip his ears ten mins it done no drugs to get out of the system it’s a healthier way .

 

[PapaverFollis]

MrPF's old horse came over from Ireland at 4 years old already horribly ear shy. Never had an ear twitch applied since obviously. Despite that he was as ear shy when he died at 25 as he was when he arrived. That's quite sad I think. He never got over it.

I'd use a nose twitch if apsolutely necessary but have managed without so far. However the Beast grows a fine beard and ear tufts in winter that I will probably never remove! It's just not important enough to me to wrestle with her to do it.

I find a bit of either training with clicks and treats or bribery with a molasses lick applied to the face gets most things done though. Just "not the beard".

 

[Regandal]

I read years ago that a nose twitch works by stimulating a nerve plexus at the base of the top lip. An ear twitch has no similar effect and only produces pain.

 

[Leo Walker]

In an ideal world we would be able to take time and desensitise them to everything we need to do but there is not always time, some are just beyond reasoning with about some things

Mine is like that about her ears being clipped, or even trimmed with scissors. She hurls herself about and is quite frankly dangerous. Annoyingly she grows the biggest fluffiest ear hair coat you have ever seen, which means her ears pour with sweat when she works and she gets hot and itchy and wants to rub her face or fling her head about which drives me mad.

I do work on it with tiny AA battery operated clippers, but its the thought of anything at all near her ears and she flips. The rest of the time she loves her ears being stroked and pulled, but ANY sort of thing in your hand and its open season on me! So shes twitched for less than 2 minutes per ear. Once I've taken a stripe or 2 off she can usually be finished off without the twitch. Its like she realises its ok and calms down again. I suspect at some point in the future I will be able to dispense with the twitch. However until that point I am ok with the amount and duration of twitching that I do.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

I don't like them but they are useful. I normally go for a neck twitch for most simple things if the horse is being a pest. I use a nose twitch when clipping if its just the head I need to do - Im not sedating a horse just to clip it's head. But I try not to twitch at all and won't have one on for more than 5 mins tops. I would never, have never and will never do an ear twitch.

I nose twitch my spotty to do his half face and up by his Bridle way with the clippers, 5 mins 8sh and its done. Better than calling vet out to sedate and sedalin doesn't work well for this.


When he was recovering from his keratoma op he was nose twitched every six weeks when he had to have his shoe and hospital plate redone on that hoof. It was better than trying to get the vet out and heavy sedation.

I will never ever ear twitch it's barbaric, I have a wb mare who had been in the past we no one could put anything over her ears, we had to build the Bridle round her head.

 

[Goldenstar]

There’s no excuse for using ear twitching
Horses are too often ear shy and it’s so sad

 

[Nudibranch]

In an ideal world they'd all be desensitised and able to tolerate whatever life throws at them. Some are. I've had two very, very needle shy horses over the years and one couldn't be twitched first - it just didn't work on her. The other was nearly 18hh, weighed over 700kg and the vet quite rightly insisted on him being twitched before trying to get any iv sedation in. It never seemed an issue for him and he twitched like a dream. He would always be quite happy to have his nose/lips rubbed or tickled or whatever at other times, which I did to keep him used to having the twitch applied in the first place.

Ear twitching on the other hand is just cruel.

 

[catroo]

I have one that I nose twitch for vaccinations, I just use my fingers so it’s not tight and for less than a minute. Keeps him calm and he has no negative reaction afterwards so I have no concerns with it

 

[Queenbee]

Lip twitch only.

If I can twitch and get something done in seconds or a few mins as opposed to battling, stressing both myself and my horse and taking a lot longer and also perhaps creating an issue long term... I will twitch.

Great example - worming- twitch on, worming done in seconds. Without twitch, horse freaks out and gets noticeably stressed and it's hard to even get close let alone hold, get close and administer the dose.

 

[windand rain]

Evil git doesnt like anything or anyone so I do hand twitch his nose for the farrier and if a vet can get within 30 feet of him. He is no longer vaccinated as he doesnt tolerate the vet, If he gets sick he will be shot but hey ho he seems quite happy in his self so will carry on feeding and paying for him. I can now worm him without too much trouble so could possibly get a gel type sedative in him but he would likely take someones head off so why bother. He has his feet done every 6 weeks if needed and will stand for the farrier who has done him all his life about 80% of thee time the rest I just grab his nose with my hand and he behaves. Just dont push your luck withhim in the field. Strangely he loves fuss once he is caught and on a halter but he is selective about who he will tolerate even then

 

[JennBags]

Interesting post. Nelson is terrified of everything, last year I had the bean lady out to him and we twitched him (lip) for her safety. I now can't get near him with a twitch which is a little frustrating as I need to worm him and as I'm on my own it's rather challenging. Have started trying to desensitise him, even me touching his mouth area is pretty scary but hoping I'll get there as I don't really want to get him sedated just to give him a wormer.

 

[ycbm]

Interesting post. Nelson is terrified of everything, last year I had the bean lady out to him and we twitched him (lip) for her safety. I now can't get near him with a twitch which is a little frustrating as I need to worm him and as I'm on my own it's rather challenging. Have started trying to desensitise him, even me touching his mouth area is pretty scary but hoping I'll get there as I don't really want to get him sedated just to give him a wormer.

I give mine the syringe contents mixed in a bucket of food.

 

[The Trooper]

Thanks for all your opinions. I have had to twitch one of my mares once (nose) when she was striking out at anyone going near an abscessed hoof. I was totally against it until I was desperate and had to try it and I was amazed with the results.

I have not had to use one since ('humane' twitch) but would do so again if I had to, I too would twitch over sedate for the reasons listed by previous posters.

I have come across and been involved with 2 horses who are horrendously ear shy, one from Ireland and the other from France - I can only assume it's as a result of ear twitching.

I play with my mares noses regularly, just incase I do need to twitch or to desensitise after twitching.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Interesting post. Nelson is terrified of everything, last year I had the bean lady out to him and we twitched him (lip) for her safety. I now can't get near him with a twitch which is a little frustrating as I need to worm him and as I'm on my own it's rather challenging. Have started trying to desensitise him, even me touching his mouth area is pretty scary but hoping I'll get there as I don't really want to get him sedated just to give him a wormer.

have you tried target training with clicker? it really is very good for this type of thing-you could work up to a syringe of apple sauce and then onto some of the nicer tasting wormers.

 

[scats]

Generally I don’t like and I would never twitch to do something like pull a mane, but I have had a couple of horses who responded like magic to a lip twitch. Diva was one. If she got herself a bit stressed about the vet coming, a quick lip twitch and she instantly calmed down.

 

[Kat]

Nose twitching doesn't seem to work for mine, she headshakes furiously with one. I am not against them when they work for quick jobs like worming, injecting and clipping an awkward bit of face.

I use a handheld horselyx as bribery instead! Mine also reacts quite strongly to certain sedatives so I don't like using them if I can avoid it.

 

[Carlosmum]

We used to twitch a lot when I was a child ( in the 60's/70's) mostly for farrier or worming, but then we had probably a group of 30 or more ponies to see to and time was of the essence.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

My vet used a twitch that looked a bit like a nut cracker with a string through the ends of the arms and had a clip on the end of the string. Just put it on the nose, wrap the string round it to required tightness and attach to the headcollar. Much kinder than a rope twitch which I hate and far more easily removed when finished.
I was so impressed with it I bought one of my own. Rarely needed it but did have one youngster who used to get himself in a real state about having his mane plaited and unplaited no idea why as he had never had it pulled so no bad associations. Anyway put this on and he stood like a rock with a dreamy look on his face. It is the only sort of twitch I would use and I would never for any reason use an ear twitch.

 

[The Trooper]

My vet used a twitch that looked a bit like a nut cracker with a string through the ends of the arms and had a clip on the end of the string. Just put it on the nose, wrap the string round it to required tightness and attach to the headcollar. Much kinder than a rope twitch which I hate and far more easily removed when finished.
I was so impressed with it I bought one of my own. Rarely needed it but did have one youngster who used to get himself in a real state about having his mane plaited and unplaited no idea why as he had never had it pulled so no bad associations. Anyway put this on and he stood like a rock with a dreamy look on his face. It is the only sort of twitch I would use and I would never for any reason use an ear twitch.

That is what I used, a Humane twitch. I would never used bail twine or anything like that through fear of breaking the skin.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I regard nose-twitching as something which I'd rather NOT to have to do, but it is something I have in the "tool-kit" as it were, strictly for use in an emergency situation where the horse is showing signs of stress and unless checked there is the fear that someone will get hurt, such as the farrier.

Ear-twitching: never ever ever. Haven't ever done it, and never would do.

 

[HorseyTee]

My boy had the vet out who twitched his ear and lip because he was scared so not cooperating. It didn't work. And took me a loooong time to get him comfortable having his ears touched again. I wouldn't allow it done to him again.
He is much better with a calm patient person and we have worked on him as much as we can to make him more comfortable with strangers.