If vaccination day turns your normally sweet and cooperative riding buddy into a fire breathing dragon, we have great news – this is an easy problem to fix! Even better, both you AND your horse will enjoy the process of turning a needle poke from a fight-or-flight fiasco into a feel-good lovefest. (And no, you absolutely do NOT have to stick needles in your horse to facilitate this life-changing transformation.)
Needles are a necessity when it comes to keeping your horse healthy. Whether it’s vaccinating him against potentially fatal diseases or sedating him for making poor life choices that require sutures, at some point your horse will be on the receiving end of a poke or twenty. Needle shy horses make this process far worse – and way more dangerous – than it needs to be.
Fortunately, you can help your horse overcome his fear and keep everyone safe by following some easy steps to desensitize him to needles.
Horses are incredibly intelligent animals, despite their predilection for running through fences. They quickly learn that pressure over their jugular vein or pinching the skin on their neck will be followed by a poke, and it’s almost always the anticipation of that needle stick that sends them over the edge. Our goal is to recondition your horse to associate those movements with really pleasurable experiences. You can absolutely do this at home, before he ever needs a needle, and it only takes about five minutes a day!
Here’s what to do:
1. Find your horse’s favorite reward.
For many horses, this means getting your hands on the yummiest treats! Grab some carrots, mints, cookies, or take out a small loan to invest in those fancy German horse muffins – this is no time for frugality! If your horse is some sort of weirdo who doesn’t like food, find his favorite spot to be scratched and use that to get his happy hormones flowing.
2. Take a deep breath.
If your horse has a rap sheet as long as your arm of veterinarians who have required medical attention after attempting to stick him with a needle, it’s naturally nerve racking to even THINK about tackling this issue. Don’t worry, we’ll start slow and easy. Just remember that your horse is always feeding off of your energy, so if you’re nervous, he’s nervous. Keep it light and fun! Tell him he’s a good boy, and work in short, rewarding sessions.
3. Start by touching his neck.
For most horses, this is easy! But if your horse has the memory of an elephant, even touching his neck might make him suspicious of your intentions. If that’s the case, start by touching his shoulder or his withers and moving forward, then give him a treat (or a scratch) for staying calm. Repeat this process until you’re able to touch his jugular vein or the triangle on his neck where he gets IM injections. It might take you several sessions to get there, and that’s OK! If he gets nervous (throws his head up, strikes, tries to move away from you), move your hand further away from the sensitive area and go slower. Give him a treat for any advancement he allows.
4. Apply a little pressure.
Once your horse will happily let you touch the zones where needles tend to poke him, apply a little pressure to the area. Hold off the jugular vein and give him a treat if he allows it. If that pressure is too much and he gets nervous, go back to simply touching the area and giving him treats. Once he’s OK with some pressure, you can use your fingernail to simulate the poke of a needle – give him lots of treats once he allows that!
5. STOP
These sessions should not take longer than 5 minutes at a time. Don’t overload your horse by making this a marathon! If he only lets you touch his shoulder, count it as a victory and see if you can get a little closer to your target tomorrow. This is likely not a process you’ll complete in one day, so take your time and do your best to end each session on a good note!
At High Country Veterinary Services, we are devoted to making your horse’s life better, and no one loves an easy-breezy veterinary appointment more than we do! We’ve helped many clients use these tips and tricks to dramatically improve their horse’s experience with veterinary care, and we’d love to help you too. (Did you know Dr. Batt requires us to complete Fear Free® behavioral training to work this gig?) If your horse could use some help conquering their needle phobia, please let us know at your next appointment and we’re happy to show you these steps in person! As always, thank you for making us trusted members of your horse’s team.
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