| Your horse comes to the gate happy to see you, then | | | | horse to leave his head where we place it. |
| he spots the wormer tube and he prepares for battle. | | | | Bring the horses head to the correct position using |
| When you finally catch him and get the halter on you | | | | pressure and release. Release his head as soon as it |
| begin the event of deworming. If you are lucky, most | | | | is in the correct position. He will want to put it back |
| of the wormer will not only end up in his mouth instead | | | | straight so, when he does just bring it back. Count how |
| of your shirt, but it will also stay there and not end up | | | | long he leaves it to the side and try to build that time in |
| on the ground. On bad days, you have to nurse your | | | | small increments. When your horse will leave his head |
| bruised feet and take a shower to get the wormer out | | | | to the side for one minute, start messing with his face |
| of your hair. If this sounds remotely familiar then I have | | | | a little at a time. Allow the horse to put his head back |
| some lessons that can help you both in this simple | | | | forward when he does well. It can make the horses' |
| process. | | | | neck sore to keep it to the side too long so give him |
| Over the years there have been many products | | | | breaks, switch sides, and practice the same lessons on |
| developed to help with this procedure. There | | | | the other side. Rub his cheeks, nose, mouth, etc. and |
| dewormers that are fed to the horse with his grain on | | | | when he is comfortable with that start rubbing the |
| a daily basis, different flavors of pastes and gels to | | | | sides of his lips where the wormer will be going. |
| make wormers more appealing to the horse and even | | | | Use extreme caution when working around the horses' |
| 'worming halters' that help insure all the paste gets in | | | | mouth that you do not place your fingers where they |
| the horses mouth and in the right place so it stays | | | | could be easily bitten. There is a gap between the |
| there. Now you will be able to teach your horse to | | | | incisors and molars that has no teeth. It is also where |
| accept paste. | | | | the bit rests. This is the only place you should put your |
| We do not start with the goal, as that is the fastest | | | | fingers actually into their horses' mouth. If you choose |
| way to get into a wreck, as your toes will attest to. | | | | to do so, the horse will try to spit your finger/hand out |
| We will start with a basic lesson that teaches your | | | | with his tongue. Use extreme caution that you do not |
| horse to put his head in the correct position to accept | | | | allow him to draw your finger/hand into his teeth |
| the wormer and leave it there until we ask him to | | | | where he could mistakenly bite them. |
| move it. You can use a halter or bridle for this lesson | | | | Place your right arm under the horses' head and bring |
| and can do this in about any enclosed area. It is a | | | | your right hand to the spot your left hand had been on |
| good exercise to work on in the stall when you cannot | | | | the bridge of the horses' nose. Now with your left hand |
| go outside as well. | | | | carefully rub the insides of the lips and while lifting the |
| Start by standing on the left side of your horse and | | | | lip out of the way with your right had, rub the outsides |
| place your right hand on his poll with your fingers | | | | of his bars and gums until he is comfortable. Take |
| between his ears and your left hand about where the | | | | small steps and if you meet a lot of resistance go |
| noseband of the halter lies. You will first teach your | | | | back to a point the horse is comfortable and start |
| horse to lower his head to the pressure on his poll by | | | | back at that point and move forward slower. |
| placing light pressure with your right hand. Leave the | | | | When the horse is comfortable with one finger, move |
| pressure there until you see his head drop even a | | | | to two, then three, and so on until the horse will allow |
| quarter inch. Do not add pressure if he raises his head. | | | | you to place your entire hand in his mouth at his bars, |
| If he raises it too high for you to reach with your hand, | | | | staying relaxed and calm. Your horse should also allow |
| then use the lead rope or rein and exert the same | | | | you to hold his tongue to the side of his mouth as well. |
| downward pressure. Remember to release the | | | | When you place your hand, at the bars, into his mouth, |
| pressure as soon as his head goes in the downward | | | | he will try to spit it out, gently take his tongue and pull it |
| direction, no matter how high it went and how little it | | | | out to the side. |
| goes down. We have to keep in mind we are teaching | | | | We have now taught the horse to accept us working |
| the horse to lower his head, not to put it where we | | | | around and in his mouth and we are ready to introduce |
| started. Be sure to praise your horse for each correct | | | | the worming tools. We will start with an empty |
| guess with either a rub or encouraging voice. | | | | wormer syringe. Bring the horses head into position in |
| Once the horse will lower his head each time you | | | | front of you and take the empty syringe and begin by |
| apply pressure and leave it lowered, you are ready to | | | | rubbing it all over the horses' face, mouth and lips. |
| teach the horse to bring his head around to the side. | | | | When he is quiet for that, rub the syringe along the |
| First, bring the horses' head down to a comfortable | | | | inside of the lips where it will be used later. When the |
| height with your right hand. Now, with your left hand | | | | horse is calm with that, insert the syringe into the |
| apply pressure to the side of his nose at the point | | | | horse's mouth as if you were going to administer the |
| where the halter nose band would lay as if you were | | | | wormer and push the plunger. Continue with this until |
| going to pull his head in front of you, but don't pull. Just | | | | the horse accepts the empty wormer. |
| apply pressure and wait for him to move away from | | | | Now find a paste substitute that your horse likes such |
| the pressure bringing his head to the side toward you. | | | | as syrup, applesauce, baby food, etc. Place a small |
| Leave your right hand at his poll and apply pressure if | | | | amount into the wormer syringe and administer it to |
| the horse raises his head during this part of the lesson. | | | | the horse. Do this daily until the horse looks forward to |
| Always get the head at the correct elevation then ask | | | | the wormer. Now we are ready to pull a fast one on |
| to bring it to the side. When the horse raises his head, | | | | them. Take your wormer and without hesitation, |
| he is telling you he is uncertain and is tensing up. A | | | | administer it to the horse. Later that day dose him |
| good rule to follow is to go back in the lesson until you | | | | again with the substitute that he likes. If he is hesitant |
| get the proper response then build on the correct | | | | back up until he is calm and administer the substitute |
| answer. Again, release the pressure as soon as the | | | | until he looks forward to it again. The next time you |
| horse moves away from it and praise the horse. | | | | are ready to worm him, go in with the wormer and |
| When the horse understands to both lower his head | | | | administer with out hesitation. |
| and bring it in front of you, we will begin teaching the | | | | |