They have a lot of techniques, tools, and meds available to them to utilize, as necessary. What they do depends on each individual animal's behavior and physical condition.

I've noticed with many of my pets over the years that they act totally different than they do at home. So many times I have said that they might need to be muzzled, or maybe someone else to help hold them. Many times it's just knowing the proper techniques to keep them restrained. One thing that I can't stand is to watch a horse being twitched. It's not a bad thing, just uncomfortable to me.

i'm with ya, moonie. i hate twitches on horses. i always found the "shoulder roll" technique much more effective for all of my horses, even the mini boys.

I shudder when I see the twitch used but apparently sometimes it's the only way. Must hurt terribly. The consequences of not using it and foregoing treatment might be worse than the twitch. I don't know what the shoulder roll technique is, Ninap.

I've used a pinch twitch on my own horses when it's been called for, but I do not use a chain twitch, which is far more severe and potentially damaging. With a pinch twitch, you just apply enough pinching pressure on the upper lip to distract the horse from whatever undesirable or potentially dangerous behavior is being exhibited. It's really not a big deal to most horses, and it can avoid situations where both horse and human would otherwise be at much greater risk of injury without the twitch distraction. It serves the same purpose as the shoulder roll and is no more uncomfortable when used correctly. It's just two different anatomical locations of a tissue pinch.

When I was a youngster, however, the "cowboy" style trainers, farriers, and vets would even occasionally use a chain twitch on a horse's ear! Now THAT made me cringe every single time I saw it done. I can't imagine that a horse's ear ever came out of a chain twitch undamaged.

Laurie

I don't have a horse and don't know what a pinch twich is but it doesn't sound fun....Anyways anytime one of my animals (including two cockatiels) have needed to be x-rayed, they have been given a light sedative. When it's just a small procedure, like a shot or an exam, I usually end up holding the animal. Usually Vets prefer their assistants to help hold the animals, but once my bird bit one of the clinicians so hard it drew blood and the Vet agreed my help handling might work better. :c)