Sometimes me thinks I am living on a different planet.
Last night I watched a webinar about the use of the tranquilizer Dormosedan Gel. It started pretty inate, with product information, cautions etc. It was mentioned that this should only be given with rubber gloves on, and the veterinarian would prescribe this tranquilizer only for a horse he is familiar with. Yeah, right.
On the website it says in the first paragraph “Not every horse owner needs DORMOSEDAN GEL® for every procedure. But for those occasions when your horse won’t cooperate, DORMOSEDAN GEL is an easy-to-use option for needle-shy horses and any horse owner who is uncomfortable giving an injection. “ Then they list these minor, husbandry (nonpainful) procedures:
- Shoeing
- Clipping a horse
- Bridle path trimming
- Pulling a mane
- Sheath cleaning
- First time turnouts for fractious horses
Excuse me? I can see how a veterinarian would sedate a horse to have his teeth done (with hand tools) and how sheath cleaning would be more successful in some horses by the same veterinarian if the horse was a little sedated. But to say this is a solution if your horse won’t cooperate, absolutely blows my mind. Bridle path clipping? Is that really so important that you have to pump (literally) chemicals in your horse to do that? What ever happened to training, getting a horse accustomed to certain things? Before I sedate a horse to pretty him up, I would rather leave him all ugly in his own coat, but then again, I do that anyway (see picture above and below of two of my unkempt horses).
And that last point really wins the prize: First time turnout for fractious horses. Oh my. Why don’t you just give a Valium to the owner and then turn the poor horse out? Can it get any worse? When is this madness going to stop?
Now, before I give myself a heart attack, I am getting off my little box, collect my things and go home. Thank you for reading so far.
hoofwoman 