Zen Horse

Training Tip of the Week: By Clinton Anderson

Keeping Shots as Painless as Possible



Part of owning a horse means giving annual vaccines or occasionally having to administer antibiotics. Giving a horse a shot is something many people dread because it can turn into a big problem if you do not properly prepare your horse. Remember, preparation is key whether you’re riding, doing groundwork, or any activity involving your horse. I try to do some basic groundwork before I give my horses shots. This gets them using the thinking side of their brain and puts them in a better mindset before I have to poke them with a needle.

Once you have done your groundwork, take the syringe and tap on the horse’s neck (or wherever you need to administer the shot) in a rhythmic manner. At first, this may bother the horse but as soon as he stands still and relaxes, take the syringe away. Let him relax for 30 seconds or so and then repeat the tapping exercise again. Continue doing this until your horse is desensitized to the tapping.

The next step is to simply tap, tap, tap, give the shot, and then tap, tap, tap. If your horse throws its head up or gets bothered, just ignore it and continue tapping. Basically, don’t make giving a shot a big deal. If you don’t act like it’s a big deal, your horse will stay much calmer.

The main thing to remember is to not act any different around your horse when giving him a shot. Act just as you normally would if you were simply going to catch him. Some people start sneaking around their horse when they have to give a shot, and it just makes the horse uncomfortable and nervous. Remember, horses are excellent at reading our body language, so keep yours relaxed and calm, desensitize your horse to the tapping feeling, and you shouldn’t have any trouble the next time you have to give one of those dreaded shots.

Happy Healthy Horses make Happy Trails,

Danna