I’ve only tried once before and failed. I tried again today and failed. Something just tells me the mare is running a fever. I’m concerned because a local friend had this problem a couple weeks ago. I haven’t owned this horse all that long, so I’ve never felt a need to take the temp, although I know you should do this routinely. After the first failed attempt, I never tried again for fear of getting kick. When I stick just the tip of the thermometer in, she immediately reacted the way they do if you hose cold water there. Then she clamped her tail so tight there was no way I could try again. Any suggestions?
My new horse did this at the vet, they twitched him and he forgot all about his butt.
Either a twitch or lip chain usually works.
In a perfect world one would discover this problem before there is an actual need to take the temperature. But alas, we don’t live in a perfect world.
Can you take this mare’s tail to the side, move it around, bring it over her back, etc, with no tension? If not, you need to start there and work with her until you can move her tailhead around however you want without fuss.
Then you start doing “flybys” with your hand rubbing under her dock, around the perineal area, around her anal opening, etc. Don’t linger, just get in and get out before she has a chance to react strongly.
When she’s okay with this, you can move onto the actual thermometer. Use ample lubricant. I’ve seen a lot of people just spit on the “working” end of the thermometer and stick it in. This isn’t enough. Use a human-grade water-based lubricant like Astroglide or KY. Use liberally. I would even smooth some around the anal opening. She may be highly irritated by the dragging feeling on her skin.
I would also do all of this in a stall with her rear facing the wall and you standing as close as you can get to her rump so that if she does kick out, she hits the wall and your proximity to her means you’re unlikely to get any kind of significant impact.
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Thanks, good advice from all, especially Abbie. I sort of half way succeeded by rubbing there with my hand first. Got the thermometer in a little, and she clamped her tailed and held it in. That is a very good point about moving the tail from side to side. She is tight in the tail. I’ve noticed that even hosing her off being the legs. As for the twitching, you need two people. I’m alone.
You can absolutely buy a twitch that doesn’t require a second person to use: https://www.jefferspet.com/products/humane-twitch
In an emergency you can even make one out of baling twine or clothesline and a snap.
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Short strip of duct tape on the nose between the nostrils should distract her enough to temp her. Tie a string around it (the thermometer, not the tape) with a clothes pin to the other end, clipped to tail hair. This way you don’t have to stand there holding it in place. Give her a few minutes, groom her, treats, whatever… then after the thermometer has cooked, nonchalantly walk toward her back end, running your hand over her back as you do. Start to ‘groom’ her tail, then gently remove thermometer. Remove tape. Done.
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No you don’t. Make a loop of baling twine, put an old round halter ring on it, and grab a double ended snap.
Pull her lip into the twine loop, twist from the ring until it is pretty darned tight, and use the double ended snap to clip the ring to the halter cheek. Voila.
Close but no cigar. This is a perfect example of how desensitizing a horse can help. The process of desensitizing a horse teaches them to stop and wait for a moment before reacting, and they usually realize that whatever is catching their attention, or touching them, will not hurt them, and they become more tolerant.
After going through desensitizing, I’d use a dressage whip to start with thermometer training, since the basic tenant is to keep the pressure (stimulus) on, until the horse stands still. You want to keep yourself in a position where you can’t get hurt, and where you won’t accidentally remove the pressure if the horse does react. If you use Abbie’s method, you will remove the pressure if the horse reacts, which actually reinforces the reaction.
Clamping the til is a normal reaction. However since I pickup my horse’s tail daily when I fly spray it, I just keep going.
Try starting from the bottom, scratching as you go. When you get high enough to see the anus, insert your well lubricated thermometer, the new digital read out, beeping when time’s up ones, work fine. Just make sure you have turned it on.
Once you have inserted the thermometer, gently turn it it place, the tail will relax and will lift. When done remove thermometer.
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