WDYD vet staff & improper handling

[ratherberiding1999]

I would speak up and calmly but firmly state how the horse would prefer to be handled, and if that doesn’t work, ask the veterinarian directly either to have a different tech hold the horse, or if they’re comfortable with you doing it.

I’m a vet tech, in small animal not large, but grew up riding horses. Unfortunately, most technician schools barely cover horses or any other large animal for that matter. My school had one class on all large animals, of which horses took up about 3 weeks. We physically got a chance to handle horses three times and that was it. People who don’t know horses do not learn nearly enough with that- and of course they only handled elderly, dead-broke, everyone-safe horses, and don’t get experience with horses who vary from that at all.

So you’ve got techs coming right out of school but with almost no horse experience. If your practice has assistants, they probably have no training/education whatsoever, as they don’t need a license or any schooling. The field is understaffed literally everywhere and it is near impossible to hire anyone. Most practices just have to take what they can get in terms of techs and assistants, and a lot of them are bad.

Veterinary practice insurance does usually require that only paid staff are allowed to handle animals, not the owners, just for liability reasons. However, it varies practice to practice on how strict that is. Many vets are willing to grab another tech who may be able to handle better, or to let the owner hold, especially if it’s a pretty easy going animal with a low risk of hurting anyone, or a ridiculously aggressive or stressed out animal that unless the owner restrains, nothing is getting done.

You can also talk to your vet and ask them to put a note in his file that he likes being held on a loose lead, or that you’d rather he wasn’t held by that tech. My coworkers all listen to notes like that and no one is offended that certain patients do better with certain people/handling styles.

[beowulf]

It’s hard when these things happen. On the one hand, the vet tech’s livelihood is at stake any time they handle a horse. On the other hand, some horses really need specific handling. Vet techs see a lot of client horses in a day and most have poor manners from a clinical standpoint. While well meaning, sometimes the owner isn’t quick enough or competent enough to address something before it puts a vet at risk. That being said, some vet techs absolutely make situations worse.

I think in your situation for next time, pull aside the vet and tell them you would like a different tech or yourself handle your horse.

I have been on both sides. I have a horse with great ground manners until a speculum comes out. He also has cervical arthritis and a bone spur right behind his atlas. I think the speculum is physically painful for him. One year I didn’t intervene in time and that was the year a vet tech nearly killed my horse. But I have also been the staff member that has nearly had a horse flatten me during a vet visit because the owner wasn’t being assertive and keeping their horse controlled. Trust your vet, reassess if your horse is a good patient, but also trust your gut and be the best ambassador you can be for them.

[chestnutmarebeware]

@ratherberiding1999

You can also talk to your vet and ask them to put a note in his file that he likes being held on a loose lead

I have a note in both horses’ files re: the vaccinations that I want them to receive annually since I am not there when their turns come up (the BO schedules one day for the vet to come out and vaccinate all 20 or 30 horses that are participating at one time, in no scheduled order.). I also indicated that I did not want them wormed, or have blood drawn for a Coggins (before anyone loses their mind, the BO suggested doing them only every few years because the girls are in their 20s, have their own field that no one else uses and they never leave the property—plus there have been no cases of EIA around here in at least the last 50 years.

Yet every year they’re given one or more vaccinations I didn’t request, are sometimes wormed and sometimes not, and always have blood pulled for a Coggins. I even call the office the day before the appointment to review what I do and don’t want done, but it doesn’t make a difference.

I always pay the bill (which always ends up being about $200 more than it should have been) without complaint because I really like the vets at this practice and don’t want to get a reputation as “that client”.

This year, my plan is to print out a sheet of paper with the only services I want in a HUGE font size (extra bold!), and tape them to the stall doors where they can’t possibly be missed when they pull the girls out for their shots. We’ll see if this works.

[OverandOnward]

If you paint the instructions on the horse’s sudes, you might have a chance. Maybe.

I’m guessing that doing that many horses in one go, it becomes a standard process, not a customization for each horse.

In that situation, if it mattered enough to me, I’d take my horses out of the queue (as it were) and do them separately on another day. But I’m guessing that isn’t very practical. Plus at this point, the process is so routine, they might get swept up into the mass anyway.

[Heinz_57]

@beowulf

I think in your situation for next time, pull aside the vet and tell them you would like a different tech or yourself handle your horse.

Unfortunately the vet was not present while all this was going on. I’m not sure he would have approved of the technique if he had been. I suppose I could’ve broached the subject after the fact. He has always been very good with handling my horses.

I probably should’ve noted this in my OP, but I handled the horse myself for the previous appointment two weeks earlier - the one that this was a follow up for - which included sedating him (done by the vet that time, not a tech), and we had zero problems. Every other vet visit in his life, including two overnight stays, one surgery under GA and one surgery done standing sedated, have been uneventful in the handling department.

He’s not a bad kid… He’s just one of those horses that doesn’t make a big deal out of things unless you make a big deal out of it.

[beowulf]

@Heinz_57

He’s not a bad kid… He’s just one of those horses that doesn’t make a big deal out of things unless you make a big deal out of it.

Completely understand that. There are some horses that cannot be forced or handled unfairly for whatever reason and no amount of training undoes that.

[J-Lu]

Oh brother.

[Djones]

@J-Lu

Oh brother

Where art thou?

[J-Lu]

My horse was similar to your horse and kind of still is. I’ve used the same vet since he was 3.5 years old. I’ve also helped my vet handle some of the training horses in the barn, who are there because they need training.

In HER practice, the techs know what they’re doing and they are all (vet included) very patient with my horse. If a horse is a real problem, like a client horse I saw her deal with a year ago, she steps in to take the lead rope and halter and uses Natural Horsemanship techniques to be able to do the bare minimum with the horse. She’s basically telling the horse that she’s boss mare and they should submit to her instructions (like stand still). She won’t risk anything by working on a horse that truly challenges her and she’ll let the owner know. It’s worth noting she’s an eventer and I know the dressage peeps she trains with with are excellent. I know the NH guy she’s worked with and he’s excellent. Her staff is excellent, compassionate and firm. I’m so happy they have worked with me when my horse was a young absolute mental mess to now.

I’d bring your concerns to the main veterinarian. He’d need to know that his staff doesn’t know how to handle horses - how to apply and then RELEASE pressure. If he gives you push-back, I’d find a different vet.

A friend of mine changed to my vet for similar reasons. The vets might be great but if the staff isn’t, it’s not worth it.

I agree, you have to advocate for your horse and it might be that the vet isn’t aware of the lack of horsemanship knowledge in this vet tech.

[J-Lu]

You know. You’re an adult, adult.

[Djones]

Ummm… are you OK?

Nine days ago a real thing happened at my place that I found humorous. I made a joke without naming names or pointing fingers. If you elect to take exception to it, that’s certainly your prerogative. In other words, go on with your bad self.

Odd, but ok, chief.

[J-Lu]

Are you OK? You seem to bring me up on this thread that I didn’t post on. As a negative. You complain about me on the other thread for BS reasons.

What is your problem by doing so, chief? You know you were referring to my posts that you had issues with on another thread (and posted about). I caught you with your negative post. I’ll be so interested in hearing about how your post was not linked to me, using the words you originally posted on this and the other thread.

Yeah, I’me very OK and can recognize linked posts and intent. So weird that you think anyone can’t.

[Fiesta01]

@cayuse

I’d probably intervene, but at the clinic I go to, owners are not allowed to handle the horse when it is being worked on/examined (they have signs posted saying this), so I don’t know how it would play out.

In a situation like that, I would tell the tech to stop and take the horse back. I would explain how the horse is accustomed to being held and demonstrate to the tech. If she was not receptive to changing her handling, I would talk with the vet, explain the situation, and ask for another tech or an exception to hold my own horse.

[Djones]

First day on the internet? Come on in, but mind the hot wire next to your dinner plate