b'DOSE LIKE A PROcatheter tip or nozzle off the syringe. Once youve inserted the syringe of medicine into your horses mouth, slide it as far as you can to the back of the tongue. While pressing on the plunger, massage his tongue back and forth with the tip of the syringetongue movementNever tie your forces him to swallow the medicationhorses head when before he can spit it out. Keep his headadministering medi-somewhat elevated while massaging hiscation, and dont tongue. Positive reinforcement after eachstick your hand treatment can help mitigate fights overthrough the halter, as shown. Give his the next administration. Have a rewardhead freedom to readyeither a favorite treat or a bucketmove, and follow his with tasty food in it.motion.If you have a particularly stubborn horse, get someone to help you. The more your horse resists, and the longer he gets away with it, the more ingrained that behavior becomes. Some horses need a lot of restraint; for others, less is more. However, never tie your horses head when administering medication. This could result in a violent reaction that is dangerous to you and your horse. Dont SHELLEY PAULSONstick your hand through the halter, either. Give his head freedom to move, and follow his motion. Take your time, stay calm, and be patient.Sometimes the problem is the personmetabolic syndrome (EMS), or pituitaryavoid this, clean syringes well after each giving the medication, says Randall.pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID,use, and lubricate the rubber parts with Get someone else to administer it toformerly known as equine Cushingsvegetable oil. You can also buy commer-your horse. While it may be hard on yourdisease). Choose nonsugary components,cial syringes that dont contain rubber pride, the point is to get the job done assuch as unsweetened applesauce, toparts and tend to function smoothly for easily as possible. mask the medications taste. Avoid usinglonger. Keep a spare syringe available in In some cases you might have to makeproducts that contain molasses or Karocase the one youre using goes bad.a paste out of pills. You can mix water and syrup, including beet pulp with molasses. medication in a cup or in the plastic sy- Low-sugar yogurt is usually safe to use inSmall Tabletsringe case for a 60-cc syringe; the syringesmall quantities.Some medications come in small tablet fits well into that case, making it easy toUsing oral syringes repeatedly canform, such as pergolide (Prascend) for withdraw all the fluid-medication mix.cause the rubber on the plunger tohorses with PPID or the non-steroidal Some pills dissolve more readily thanbecome brittle or difficult to move. Toanti-inflammatory firocoxib (Equioxx). If others. Some tablets should not be dis- a dose is only one or two pills, then core solved or crushed, because they needout a small piece of apple or carrot and their outer coating to withstand digestiveslip the pill into it to be consumed readily. juices and to release active ingredientsThis is typically a more effective tech-at an expected rate. For tablets thatnique than combining tiny pills with the can be pulverized (ask your veterinar- horses feed, where he could knock them ian about this), however, crush or grindout or eat around them.them in an electric coffee grinder or withYou can find pill pocket treats for a mortar and pestle. Then you can addhorses, similar to those designed for an appealing substance that helps withdogs. They come in various forms, from LINDA SHERRILLdeliveryapplesauce, small amounts offlavored coatings to products such as yogurt, baby food (such as carrot puree),Standlees Horse Pill Carriersfirm molasses, or Karo syrup. alfalfa-based treats with a center holeWhen selecting such substrates, itsfor pills.Mix tablets you can crush (an example of a pill important to remember the needs ofcrusher is shown at right) with an appealingEdible conduits like these are particu-horses with insulin dysfunction, equinesubstance such as applesauce for delivery. larly useful for ensuring horses consume 12October 2019The Horse | TheHorse.com'