Basic Equine Handling, Restraint and Training

Original Editor - Ansi van der Walt Top Contributors - Jess Bell, Kim Jackson, Tarina van der Stockt and Olajumoke Ogunleye

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Handling

Halters are also known as head collars for horses. They are the piece of equine handling equipment a physiotherapist will most frequently require and use. It is advisable to always have a halter on the horse’s head for the safety of the therapist and/or handler.

Types of halter include:

• Standard halter
  • Usually made from either leather or webbing
  • Loose fitting, no pressure
  • Basic means of restraint
• Rope halter
  • Exerts slightly more pressure on sensitive areas of the head than a standard halter
  • May be used where slightly more control is required
• Pressure halter
  • Made from rope
  • It has a sliding mechanism that causes the halter to tighten around the head when pressure is exerted by the horse or the handler
• Chain halter
  • Usually used for stallions
  • This halter enables the handler to exert a strong pressure on the horse's nose when strong control is needed
• Chifney
  • A metal mouthpiece that can be attached to a standard halter
  • It provides the handler with additional control when needed as it allows the handler to exert pressure on the sensitive bars of the mouth
  • Used especially to discourage horses from pulling back and rearing

NB: One of the basic tenets of equine handling is that horses experience pressure as punishment and a release of this pressure as a reward. Whenever pressure is applied by any equipment, there must always be a release of pressure as soon as the horse performs the desired behaviour. Continuous or excessive pressure is abusive and may cause a self-defence response from the horse (e.g. rearing or pulling back).

Safety Considerations

• Footwear
  • Always wear safety shoe/ boots
• Control
  • Always have a halter or other means of restraint in case the horse becomes agitated
  • Ideally, the horse should always be held by a second person (e.g. groom)
• Beware of enclosed spaces
  • You should always be able to get away from the horse if necessary
  • Preferably, you will not work in the stable, especially with unfamiliar horses
  • If you do have to work in the stable, you should leave the door open where possible

Restraint

When working with horses, you should always use the least restraint necessary for the handler to be safe. Sometimes, additional restraint will be required for urgent procedures that a horse would not tolerate willingly. These restraint techniques should be used sparsely and empathetically.

Forms of restraint include:

• Lifting a leg
  • One of the easier ways to restrain a horse
  • Horses carry two thirds of their weight on their front legs, so lifting a forelimb can help the horse focus on standing evenly on its other three legs
  • If the handler stands close to the horse and places one hand on its shoulder, it is easier to tell if the horse is tensing to move
• Twitching:
  • Neck twitching
    • Grab a fold of the horse's skin at the base of its neck and twist
  • Ear twitching
    • Grab the horse's ear at its base, squeeze and twist
  • Nose / lip twitching
    • Use with care for as short a time as possible and only if necessary
    • When applying a nose twitch, you can use a wood with rope - you should firmly grasp the horse's muzzle with your fingers through the loop. You place the loop over the horse's nose and then twist the stick. The loop can be tightened or loosened as required
    • You must be careful to never let go of the twitch as it can swing, potentially injuring you, other handlers and the horse
    • If the twitch is left on too long, it can cause damage to the horse or become inefffective
    • You must never put this sort of device on the horse's ear. If further restraint is necessary, it is better to consider chemical restraint
• Using a crush:
  • Crushes are small enclosures made of metal bars that can or wooden planks, with gates at the front and back used to restrict a horse's movements
  • You should never get into a crush with a horse or stand behind the horse as you open / close the gate
  • It is important to note that horses can get out of a crush and could, potentially, injure themselves