Securing the Horse

SECURING THE FORE LIMB OF HORSE

Stirrup leather (or) Rope method

The forelimb may be secured with a stirrup leather or tied with a rope. It is fixed to the pastern and the foot is lifted.

A thick pad of straw is placed on the hollow of the knee to prevent the strap or rope from slipping off and then buckled or tied around the forelimb.

SECURING THE HIND LIMB OF HORSE

Army side line method

Single side line method

Gatacre’s method

Service hobbles method

Simple untwisted method

Simple twisted method

SERVICE HOBBLES METHOD

Simple untwisted service hobble

Both the hind limbs should be secured for operations such as docking or to prevent injury to the stallion when serving a mare.

The following methods are used for securing both the hind limbs.

Simple untwisted service or covering hobbles method (over pastern)

Attach two shackles round the pasterns. Attach two ropes to the two rings of shackles.

Bring the ropes between fore legs, and take each one round the fore arm below the elbow, bring up and tie over the back with quick-releasing knot.

Twisted service or covering hobbles method (over fetlock)

In this method shackles are applied above the hind fetlocks.

Ropes are attached, twisted round each other tightly, brought between forelegs and put an ‘8’ knot near the brisket and the free ends are tied round the neck in front of and to the side of withers with a quick-releasing knot.

This method is better than the previous one since the lateral movements of the legs are minimised by twisting the ropes.

ARMY SIDE LINE METHOD

Take a long rope of about 15 feet in length, a loop is put around the hind pastern brought forward, turned around the neck in free hitch and head by an assistant.

This is simple and easy method of securing hind limb and commonly used now-a-days.

HIPPO LASSO OR STRAIGHT JACKET METHOD

It consists of a breast band and broad ring connected by traces and supported by straps passing over the back.

GATACRE'S METHOD

By this method the hind limb can be lifted for prolonged examination. Take a 20 feet long 1 / 2 inch thick rope.

Double it and tie the double end to the tail. Apply a shackle on the pattern.

Pass the two free ends off the rope through the ring of the shackle, one to the near side and the other to the off side and have them held by two assistants standing well behind and to each side of the horse. Lift the leg by pulling the ropes.

The rope can be tied to the tail by the following three methods.

Double sheet bend knot method.

Tail hitch method.

Docked tail or double rope half hitch method:

If the horse’s tail is too short this method is advocated. Pass a loop made in the middle of the doubled rope over the root of the tail and further secure by two half hitches.

STOCKS OR CRUSH OR TREVIS

These are used to restrain the animal in hospitals for examination of the animal and giving treatments and injections.

GROOMING OF HORSES 

The objects of grooming are cleanliness, prevention of diseases and improvement of the animal's condition and appear­ance and the results may be sufficiently attained for the horse by good brushing and wisping once a day.

The necessity for the amount of grooming required varies with the condition under which animals are placed, the better they are fed and the faster the pace expected of them when at work, the greater should be the amount of care towards getting the skin into perfect condition.

Grooming may therefore be limited to the amount necessary for cleanliness and health, or it may be prolonged and amplified with the object of maintaining the skin in best possible condition even while work is at high pressure, and this is derived by hand rubbing and wisping.

The importance of grooming as a prevention of diseases while it is quite true that mange and many other diseases are not produced by dirt.

The regular brushing and cleans­ing of the coat is an undoubted preventive measure against various skin diseases.

The relation of regular exercise to the amount of grooming required is another matter which should be kept in mind.

It is a well-known fact that an idle horse is always more difficult to clean than the one which is at work; indeed, it is almost impossible to keep some skins free from scurf and grease when the horse is idle.It is also believed that the tendency to accu­mulate skin dirt is found to be greater with corn-fed horses than those at grass.

The idle horse therefore requires even more attention and thorough­ness as regards grooming than his fellow at work. Accordingly, regular exercise is considered, in addition to its other benefits, a labour-saving procedure.