# New way to twitch a horse



## Kotori (Jun 18, 2012)

Duct tape? The holds a car together at 50mph tape? 

Bad idea. pulling it off hurts. Say good bye to all whiskers and hair in that area. If you've ever had some stuck to you, you'd know what I mean.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Kotori said:


> Duct tape? The holds a car together at 50mph tape?
> 
> Bad idea. pulling it off hurts. Say good bye to all whiskers and hair in that area. If you've ever had some stuck to you, you'd know what I mean.


Really? I've used duct tape (the real kind) to hold paper towel or tissues, etc as temporary bandages while working. They did no damage, and it wasn't painful, when I took them off.

But if that is a concern for some, use the "Duck tape" kind that comes in silly patterns and does not hold as well.


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## Kotori (Jun 18, 2012)

boots said:


> Really? I've used duct tape (the real kind) to hold paper towel or tissues, etc as temporary bandages while working. They did no damage, and it wasn't painful, when I took them off.
> 
> But if that is a concern for some, use the "Duck tape" kind that comes in silly patterns and does not hold as well.


Maybe we have some freakishly strong duct tape here, but we use it here to cover music cases to make them waterproof, and a single layer can last 4 years or more, and to mark dots on pavement, which can last over 2 years. What sticks out to me is that the entire strip, except for the dangling bit, would be in full contact with the horse's face. for bandages, less than half touches the skin (at least the way I do it). 

I might be wrong (and might test it tomorrow) but it seems to me that this would be like taking a 10" strip, smoothing it down, then pulling it off. I suppose it wouldn't be any worse than a normal twitch, but if it pulls out the whiskers...Or those little hairs a horse gets on the upper lip.

Or, maybe I'm thinking of more tape being in contact than really is? cause I'm thinking at least a 4" strip on the nose.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

it doesn't make the horse throw his head up while he tries to get his lips around it? I'd like to see a picture of this.


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## KatieQ (Apr 4, 2011)

It is much easier to just mix the dewormer in the feed- that is how I give it every time. A little bit of applesauce mixed in and they'll gobble anything down!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Kotori said:


> Maybe we have some freakishly strong duct tape here, but we use it here to cover music cases to make them waterproof, and a single layer can last 4 years or more, and to mark dots on pavement, which can last over 2 years. What sticks out to me is that the entire strip, except for the dangling bit, would be in full contact with the horse's face. for bandages, less than half touches the skin (at least the way I do it).
> 
> I might be wrong (and might test it tomorrow) but it seems to me that this would be like taking a 10" strip, smoothing it down, then pulling it off. I suppose it wouldn't be any worse than a normal twitch, but if it pulls out the whiskers...Or those little hairs a horse gets on the upper lip.
> 
> Or, maybe I'm thinking of more tape being in contact than really is? cause I'm thinking at least a 4" strip on the nose.


Now I'm curious, too. :lol: I have used duct tape to hold boots together and they were waterproof. Hmmmm.

Either way, I don't think this is a bad trick to have in case a situation comes up. I've had horses turn their noses up at meds put in applesauce, mashed banana, etc. I could see one of mine that I had to doctor for an eye injury being fascinated with tape (lightly!) stuck on his nose/muzzle. I got it done and he was a gentleman, but he would have liked this!


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## EncinitasM (Oct 5, 2014)

sounds like you could use painter's blue tape and get the same results except that the blue tape would come right off.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

There's a video on facebook about it but I can't find it at the moment. The horse didn't toss his head that much, just mostly wiggled his lip around trying to get at the tape.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

KatieQ said:


> It is much easier to just mix the dewormer in the feed- that is how I give it every time. A little bit of applesauce mixed in and they'll gobble anything down!



that wormer, the paste stuff, has a strong taste. you'd have to dilute it in a barrel full of applesause for my lease horse to not know it's there and turn up his nose. and if they do, you've wasted the wormer, since you have no choice but to throw it away.


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## sorral3 (Jun 7, 2013)

what bugs me is why would you have to twitch a horse for that? Why not work on it in between doses so you don't have to? My own horse is no angel about it, but I work at it. Using an empty syringe and desensitizing her once in awhile. Horsemanship isn't just the riding, it's how we handle and care for them too.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

You Really intend to duct tape a twitch to a horse to deworm?!?!?
Here's what to do, and it will take a Saturday and Sunday to accomplish:
(1) save a used dewormer cartridge
(2) fill it with applesauce or molasses--you can buy a small amount at any grocery store
(3) halter your horse and hold the lead
(4) use approach and retreat, 5x-7x, stop and pet the horse, until he/she is showing no fear..REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT ALL AFTERNOON
BE PATIENT!!!!! According to Dr. Miller (of imprinting foals fame), it will take 20x as long to retrain fear out of a horse as to train a horse who has no fear. Look for your horse to become curious about the syringe.
(5) when you horse lets you get the syringe next to his mouth, squirt the applesauce or molasses on the side of his mouth, then retreat
Take one whole afternoon and desentitize your horse to the syringe. At some point, IF YOU ARE PATIENT, you'll be able to squirt a little sweet stuff into his/her mouth with the syringe.
At that point, stop.
Next day, repeat, until he starts looking for the syringe and the sweet stuff.
When you get him to not fear the syringe, deworm the next time with QUEST, bc it is a dissolvable gel and your horse won't need you to hold his/her head up to not spit it out.
REINFORCE your retraining by using a syringe with sweet stuff in lieu of a treat. Then, he/she will be enjoying deworming, instead of dreading it.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Using the tape is not twitching, it is distracting them that is all. 

I had a gipsy cob come to me for clipping. The owner had been unable to worm him amd the vet had no success either.
He was a pig ignorant horse that used his weight to get out of doing something that he didn't like. 
I had no time to mess around. I took a towel, doubled it over, put it over his eyes so he couldn't see. I had the owner hold a tray over his head , as I started to worm he raised his head, his ears touched the tray and he lowered it immediately. 
I knew he wouldn't hurt himself. Worming done in less than five minutes from finding the towel and tray to actually worming him.


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## jamesdean57 (Feb 2, 2013)

DancingArabian said:


> There's a video on facebook about it but I can't find it at the moment. The horse didn't toss his head that much, just mostly wiggled his lip around trying to get at the tape.


Hope you find it, I would really like to see it.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Yes, some horses don't like needles, some are difficult to de-worm, but you can teach them to accept both.
All of my horses learn to accept both de -worming and shots.
I am not going to mix it in apple sauce, hoping the horse gets the entire dose, be that an antibiotic or a de -wormer.
Horses are only as good as we expect them to be.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

One horse will fight being dewormed. He had a long history of this prior to my getting him. His previous owner, a vet, wound up administering a mild tranq. It wasn't for lack of various training techniques. Something about the smell set him off. I might try the duct tape altho I finally figured something out that's worked every time. My other horse will suck the tube out of my hand if not tightly held.


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

I just put it in there food and they eat it up I love my food hounds


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

jamesdean57 said:


> Hope you find it, I would really like to see it.


I still can't find it. The farrier just put a 6 inch piece of duct tape on the horses nose (vertically) and only stuck the one end to him. The very wiggly horse then spends a lot of time wagging his lip around (and flapping the tape) trying to pull it off. It just distracts him by giving him something to do.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I got in on deworming thirteen yesterday. Twelve of them I had never handled before and probably will never see again. One was especially difficult.

I tried the duct tape to distract him and it worked. I didn't mash it on. It came off easily. I'm quick with the plunger. I had three more to do after him and he followed me around. Curious guy, it turns out.

So, I would say there are times this is useful and I think it never hurts to have lots of things to try.


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## jamesdean57 (Feb 2, 2013)

DancingArabian said:


> I still can't find it. The farrier just put a 6 inch piece of duct tape on the horses nose (vertically) and only stuck the one end to him. The very wiggly horse then spends a lot of time wagging his lip around (and flapping the tape) trying to pull it off. It just distracts him by giving him something to do.


Thanks for trying.


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## Luv equins (Oct 10, 2014)

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

It sounds as if it would be harder to wrap around the nose than using a small twitch would be or do you not do that with it?


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

jaydee said:


> It sounds as if it would be harder to wrap around the nose than using a small twitch would be or do you not do that with it?


I believe it hangs off the nose like a tail of sorts. 
Tape doesn't hurt if it is pulled off in the direction of hair growth, just like a bandage.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I see - that might work on some but it could drive others mad either with irritation or the 'OMG whats that hanging off my nose' thing
Duct Tape sticks well to anything 'dry' but easily peels of something slightly oily like a horses coat


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## TessaMay (Jul 26, 2013)

I'm confused as to why people are calling it a twitch. It's a distraction and would probably work well on some horses, but not a twitch in any way...


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

MOD NOTE
Two posts have been removed as they contained a link to a Facebook page - sorry but not allowed under the Forum rules


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## Luv equins (Oct 10, 2014)

Twitches stupid! Do you want me to twitch you???


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## EncinitasM (Oct 5, 2014)

Luv equins said:


> Twitches stupid! Do you want me to twitch you???


If you'd bothered to read any of the posts you'd see that they are about an alternative to twitching. The whole thread starts from the idea that twitching is not something you want to have to do.

In other words the whole thread agrees with "Twitches stupid!"


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Only read first page, but I'm with Katori(maybe being married to a plumber I'm used to the 'premium' kind), that I wanted to ask Saddlebag if she's ever waxed her bikini line...

Katori, the scariest use I've experienced for duct tape was when I got in a small PLANE that (after takeoff) I discovered had bits(on the outside) held on with duct tape!


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

It does not work the same as a twitch, this is a distraction only. And it does work but doubt it is going to keep one from losing it, if they have a mind too.

And it is not meant to be a substitute for training either, as I have seen someone brag about how well it worked during a trail ride, until it fell off.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

I actually just saw a post on that the other day. A photo of a farrier trimming a previously difficult mule, with a strip of duct tape on his nose. A friend of mine commented on it that it works great for her mule as well.
I don't think I would compare it to a twitch, but it seems like a good trick to have in your bag. I agree that it doesn't replace good training, but sometimes we need to get sh*t DONE before we have the chance to train.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Palomine said:


> I have seen someone brag about how well it worked during a trail ride, until it fell off.


Imagining that scenario made me giggle!


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## Phantomcolt18 (Sep 25, 2007)

I know this is a days old thread but here's a video of it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwkarjeqhy4


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## anndankev (Aug 9, 2010)

That is hilarious. 

I have some really crummy not even brand name duck tape that doesn't stick to anything down at the barn. It is even perforated to tear straight across.

I got it to make square pads out of for wrapping a hoof (abscess).

Maybe it would work for this very well.


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

that is funny, I wonder what would happen if he got the tape


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