Did you know dewormer is flavored? Apple, usually, though I’m not about to test that personally. Still, flavor or no, there are certain horses who prefer the tube not even enter their sight, thanks very much. George is one such fellow, who recoils at the merest brush of plastic against his lips. If he spoke english, we could enlighten him as to why proper deworming practices are so important, but alas, he cannot comprehend why it is vital to his continued health, only that he doesn’t want anything to do with a tube entering his mouth.
Enter, applesauce. Or carrot baby food, if apple sauce is not one’s preference. We take a clean syringe, filled with either substance, and use it to show horses who are not keen on getting dewormed that sometimes delicious substances can, in fact, be transported via tube.
George took extraordinarily well to the tube training. Once he realized the orange delight within (George is definitely a carrot man), he almost couldn’t get enough of it, and started actually seeking the tube out. To keep him tolerating and even enjoying the act of being dewormed, it will be important to sandwich his actual deworming sessions with the positive experience of getting a little carrot treat before and after. Not everything that comes out of a tube needs to be a big deal!
