The Needle-Shy Horse in Equine Veterinary Practice

Needle phobia, and injection- or needle-shyness are terms used to describe horses that make strong attempts to avoid or escape being approached and injected. They may barge over handlers, pull away or bolt, rear, or even display aggressive behaviours such as kicking or striking.

Some horses display this behaviour with only certain types of injections in specific parts of the body, i.e. intravenous injections in the jugular, while others may have generalized the response to all injection types and possible injection sites.

Handling a needle-shy horse can greatly increase the risk of injury to veterinary staff. It can also result in a delay of critical medical treatment, cause negative impacts to the smooth running of the day’s schedule, and create extra expense for both the client and practice owner.

The needle-shy horse’s behaviour almost always worsens without deliberate, targeted intervention. Left untreated, additional complications can also occur. For example, negative associations can be created for the horse about previously neutral stimuli that are present when injection attempts are made, such as general restraint, the smell of disinfectant, or even veterinary staff themselves. This can lead to the horse showing strong avoidance or escape behaviours when those stimuli are presented in contexts where injections are not occurring. Or, the strong avoidance or escape behaviours may begin to occur earlier in the injection process, such as when the horse simply hears the veterinarian’s truck pull into the driveway.

Understanding causes for needle-shyness in equine veterinary practice can better lead to prevention, while also guiding treatment for the afflicted.

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