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Whats your oppinion on twitches.

8K views 58 replies 31 participants last post by  MacabreMikolaj 
#1 ·
I've never personally used a twitch, I'm not sure where I stand in the matter. I had a friend who used an ear twitch and it never sat to well with me. My trainer sometimes uses a lip twitch on her stallion during sheath cleaning or body clipping when he's really restless and or misbehaving. I've heard that ear twitches are more harsh, where neck and lip twitches tend to be more humane? I've never used one personally, just heard stories so I wanted to know what everyones oppinions are. We had a horse at the ranch who used to be ear twitched and he was EXTREMELY head shy. If anything makes a horse like that, then it must not be that great.


Cowgirl up,


-Nicole
 
#2 ·
I don't like ear twitching (unless you are in a dangerous situation and need control, like stuck in a stall with a dangerous animal pinning you, then ears make good control handles, lol)

But lip twitching I have no problem. Some people think it works by pain, but that's not true. It's like scruffing a kitten, ever notice how they go limp when grabbed by the scruff?. It releases endorphines (I think that's it) and helps them to relax, a natural sedative.

I've seen horses with a lip twitch fall asleep, or at least just stand there, eyes half closed and calm.
 
#32 · (Edited)
I am not sure about the whole scruffing a cat comparison. When that happens to cats and puppies, it sort of puts them back to a neonatal time when their mothers carried them around like that. I am pretty sure a mare has never twitched her foal to get it to comply. :) Also, that position (grabbing them behind the neck) pretty much incapacitates them - sorta like twisting our arms behind our backs. In these positions, one has no other choice but comply with whoever is dominating you. Endorphins are made in response to pain, excitement or whatever. But, I think if you are causing them to be released in response to pain, a "good experience" for the sake of training is null and void. Endorphins to pain are made because the animal thinks it is going to die, and the opiates will ease the pain. I never want my horse to think I am a predator.

From a training perspective, twitching is horrible. If you have resorted to twitching, the next time you go to do that activity (maybe you are giving injections or shoeing or whatever) is probably going to be 10x harder to get it accomplished. Sure endorphins were likely released in response to the pain of the twitch, and this caused the horse to submit, but that still doesn't mean the panic picture is gone.

I just think that if you are resorting to twitching you have a very dangerous situation on your hands. You have scared an animal into making fear-based decisions and you are trying to control it with pain. I personally like the training concepts of the Dually Halter from Monty Roberts - it allows horses to learn they can "control" the situation by relaxing and calming down to their flight instincts. They think, not react. Twitching negates this.

I never say never, but if I had to twitch, it would be because of a life or death situation - not standing for the farrier or vet. Things like that require training. I agree that farriers and vets have enough to worry about that to train our horses, but I must say that my farrier and vets are great resources (they see horses at their worst a lot). But, training is an owner's responsibility.

Oh, and ear twitching - that just sounds like abuse, so if you do it, you better have some sort of life-saving scenario.
 
#4 ·
Oh, I would like to add two things.

1) definateky ear twitching can make a horse head shy, I've seen this with horses coming into the barn. I've never seen a horse head shy from lip twitching though

2) Lip twitching should not replace training. If your horse is being twitched for everything, you have a problem. But, using it for a young/green horse to give the farrier or vet an easier time for a long visit or for clipping around the face is fine. Some people say you should use the ferrier visit as an oppurtunity to train, but how fair is that to him? If your horse can't stand, work on that when he's not in danger of getting stepped on or kicked
 
#6 ·
Lip twitching should not replace training. If your horse is being twitched for everything, you have a problem. But, using it for a young/green horse to give the farrier or vet an easier time for a long visit or for clipping around the face is fine. Some people say you should use the ferrier visit as an oppurtunity to train, but how fair is that to him? If your horse can't stand, work on that when he's not in danger of getting stepped on or kicked
I wholeheartedly agree. I've never heard of ear twitching, but I have no problem whatsoever with lip twitching. My horse came to me with almost no experience of having his feet handled. He never kicks or is outright dangerous, but acts confused or impatient. My farrier also dealt with the same gelding for other owners, and they apparently saw the farrier visit as a training opportunity (apparently farrier = trainer. Farrier commented to me on what a world of difference having someone do a decent job of holding the horse made). He's only had a trim/shoe once with me, and to do the hinds I had to grab on to his lip and hold to keep him still (I don't own a twitch, never needed one before, lol), but it worked like a charm. I do pick his hooves daily and go through the motions of banging on his shoes and holding his feet up, and he does better every time. I hope that by the next farrier visit I won't need to "twitch" him.
 
#5 ·
Amen to that. As someone who sometimes shoes for other people I will say that if I show up and you want to train on your horse or worse want me to do it I will load up my tools and leave probably never to return. I have no problem with a twitch or a lip chain if used properly.
 
#7 ·
I'm okay with a lip twitch, and I usually do it by hand. You just grab the lip and twist, haha. Twitches do not replace training. If I'm hosing my horse's face off and she gets all stupid about it, I'll grab her lip as a reminder. Like, "Hey! You know what I expect and I better get it!" and she usually quits being a goof. However, if you had a horse that doesn't like his bridle path to be clipped, training is in order, not a lip twitch.
 
#10 ·
I have no problems with lip twitching as long as it's done with the humane one.
 
#12 ·
I agree the the lip twitch should not replace training, but I am definitely for it if needed. We have needed it for several horses, for different reasons. But it definitely helps the horse relax when they are not capable.

In all my years, I have never seen anyone ear twitch. How? Wow, I never imagined.
 
#16 ·
If the horse's training is done properly and he has had his confidence nurtured, then twitching will never enter the handler's mind. Twitching happens when there is a hole in the horse's foundation and the person doesn't know what to do to fix it. Twitching is not necessary.
Yes, but training doesn't happen immediately. If you have had a rescue for one week with horrible feet, the farrier needs to come out. The horse will not have been trained in one week. Are you going to risk having that horse kick, rear, bite, step on, run over, etc. the farrier? If so, I sure feel bad for your ferrier
 
#14 ·
I have used the lip twitch and neck twitch for years when needed. I prefer proper training, but if it has to be done it has to be done and that's it.

Now, the ear twitch I hate. It was used on my show horse once while he was having his teeth floated and they were almost done and he was coming out of the sedative. The vet put the ear twitch on him, saying that he would never remember because he was still pretty sedated. Well, the horse that had never needed a twitch to clip his ears proceeded to hate having his ear (the one that was twitched) clipped after that, and often needed a lip twitch. After 3 years, he still caused some problems clipping that ear compared to the other. Ugh.
 
#15 ·
I have used all of those and a lip cord. It depends on the situation and the horse. My horses learn to give to pressure and drop their heads with poll pressure. If I am messing with the head I will sometimes use the ear like a handle and I relax my grip as soon as they relax. If I really need that head still and down I will fold the ear and squeeze - trick is to relax the squeezing when they are still, hold the ear in warning/reminder, and increase pressure if they start wiggling again with relaxing again as soon as still.

If I need my hands free and I am by myself I will use a lip cord. Take a hay string and tie it to one ring on the side of the halter, put it between the upper lip and the gum, run it through the ring on the other side of the halter. If it is long enough and I am close enough, I will simply hold the end and apply pressure as needed (say if I am giving shots or banding manes). If I need to let go, I tie it to the halter with enough pressure that it is snug, but not turning the whole gum white or cutting into the skin. I don't leave it long - 2 minutes tops. If I need it longer, I do my task in spurts.

My basic training on a horse is to give to pressure - I will release pressure as soon as they give and relax. Pressure can be physical restraint, push, tap or even just my presence. Mine get so attuned to what I expect from them that I don't always have to lay hands on them, I just shift my stance and maybe say something with a tone that backs up what is going on.

As a vet tech, I have run into situations where you don't have the luxury or time to of work off of the training or even knowing what some horses know and respond to. Then you just have to go off of gut feeling of what you can do and use. Some horses will stand still with you firmly patting them right between the eyes (works on dogs except you do the top of the head), others you need a twitch device of some sort. If that doesn't work, then the boss cranks out the chemical restraints :)
 
#17 ·
I completely hate the ear twitches. I have worked with several horses that had been "eared down" and they were all just impossibly head-shy. A couple of them never got over it either. Lip twitches are great in certain circumstances
Lip twitching should not replace training. If your horse is being twitched for everything, you have a problem. But, using it for a young/green horse to give the farrier or vet an easier time for a long visit or for clipping around the face is fine.
^^ Precisely.

I use the neck twitching on horses when they get shots just to keep them from jumping or possibly moving away and having to be stuck again.
 
#20 ·
In the meantime, you would just let the horse's feet go without treatment??

It is taking months to get AZ comfortable with his feet being touched. When our farrier comes, all I have to do at this point to help calm him, is hold his lip. I don't even have to twitch it anymore, but we did for the first couple of farrier visits. Obviously we're still working on him, but if we waiting for his confidence level to be high enough before getting his feet done, he would be lame from long toes.
 
#21 ·
I would start the confidence building immediately, as soon as I got the horse. Just like I did with my warmblood when I first got him, although his issue was shots. I started desensitizing immediately because I knew he would needs shots, and after just a few sessions he was responding ten times better, and his shot issue was very extreme.
 
#22 ·
I would start the confidence building immediately, as soon as I got the horse. Just like I did with my warmblood when I first got him, although his issue was shots. I started desensitizing immediately because I knew he would needs shots, and after just a few sessions he was responding ten times better, and his shot issue was very extreme.

My mustang hates getting shots , I have been working with him to get over it ...He is very extreme, the last few time he has been ok , just moving around , but this last time all heck broke loose..he reared and now I feel like I am back at square one.
The vet said for now on he is going to twitch him before he even sees the shot...I was working so hard for that not to happen so I am going to have to go back to the beginning . If you have any ideas for me to try I will have an open ear..PM me please.

My Paint on the other had falls asleep and cocks a leg when the the vet gives shots, coggins you name it ....Amazing!
 
#23 ·
I Nvr Heard Of Ear Twitching But Sometimes We Lip Twitch My Horse 4 The Vet If its Something Unpleasant Lyk Getting A Hand Stuck Up His **** But Thats It Really!
He Doesnt Seem 2 Mind it That Much !
 
#25 ·
Our farrier used a lip rope on the daughter's colt the first time he did his feet. The colt danced around too much before we tried the lip rope - and he was used to us messing with his feet. He just didn't want to stand sill and didn't like the noises the rasp made. He stood stock still when the farrier put the lip rope on him. By the time the farrier was finished, the colt was half asleep. After removing the lip rope, the farrier went back and picked up all of the colt's feet and tapped them with a pair of rattley pliers. The colt pricked an ear, but that was about it. Guess he figured his pedicure wasn't so bad after all?

Back before most of you were born, I had a horse that needed his teeth floated. The sedatives they had back then weren't very good, and the vet wanted to try a lip twitch before resorting to sedation. Worked like a charm! We didn't have time to work with that horse before the vet did his teeth. Poor thing was already stick thin and may have lost even more condition if we had waited to "properly train" him...
 
#26 ·
I hate it. The farrier used it on my qh without listening to me. She was ****** completely. It was first and LAST time I met him.

We tried the twitching on my other horse (vet insisted) and it didn't work in very bad way. Moreover she didn't let him close at all after that (NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING helped). And lots of problems with the other vet to come close. The other vet (and he deals with trouble horses a lot) actually said he would NEVER EVER put any twitch on her as she's just not that type of the horse.

So the down point, may be it works for some people and horses. Didn't work for me. I'd rather go with the different approach and more training.
 
#27 ·
I don't think anyone would disagree that proper training is the ideal method. Of course we want to get our horses to be able to get shots/farrier work/teeth floating without having to resort to a twitch, but in some cases that is not an option. Sometimes the horse needs attention now and you may need a twitch to get the job done.
That being said, I do not like ear twitches at all. They actually taught it in my Vet Tech program and it kind of bothered me. Lip twitches can be humane. I have yet to see an ear twitch I thought was completely humane.
 
#28 ·
On the ear twitch - I do my ear twitching by hand. I fold the top the the ear forward and back to itself and apply/release pressure as needed. All of mine are accepting of it and know I will still hold the ear, but not squeeze, if they stay still. I don't put "clothes pin" type devices on the ear. If I need my hands free or I am away from the face, I will use any of the other methods I noted in my earlier post.
To me this method is less invasive than any of the device techniques and, if done properly, is the next step up from pulling on the rope halter. Trick to my method is to try to teach the horse that you will relax pressure AS SOON as they quit pulling. If they don't then the pressure increases - if that doesn't work you go to the devices that are there until you are done.
 
#29 ·
I had never heard of ear twitching until I got Sis. I was told that she had had her ears twitched or it was suspected. She was incredibly head shy, she would rear, jerk, you name it she did it to get away from anything near her ears. Haltering and bridling was a nightmare and she still isn't 100% on either but I can reach up between her ears now and scratch her or touch her ears without her having a meltdown. The lip twitch I've used and it worked well for when the vet needed to tube another mare I owned. I agree training is the key but there are times when you don't have the time to train one before it needs medical/farrier/teeth work done.
 
#33 · (Edited)
AlmagroN:
"this is not true. ALL my horses are twitched at one time or another and none of them are headshy, some are twitched on a regular basis for vetwork. i have no problems with them.

as far as ear twitches go, i dont really like them but some of my horses need them. some just with my hand on their ear. but others need the twitch on their ear. i have a mare who you CAN NOT lip twitch. as soon as you get it on she rears and throws herself because she knows she has to have vetwork done. so we twitch her ear and she stands perfect. and there has been no damage done from it "

Nope. None of AlmagroN's horses are head shy. They just flip over backwards when they see a lip twitch. Think she's not eventually going to learn what an ear twitch means? Dream on.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Nope. None of AlmagroN's horses are head shy. They just flip over backwards when they see a lip twitch. Think she's not eventually going to learn what an ear twitch means? Dream on.
um hello, some horses know when they are twitched it means vetwork. you think horses like having joints injected? yeah right, feels great!!!! :-| ugh. our horses are twitched for vetwork and vetwork only- FOR THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE INVOLVED!!!!! if you cant understand that then there is no hope for you.

and i NEVER said they flip over backwards. now youre just putting twists on words.

and all of my horses are bridled every day, have their brial paths trimmed and their ears trimmed regularly. i pick eye boogers out of their eyes when they are there, i pick their noses when i feel like it. no one gives me a problem. i hang all over my horses kiss them all over their faces etc. youre right MY HORSES ARE SOOOOO HEADSHY *eyeroll*
 
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