Bronzz is worried

Bronzz expresses his anxiety by facing the corner

The dentist has arrived, and Bronzz is politely saying, "Please go away and leave me alone." After all, who loves dental work? It seems natural to reassure an anxious horse with touch. Gentle touch releases oxytocin and endorphins, feel good chemicals. But touch that is not welcome isn’t reassuring. It’s an invasion of Personal Space that makes horses uncomfortable just as it does people. Waiting for the horse’s acknowledgement can make all the difference. Jule, the dentist, reassures Bronzz by staying OUT of his space until heacknowledges her presence (next photo).

"You're here."

Bronzz acknowledges Jule by turning his head and taking a half step toward her.

"Hello"

Then Jule reaches out a hand which he sniffs in greeting.

Bronzz is still uneasy

Now when Bronzz returns to the corner, Jule offers a neck scratch.

Ready for the halter

When Bronzz turns his head toward her again, she puts the halter on.

Face scratch

Jule takes another minute for a gentle face scratch before getting started.

Taking a break

Jule closes the speculum frequently so Bronzz can have a break and swallow. Jule’s patience takes only a few extra minutes, but the payoff is huge. Bronzz is less stressed, and Jule can work more safely, no sedation required. For some horses this can make the difference between requiring sedation or working safely without it. Many times we cannot give a horse the choice to say no. But we can give him a few minutes to say, “I don’t want to do this… But I know I need to, and I’m ready now.” The other reason Bronzz behaved so well is that I have played with his mouth and brushed his teeth, so having his mouth handled was not new to him. Instructions for preparing for different practitioners are illustrated in What Horses Really Want, Chapter 16.

Preparation + Patience = Success!