Deworming

The process of deworming our herd of horses has historically been an exciting time down at the old stables. It is amazing to the see the lengths certain horses will go to in avoiding the foul tasting deworming paste. I have been lifted off the ground more than once by a horse that decided that if he walked around on his back legs I couldn't get that paste tube in his mouth. It's like trying to give medicine to a reluctant five year old that weighs 1,200 lbs, stands 10 feet tall, and wears metal shoes. The horses generally spat the stuff out as fast as you got it in and it was advisable to wear old clothing on deworming day because your shirt ends up looking like a Jackson Pollock painting. For a while, Miss Debbie and I figured out that we could improve our chances of a successful pasting by pushing upward on the horse's head. This, for some reason, caused the horses to want to push back and lower their heads--right into Miss Debbie's waiting deworming tube. However, in the past year the manufacturers of this foul stuff have finally started making it so that it tastes good to horses. The horses still don't like it much but apparantly it doesn't taste so bad now that they feel it is a matter of life and death to avoid it. Now, the whole herd can be dewormed in a matter of minutes and I don't have to wear body armor in the stall.