Maggie the rescue filly got her first worming today. It was amazing to remember when she first came about a month ago, you couldn’t even get close to her. What a transformation! Today she stood quietly for her Panacur, like an old pro. Come to think of it, I’ve seen “old pro’s” who could learn a lesson in deworming etiquette from her.
The few minutes spent setting Maggie up for success were minutes well invested. I made sure she was consistently dropping her poll on request, using a clicker training bridge signal to reinforce the “yes!” I used advance and retreat to build her confidence and interest in the wormer tube. By the time I squirted the Panacur into her mouth she wanted to be wormed as much as I wanted to worm her.
Way to go, Maggie!
We also shot footage of the session, so horse owners can use the same process to help their own horses accept worming. We’ll post it here. Check back often!