Surgery and Radiology Section

TAIL DISPLACEMENT

• The tail is displaced for rectal or urogentital examinations, to discourage kicking, and to provide some support of the hindquarters during certain procedures, such as a standing castration and putting a horse on a surgery table.
• This can be done manually or with a rope tied in the end of the tail.
• A tail rope is held and must never be tied to a stationary object if the horse is standing.
• When the animal is lying on a surgery table and secured by a halter and body belts, the tail can be tied.
• As a horse is getting on its feet, it can be assisted by lifting the tail.
• The tail can be used to subdue unmanageable ponies and weanlings. One person can often restrain such an animal by grasping the halter with one hand and the tail with the other.
• The tail is held firmly over the animal’s back by grasping it near the base and pulling it craniad.
• If the horse is not haltered and is small enough, the base of the neck is cradled in the other arm.
• To restrain a larger weanling, it is helpful to push the animal beside a smooth wall and lean into it while holding its head and tail.
• It is even better to back to back the animal into a corner of a stall.
• This provides safe restraint for stomach intubation, injections and other short procedures.
• Young horse often reacts to head restraint by rearing and may fall over backward, strike the head, and suffer concussion and fractures.
• The restraint methods just described are safer for young horse that may be unbroken or only partially halter- broken.
• Abusive application of tail restraint may cause fractures, especially in young animals.
• Coccygeal fractures can result in abnormal tail carriage causes pain, paralysis or bone distortion.