Dixie Downs Horse Agistment in Dixie, Victoria, Australia | Pet
Dixie Downs Horse Agistment
Locality: Dixie, Victoria, Australia
Phone: +61 418 333 993
Address: 30 Old Timboon Rd 3265 Dixie, VIC, Australia
Website:
Likes: 165
Reviews
to load big map
23.01.2022 Lovely to have the sun out in Dixie after so much rain.
16.01.2022 One of our visiting stallions doing his daily winter workout.
11.01.2022 Boys waiting for their dinner.
07.01.2022 So much grass and happy, heathy customers
07.01.2022 An interesting study summary. The comparison of lip-twitching and ear-twitching in horses . Twitching is a method of restraining a horse for veterinary or other procedures, and involves tightly encircling the upper lip with a loop of rope (lip twitch) or twisting the ear (ear twitch). Previous research indicates that a lip twitch subdues the horse by stimulating endorphin release and causing an analgesic effect. The mechanism by which an ear twitch subdues the horse is not un...derstood, but anecdotal reports of horses becoming head shy and more difficult to handle following an ear twitch suggest it does not stimulate an endorphin release like the lip twitch. This study investigated whether the ear twitch subdues horses by causing an analgesic effect, a distraction from the procedure being performed, or through pain. This study was conducted on 12 geldings at an equestrian school in the USA. The horses were fitted with heart rate monitors, and had either the lip or ear twitch applied for 15 min. Salivary cortisol and heart rate were assessed pre-and post-treatment. The response of the horse to being touched on the area to be twitched (lip or ear) was assessed pre-treatment, 15 mins post-treatment, and 4 weeks post-treatment. A clear difference was seen in the heart rate, stress response and behaviour of horses in the two treatment groups. Ear twitching resulted in an increased stress response and greater avoidance of being touched on the ear following treatment, even after 4 wks. In comparison, lip twitching resulted in a reduction in stress during the first 5 mins of the treatment, supporting the notion that lip twitches induce an analgesic effect. There were signs that stress began to increase after 5 mins of lip twitching, indicating that the analgesic effect did not persist beyond this duration, but this effect was not as aversive as the ear twitch as no changes in horse behaviour were observed following the lip twitch treatment. The authors conclude that ear twitching subdues horses through fear and/or pain, and should be actively discouraged from use. Lip twitching may be used for up to 5 mins, but chemical restraint should be considered for longer periods. Flakoll B, Ali AB, Saab CY (2017) Twitching in veterinary procedures: How does this technique subdue a horse? Journal of Veterinary Behavior 18:23-28. See more
06.01.2022 Just letting everyone know that all humans and animals are safe here at Dixie Downs. The fires have been around us on three sides but we have been very lucky. Wind change imminent but there is a little rain so hoping things stay safe.
05.01.2022 Oscar looking after some new yearling fillies
04.01.2022 So good to see Chester looking so well at 28 years old. Doing his job looking after the yearlings. Such a wonderful old gentleman.
03.01.2022 Too much grass is a good problem to have! Spent the morning moving horses to fresh paddocks to manage all the grass.
02.01.2022 A couple of Standardbred guests enjoying their dinner on a pleasant Spring afternoon
01.01.2022 One of our visiting stallions doing his daily winter workout!
