HANDLING AND
RESTRAINING ANIMALS
Handling and
restraining means controlling animals for various purposes such as:
●
For
giving them medical treatment and for surgical operations.
●
For shoeing.
●
For examination of their buccal cavity,
eyes, feet, or any other parts which are not otherwise clearly visible.
●
For ringing bulls.
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To check them from biting other animals
or attendants.Restraining can be effected by using various devices such as
halters, head-collars, twitches, muzzles, gags, side lines, hobbles, etc.
HALTER
It is one of the
simplest controlling devices for horse, cattle, and buffalo.
To make a halter
Making
of a halter is difficult to describe in words. About 3 meter long rope is laid
on the floor, at about one meter from the left hand end, untwist the strands
sufficiently to enable the right hand part to be passed through to make a loop
of about 2.5 cm diameter. Lay the rope down as before. Close to the loop (on
right hand side), make another untwisting and pass the left end through it.
Pull up tight, bind the splice thus made with a few turns of string. To form
the poll-piece, untwist the strands of the right hand length, about 25 cm from
the loop already made and pass the left hand end through it for a short distance.
Make an overhand knot to fix. Bind on either side with string. Now pass the
long right hand end through spliced loop first made. This forms the nose-band.
Halter is now complete. To suit different animals, the knot in poll-piece can
be adjusted to fit the head.
To halter a
horse
Loosen the nose-piece. Put the left arm through the
poll -piece of halter, i.e., loose end, over the fore -arm; hold the ear or
forelock with the right hand; place the left hand on the horse’s nose and slip
the nose-band over the nose and the poll-piece over the ears with the right
hand and adjust the poll-piece to the required tightness. The (spliced) loop of
the halter must be on the left side.
HEAD-COLLAR
It is an effective device for controlling animals.
Mostly it is used with horses, however, may be usefully applied to cattle and
buffaloes. It consists of a poll-piece, two cheek-pieces, a nose-band, a
throat-piece, and a jowl-piece.
TWITCHES
These are generally used with animals when slight
pain is to be inflicted. Repeated and continued use of twitch should be avoided
because it makes them difficult to handle about head. Twitch should only be
applied immediately before the necessary restraint is required. There are
different types of twitches such as stick twitch, loop twitch and leg twitch.
Stick twitch
It
consists of a piece of stout wood about one meter long carrying a 1.5 cm hole
about 3 cm from the end. Through this hole is inserted a piece of rope. While
applying a twitch, the horse, etc., should be haltered and may be backed into a
corner of a stable yard. Take the twitch stick under the right arm and stand on
the near side opposite the left shoulder. Put the thumb and last three fingers of
left hand through the loop of the twitch, but leave the index finger out to
prevent the loop slipping over wrist. Take the animal in confidence and get a
good hold of the upper lip, leaving the nostrils free and with the right hand
rapidly twist up the stick. Take as tight a hold as necessary but do not be
unduly severe. The twitch helps restrain the animal by causing a harmless
pressure upon a sensitive area of the upper lip. It also diverts animal’s
attention from the part being manipulated and affords a stronghold upon the
head of animal like horse. If it is not possible to apply twitch on the upper
lip then the lower lip or an ear may be used.
Loop twitch
It consists of a rope with a running noose on its
one end. The running noose on the end of a pliable rope is passed over the
poll, into the mouth and pulled tight. It may be used very carefully since it
is liable to cut the commissures of lips.
Leg twitch
It is an ordinary tourniquet applied 10 cm above the
knee or hock of the horse to make the leg powerless to move.
GAGS
Gags
are means for keeping the two jaws apart for examination of mouth, teeth or for
passing the probing in horse, cattle and buffaloes.
Several types of gags are in use. These are mostly
made of metal. The one in common use with large animals here is called
VARNELL’S MOVABLE GAG. The bars of gag or mouth pieces fit into the interdental
space. The tongue must always be free. The bars should be
covered with rubber or leather to prevent damage to gums. Gags are also
available for use with small animals such as sheep, goats, etc.
BULL RINGS
These
are used for restraining powerful bulls. They are generally made of two
semicircular pieces hinged together and may be made of copper, aluminium, or
some other alloy which dose not rust.
There are small as well as large rings which are
used according to the age and size of animal. The ring is applied through the
nasal septum about I cm back from the nostrils. A hole is first punched with a
special bull puncher. When punching the hole, care should be taken not to punch
it too far back. This is a common mistake. It results in too little space being
available in that part of the ring lying outside the nostrils to accommodate a
rope or a chain. Bulls are generally rung at the age of 10 to 14 months. Some
bulls need a new ring every year due to greater amount of wear and tear.
Three kinds of
muzzles are in common use, namely leather, wire and string muzzle.
Leather box
muzzle
This is better
but an expensive muzzle.
Wire muzzle
It is less
comfortable but durable and cheap.
It is cheaper
and equally usefull and can even be made at home.
Muzzles are used to prevent animals from eating
their bedding, to prevent biters from injuring people or other animals, to
prevent mares, etc., from biting their youngones. Calves are muzzled to prevent
them from suckling their mothers. The muzzles should not be put on too tightly
otherwise the animal resents its reapplication. Muzzles are taken off at
feeding time.
CRADLE
Ten or twelve pieces of wood having pointed ends are
strung on the two pieces of cord and put around the neck of the animal and tied
along the crest. It is helpful in preventing an animal from getting his head to
a fore or hind limb in case of blistering or wounds. It is also helpful in
restraining cow/buffalo/goat from sucking their own milk. It allows very little
vertical or lateral flexion of head if properly applied.
Crush or trevis is especially useful for controlling
large animals for the purpose of treatment, operations such as dehorning,
docking and for shoeing. Different types of crush are used. These usually
consist of four posts well driven into the ground and cemented there with two
or more crosspieces at each side and end. Those at the end and/or at the front
are removable.
EXERCISES
1.
Give
one important function of each of the tools given below:
a)
Mouth
gag
b)
Cradle
c)
Stick
twitch
2.
Why
do camelmen put string muzzles on the mouths of camels during long journeys?
3.
What
is the proper age for ringing a young bull?
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