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Hi Charles, I think you're on the right track.  I do the same thing with my horses (the applesauce in syringe).  Do it fairly often so they associate the treat with the syringe.  When they do get the wormer, they think they got a bad apple.  I usually chase the paste with more applesauce just to reassure them the syringe is still their friend;-)  I wouldn't worried too much about the consistancy of the treat.  I think as long as there is a positive association with the syringe, you'll get the job done.  I would actually work at it so your horses is putting the syringe in his mouth for you, then play with his tongue with it alittle, putting it in various parts of his mouth before giving him the treat.  Go slow at first and try to take it out before he raises his head, and build from there.  I think the key is to keep it routine.  If your attitude is different with the 'real thing', he'll sense it  and balk.  Good luck!  Jennifer

 Charles <cdy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> My horse has developed an aversion to getting medicine through syringes in
> his mouth. He had pneumonia earlier this winter and had to get a daily dose
> of medication. As a result, he tends to see the syringe and put his head in
> the air. How do you train your horse to accept a syringe of stuff that may
> not taste very good?
>
> I'm told that to give him cold medicine took 2 people. One would grab his
> halter, and pull his head down over the gate of his stall, and the other
> would shove the tube of medication in his mouth and squeeze.
>
> A few things you may need to know for the advice to be good. My horse is 17
> 2. He is huge. He is big (I think there is a picture of me and Jon in the
> photo album). He is a shire (when you see a picture of me, you know why I
> got a big horse, also keep in mind, I found this site and endurance by
> looking for a saddle to fit both Jon, and me). He can raise his head up
> high enough th
> at I can just barely touch his nose. He is surprisingly fast.
>
> What I have been trying so far:
>
> I have been going every night and giving him a syringe of Mint (dissolved
> candy canes and mints from bag) or applesauce. I am now at the point where
> I can present the syringe and he will not object to putting it in his mouth
> (lower mouth so far, not upper area, but I'll work on that next). The first
> few times I did it, he jumped and exposed his teeth to the world and put his
> head up high. It was similar to what he does when he's marking stuff. I
> finally found out he objected to the fact that it was cold. (near freezing
> actually).
>
> I would like to know if there is some way I can make this more paste like?
> I want to approximate wormer in consistency. My plan is to get him so used
> to the idea that syringes are good and give good stuff, the it's only once
> in a while that something bad comes along.
>
> Charles
> PS: He's due for worming at the start of February.
>
>
>
>
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