How to Give a Horse Bad Tasting Medicine

Administering bad-tasting medicine to a horse offers several challenges. Despite their large sizes, some horses are very adept at eating everything in their buckets except the small pill in the mix. Others can detect a chunk of a pill hidden in an apple, spit out the pill and eat the apple. Horses are intelligent animals, and will learn after the first effort that the tube you are inserting in their mouths has a nasty flavor. You do not want to cause distrust or make a horse head-shy by forcing the medication on him.

Things You'll Need

  • Grinder or mortar and pestle
  • Fruit or baby food
  • Corn syrup or molasses
  • Herbs
  • Large syringe with no needle
  • Treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Discuss with your veterinarian whether the medicine must be administered whole, or if it can be crushed or broken. Ask if there are any hazards to humans through inhalation or skin contact. Find out if there is a paste or powder form of the same medicine.

    • 2
      Crush the pills into a powder.

      Crush or grind the medicine using a knife, mortar and pestle or coffee grinder reserved for that purpose.

    • 3

      Mix the powder in a flavored substance. Some successful options are pumpkin puree, pureed carrots, apple sauce, mashed bananas, corn syrup or molasses. If time is of the essence, purchase pureed jars of baby food.

    • 4
      A syringe with no needle is useful for administering paste.

      Remove the plunger from a syringe, and spoon or pour in the paste. Rub some olive oil around the rubber stopper to help it slide more easily. Reinsert the plunger. Point the syringe up, and gently depress the plunger to remove any air bubbles.

    • 5

      Rub a little molasses or honey on the outside of the syringe.

    • 6

      Approach your horse in the usual manner. Offer a treat. If the taste of the bitter medicine overpowers the puree, the horse should not run away at the sight of you for subsequent doses, but will still come for a treat.

    • 7

      Let the horse taste the molasses or honey on the syringe.

    • 8

      Put one arm under the horse's jaw and around its head, or ask an assistant to hold its head. With the other hand, insert the syringe along the side of the mouth toward the back. Quickly depress the plunger fully.

    • 9

      Offer more treats and pet your horse, calmly praising it for good behavior.

    • 10

      Wash the syringe after every use.

    • 11

      Vary the puree or sweetener you use so the horse does not grow bored over the course of the medication. Add strong herbs such as rosemary or chives to increase interest and flavor.