What is an Umbilical Hernia?

What types of Hernias are there?

Where can Hernias Occur?

What is "Imprinting" mean?

Imprint Training the Newborn Foal  by Dr. Miller DVM

What is an Umbilical Hernia? -

Hernias are defined as a protrusion of an organ, or any tissue, through an abdominal opening. They occur either accidentally in nature of form an enlarged natural opening in the abdominal wall. The emerging organ or tissue is usually enveloped within the intact peritoneum and covered with the skin.

             Foal hernias are not commonly found at birth, but some obvious within the first 24 to 40 hours of life. Umbilical and scrotal hernias are the two most common in the foal and are considered to be of hereditary or congenital origin. A large percentage of the defects noticed shortly after birth will correct them-selves by weaning time without any treatment. 

            All hernias have a toughened ring of abdominal tissue (and “escape door”) through which the intestines prolapse. The ring is located at the neck of the hernial sack and is usually smaller in circumference. The sack is formed by the peritoneum, a durable grayish white glistening membrane lining in the inner abdominal wall, and it is pushed out the hernial ring by the escaping intestines. The sack envelopes and holds the intestine contents intact.

PLEASE NOTE: All hernial sacs containing intestinal material represent a potential threat of strangulation. Once diagnosed, strangulation is a life-threatening condition requiring emergence surgical intervention and correction. When the contents of the herniated sac either twists or become crowded or entrapped, the ring constricts on the tissue and the circulation is promptly compromised. Pain is immediately evidenced, tissue swells, and strangulation becomes frightening reality.

             Prognosis depends upon the length if intestine involved and the amount of damage sustained by the delicate intestinal-tract serosal covering from the trauma and diminished blood supply. The most critical criterion is the length of time from the onset of symptoms to time of surgery.

             Strangulation can occur at any time, without any advance warning signs. This is why you should heartily respect all hernias and do not rest until each is appropriately amended. When a hernia is discovered, it is very wise to have your equine veterinarian asses that offending mass to determine the size, whether a loop of intestine is present or not, and the overall risk involved. Skillful palpitation can determine the ring size and distinguish a reducible from an irreducible hernia. The application and proper use of the CM Heal Hernia Belt on a non-strangulated hernia will give support of the abdominal area, maintain the herniated intestine that is manipulated back through the hernial ring and into the abdominal cavity. Constant and precise pressure maintains support and allows the foal to be free of pain and continue in normal feeding, exercising and growth while promoting the hernial ring to close naturally.

Typical umbilical hernia in colt

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Two Types of Hernias

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Where can Hernias Occur?

    An umbilical hernia is usually, in a colt or filly, recognized as a small protruding sac hanging from the abdominal wall near the navel. It is clearly visible to all.

     A scrotal hernia affecting colts, on the other hand, is well hidden, high up between the hind legs, and is not easily discovered. A loop of intestine slips down through the inguinal ring beside the testicular cord and becomes entrapped in the scrotal sac. A number of these are present at birth. There are, of course, those that, after professional assessment, require prompt surgical correction to avoid strangulation and illness, but generally, if you observe them carefully and closely, they efficiently correct themselves within a few days, needing no human intervention.

     Abdominal hernias (most common), hernia-like protrusions occurring in the abdomen ands in the various places other than in the navel or scrotal areas, are of the traumatic origin and should be seen by a veterinarian for accurate diagnosis and prognosis.

     You should ALWAYS have your veterinarian evaluate all hernias and we suggest you follow their advice and directions. Never allow any hernia to go unchecked by your veterinarian and risk a greater medical condition.

    PLEASE NOTE: Most foal hernias carry a good prognosis if managed properly. Early correction, shortly after recognition and well in advance of complications, will prove the efficient course. However, do not allow anyone other than a qualified equine surgeon or veterinarian to attempt repair of a hernia. Surgery, if necessary, is costly, causes additional trauma to the equine and has a recovery time where the foal must be kept inactive.  Inexperienced clamping, tying off, or banding of the hernia may cause additional and potentially more serious medical complications than the hernia itself.

    The CM Heal Hernia Belt is recommended by veterinarians nationally and even by veterinarians worldwide. It is the most effective alternative to surgery without the potential complications of surgery., in fact, it is the only patented device and method of treatment that exists today. With over six years of testing, experience and development, the CM Heal Hernia Belt is being used by local veterinarians, veterinary training schools, equine surgical centers and schools of equine studies.

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What does "Imprinting" Mean?

Imprinting the Newborn Foal

by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

Introduction

What if there was a way to practically insure your newborn foal would be manageable and easy to train later in his life and it would take about two hours on the day he was born? Well this is the promise made by Dr. Robert Miller if you follow his imprinting plan. My personal experiences with other folk's imprinted foals had not been that encouraging, I find many are poorly trained to lead and a bit aggressive. This was not an indication of the lack of worth of imprinting just that it was not the final word. Foals still needed to learn to lead without resistance. Just as important is that the foal learns early on that he always stands below humans in the herd dominance issue. Dr Miller has added a few lessons to the initial imprinting process that he says will address these issues making later training a breeze.

The Goals

The goals of the process are:

·         Bonding with humans

·         Desensitization to certain stimuli

·         Sensitization to other stimuli

·         Submission to humans 

The Technique

 Timing

It is important to understand that if done improperly the imprinting process can do more harm than good. Imprinting must be done at birth, the process is lost after day one and maybe within hours of birthing. You can train a foal after birth but this is a bit different. If the foal is not imprinted at birth the imprinting technique makes a wonderful training tool and can be used that way.

Persistence

It is not difficult to do, you just must be persistent at each step to accomplish the goal, acceptance of the stimulation, before moving on to the next step. Quitting before acceptance is achieved may result in the opposite effect, increased sensitivity.

Bonding / Submission

Start by kneeling at the back of the foal and grasping the muzzle flex it back gently to the withers, this will prevent the foal from standing. Begin toweling the foal dry. During this time the mare is allowed unrestrained access to the foal. The foal is also prevented from standing. This procedure allows the foal to get to know you and establishes you as a dominant player in the foals life. This is not fear but respect you are establishing.

Desensitization

Of course the first desensitization is done using the towel. Once dry start at the head and gently begin rubbing the face and head and begin handling the ears. You should stick your finger, gently, into the mouth and nostrils. This may have to be repeated up to a hundred times, but be persistent, remember the goal: complete acceptance and relaxation. The foal will resist theses procedures and he should be gently but firmly restrained until he quits wiggling. Watch those feet!

Continue the handling and rubbing until the foal accepts it completely, then move down the body. Taking the body in easily handled sections and work on each until acceptance is established. When you first start, the foal will be very reactive and tense but as you go along the foal relaxes and each new section desensitizes a little quicker, until you get to the point that the foal remains relaxed no matter where you rub. Go back and recheck old areas to be sure they are truly desensitized. One area to avoid desensitizing is the area of the flank where the heels of a rider will contact to urge the horse onward. 

The legs are handled and rubbed starting at the body and working your way down. The legs should be repeatedly flexed and straightened until the foal becomes passive to the process. The bottom of the foot can be gently tapped with the palm of the hand to get use to being shod.

Areas where you might be shy are just under the tail head, the perineum, and the groin, but these areas are important to desensitize also. Be sure to spend time on the teats, scrotum, and penis. Since rectals are important parts of reproduction and some exams it is best to get him use to it now. You can take a plastic or rubber glove, lubricate it with mineral oil, KY jelly, or enema solution and, yes, get the foal use to having its anus manipulated. Start by inserting a lubricated finger into the anus gently and then wiggling it about until the foal relaxes and accepts the procedure. 

Once the foal is accepting totally of these procedures, the foal should be turned over and with you still working at the back of the foal, start the procedure on the other side. 

Let me talk more about sensitizing and desensitizing. I don't want the horse to be frightened of being touched anywhere on its body. Let's take an ear. I'll rub the ear repeatedly for a full minute. I put my finger in the ear canal for another minute. That ear's now desensitized. On the other hand, if pressure is put into the flank area, where your heel would be when you ride--we want the horse to move away from that pressure. So instead of repeatedly poking that area until there's no response, what I do is poke until there is a response. When I have that movement, I reward the horse by stopping. This is repeated several times. Now, when I'm finished, I can touch the horse's ears without a response, but I can touch the flank and there's movement--that area's sensitized--and that's what I want. You often see a rider poking a horse with a spur every step. Soon, the horse won't respond because he's desensitized. This is the concept my books and videos explain--so you can avoid these mistakes.

Time

The time for the desensitization procedure may take an hour or more after which the foal is allowed to stand an nurse. Do not rush it. continue to work with each area until the foal is completely relaxed. Only then move on to the next area. 

The Results

Following this procedure the foal is compliant, accepting of human companionship, and easily led and trained. Dr Miller says this imprinting is permanent and results in an unafraid but respectful foal. 

Don't confuse imprinting with training. Imprinting is an automatic thing. It's bonding between the foal and what it sees around it. If you just move around the foal, it will imprint and recognize you later on--and be stimulated to follow you. Imprint training is training during the imprint period--which is shortly after birth. The advantage of training during the imprinting period is that you can do so much so quickly. 

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Imprint Training the Newborn Foal

By Dr. Robert Miller DVM

http://robertmmiller.com/

Imprint training offers a singular opportunity to permanently mold a horse’s personality. For a short time, the newborn foal is programmed to imprint stimuli. The right procedures at the right time yield dramatic results. There is no time that a horse will learn faster than at this age.

Advantages

Imprint training can help ease handling, enhance later training efforts and reduce injuries. It shapes behavior in the following ways:

- Bonding with the imprint trainer. Immediately post-partum, the foal bonds simultaneously with its dam and with one or more persons handling it. Such foals see humans not as predators, but as fellow horses.

- Submission, but not fear. During imprint training, the foal cannot escape exposure to frightening stimuli (its natural method of survival). As a result, it becomes dependent and submissive in its attitude. The foal sees the trainer as a dominant horse or herd leader. Psychologically, this is the ideal relationship between horse and human. We must have submissiveness in a horse if he is to work for us. But the submissiveness should be created not by fear (a predatory role), but by dependence (a dominant leader role).

- Desensitization to most sensory stimuli (visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory). Most parts of the body, including all body openings, are desensitized. Rapid, repetitious stimuli (flooding) are used until the foal is habituated (i.e. permanently non-responsive) to those stimuli. Loud noises, fluttering objects or being touched anywhere on the body will thereafter be calmly tolerated.

- Sensitization to performance-related stimuli. Specifically, the foal can be taught to respond (rather than habituate) to head and flank pressure. The responsiveness allows control over the fore and hindquarters. The foal will lead where pulled and will move its hind end laterally in response to the touch of a finger in the flank region. This is best taught on the day after birth, after the foal is on its feet.

Some believe that early bonding between the foal and humans will produce a “pet” foal. They believe that early foal-human bonding will produce a spoiled horse, indifferent to stimuli and lacking the flightiness “necessary” to race or perform well. This is nonsense. Imprint training, properly performed, will enhance a horse’s relationship with humans. It will teach it “good manners” and increase its responsiveness to stimuli, which will later improve its performance.

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