Chemical restraint and analgesia in the horse

Chemical restraint in the standing horse is used for a variety of procedures in veterinary medicine. The choice of agent depends on the physical status, temperament, and size of the patient; the procedure to be performed; and safety for the patient, veterinarian, and owner. The combination of certain agents may provide more desirable restraint and analgesia than does the use of individual agents. The use of analgesics in the horse is not without side effects, some of which may be detrimental to the patient's condition. Analgesics should be chosen with these untoward effects in mind. Draft breeds possess differences that may provide a challenge to the practitioner. One such difference is their clinically apparent increased sensitivity to tranquilizers and sedative-hypnotics; consequently, reduced dose regimens for chemical restraint should be employed initially.