Re: For vets, males, and stallion owners

[Gayle Ecker <gecker@uoguelph.ca>]

Dear Teddy and others,
Just thought I would add my 2 cents worth to this one (that's only about
1/2 cent U.S. these days, so you may be getting what you pay for :>  )

Most Standardbreds have a wide gait in the hind end when they get going,
unlike most riding horses who stay fairly vertical in comparison.  Some of
the Standardbreds on the treadmill will actually kick the sides of the
frame due to the wide action of the hind legs.  I've rarely run into this
problem with riding horses on the treadmill.  Given the difference in gait
the equine "jock straps" may not be useful on a riding horse, although the
horse may give you an emphatic answer if you try one out on him!
 
Gayle

On Fri, 16 Jan 1998, CMKSAGEHIL wrote:

> Teddy and all--
> 
> I would be very leery of the "jock strap" apparatus that the harness racers
> use in our sport--we humans know all too well how uncomfortable and irritating
> something can become that seems just fine in norma times when we bounce down
> the trail wearing it for several areas.  I think we might be subjecting these
> boys to some real punishment here...  I know I have had rather personal parts
> of my anatomy raw and bleeding from wearing "normal" clothes on endurance
> rides...
> 
> As I said in my original reply on this issue, I doubt that the firm, enlarged
> testicles in this case were caused by physical irritation, but rather by a
> transient infectious problem or some such...
> 
> Heidi Smith, DVM--Sagehill Arabians (Oregon)
> 
>