Equine Pain Management: Techniques and Modalities

In equine practice, chemical restraint is frequently used to facilitate a variety of procedures including endoscopy, minor surgery, and radiography. prior to 1970, the only agents available to induce chemical restraint in the horse were phenothiazines and chloral hydrate. the early 1970's witnessed the introduction of xylazine. advances in alpha2 adrenoceptor pharmacology have produced a new generation of α2 adrenoceptor agonists such as detomidine, and more recently romifidine. with the introduction of the safer and more effective agents; many procedures which previously necessitated general anesthesia can now be carried out under chemical restraint and local/regional anesthesia. standing chemical restraint avoids the problems associated with general anesthesia in the horse. in many cases, chemical restraint is used in conjunction with some form of physical restraint.