Horses can be big, intimidating animals, unless you understand them.

That’s what a group of local youth had the opportunity to do recently. The Vet Science Project had a fabulous meeting about aging animals, in which Dr. Eric Winston spoke about aging strategies, and demonstrated floating teeth, before allowing the members to try.
The meeting took place in September.
Winston and his technician Judy Wagner had already set up their supplies by the time the members arrived, and three horses were outside and ready to go. Initially, Winston was talking about how to age horses based solely on their teeth size, shape, etc. His aging techniques were recognized to be reliable, based on his ability to guess the correct ages of three different horses by simply looking into their mouths.
The meeting soon was redirected to a large file, called a float, used to smooth horses’ teeth. Unlike human teeth, horses’ teeth continue to grow. This creates sharp edges of the teeth making it difficult or uncomfortable to chew food.
A horse by the name of Frosty, was sedated, his head placed in a halter hung from a tree, and his mouth pried open with a metal brace. After explaining how a float works, Winston proceeded to let the members try their hand at large animal dentistry.
Horses Rock Veterinary Science Program is a Texas A&M curriculum-based project that gives Travis County youth interested in veterinary medicine opportunities to work in the field. The project is career-oriented and provides job-training. Students who participate in this project work with licensed veterinarians at their practice, in the classroom, during field trips, and in workshops.
Participants learn knowledge and skills required for occupations in veterinary and other health related fields. Completion of the project is valuable on participants’ resumes and helps members prepare for a professional program degree from an accredited university. At the completion of the multi-year program, Texas A&M issues 4-H members certificates of completion with members who excel given the opportunity to sit for their Texas State Board Exam to certify as a licensed CVA — Certified Veterinary Assistant. The Vet Science Project meets the 1st Tuesday of each month at the Old School House in the Village of Bee Cave. For more information see http://horsesrockvet.blogspot.com/
Horses Rock 4-H Club is open to Travis County Youth, ages 9 – 19, wishing to enroll in a 4-H Horse Project, 4-H Veterinary Science Project, or both.
General Membership Meetings are held 7 p.m., the second Monday of each Month, at the Old Village of Bee Cave School House
You do not need to own a horse to join a Horse Project.
For more information see www.horsesrock.org.