vets trimming hooves

[cobby hoss]

Has anyone ever asked their vet to trim hooves?
My farrier does my other horses who are good to shoe/trim but I have a very nervous shetland who needs sedating for a trim and he doesn't seem keen to do her as the last time he tried she threw herself around and as he keeps telling me he's not getting any younger.

One vet came out, sedated and trimmed her with ease. The next time I called the vet a different man from the surgery attended and he said get your farrier to meet me next time and I'll just sedate her.

I tried another vet who said he has stopped doing this but agreed to since the surgery is not far from me -but he has now just cancelled due to staff shortages/holidays and I have to wait 3 weeks for another appointment. Her hooves won't wait that long.

I don't want to change farrier as he is good with my other horses and not all farriers are willing to work outdoors.
Does anyone know of any willing vets in West Yorkshire?

[MelanieD]

Is she bad to trim even sedated? If ok sedated can you persuade vet to give you a tube of sedalin so you don't have to get vet out every time she needs a trim?

[chunky monkey]

If they get that stressed about the feet being done then sometimes even sedation doesn't work cos the adrenalin is far stronger than sedation.

I had a calf that had to be sedated to castrate him. Normally they just inject the bits but he was so mad the vet gave an actual sedative that should have knocked out 5 adult cows, and the little devil was still kicking and thrashing around. I soon sold him, I can tell you.

[MelanieD]

If sedating doesn't work then have you tried clicker training? I've got one that was a total baggage to do anything she didn't like to her feet even when heavily sedated and she'll let you do anything after some clicker training.

[cobby hoss]

Thanks for the suggestions. Yes I use sedalin to calm her down before the vet arrives so he can then inject her with sedative. Without it he wouldn't get near her.

I agree that if something startles her, the sedalin soon wears off as adrenalin kicks in.

I've never tried clicker training before and didn't realise it could be used for situations like this but I am definitely willing to give it a go. Is it something that anyone can learn?

[rtk]

Where in West Yorkshire?

[lh-sc]

If sedating doesn't work then have you tried clicker training? I've got one that was a total baggage to do anything she didn't like to her feet even when heavily sedated and she'll let you do anything after some clicker training.

Melanie, would you mind telling me how you did this exactly? I would love to try it on a couple of geldings that yank their feet away after about 10 seconds.

[cobby hoss]

Where in West Yorkshire?

I'm in Huddersfield

[MelanieD]

First step is teach them how clicker works doing something easy like targetting or looking away. There's a good book that explains how it works - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Clicker-Training-Horse-approved-clicker/dp/1860542921/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/202-3892165-8783827?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187650725&sr=8-1, there's a lot more to it than I can explain in a quick post. The important thing is to get the timing perfect so you click while the foot is held up nicely and don't accidentally click a bit late when they are starting to mess about.

Its a good idea to get them used to general leg handling first, so they aren't reacting badly to having a leg touched before you even get as far as picking feet up. Start with just picking the foot up off the ground slightly, don't even need to hold it up. Then just build up from there over a few sessions, so hold foot for a second then click, then a few seconds and vary it as well as build up. Click more often if you're doing something difficult. Also eventually get other people to handle the feet, practice holding the feet up how a farrier would, do things a bit differently (different order, tie up somewhere different, faff about a bit so they aren't easily annoyed when someone doesn't do it the same way you do) instead of having a fixed routine to how you do the feet. Once they're doing well at the behaviour you want with clicker then you can start phasing it out by making the time between clicks longer and not giving a treat for every click.

Anyone can do clicker but you really need to read up on it well and really understand what you're doing and time the clicks well because its too easy to teach the wrong thing if you aren't careful.

[Alfies-slave]

Phone Abi the American association trimmer, she covers West Yorks. She is very good with nervous little customers. Horses that have needed sedating in the past she has no problems with. She can also clicker train them and get the handling issues sorted out.

phone no. 07814671823

[cobby hoss]

Thanks for that suggestion. I am waiting to hear back from another vet but I'll take a note of Abi's number just in case.

I have surfed the internet to see if there is anyone nearby who can help with handling problems but there doesn't seem to be many appropriate ones out there- unless you have loads of money and your horse is going to be ridden - not a mere companion Shetland that just needs to be caught for trimming and treatment.

[H & Bailey]

can you pick up the feet and pick them out?if not you should be doing some catching up grooming and desensitizing and messing about with the feet.
if you can do this get a rasp and run it round so the pony gets used to it.

[cobby hoss]

No we're nowhere near that stage yet:o

[MelanieD]

Have you checked if there's an RA in your area? there'd be a link somewhere on www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk I guess. Or Ben Hart is very good and travels a lot, might be worth a try, he's one of very few people that Mia has decided to pick feet up nicely for.

[cobby hoss]

Thanks - I've had a look at the site and it looks like Sarah Dent covers my area -I'll try e-mailing her for some info.

[gingeremmie]

Chris from Hirds trimmed my cob when he was laminitic but he was putting plastic shoes on him at the time!

Is your Shetland very food orientated? Clicker training tends to work very well for food orientated horses.

Sarah Dent would be a good idea, or there is a lady called Hilary up near Scotch Corner who came and helped me with my boy for the cost of petrol which was about £15.

I can help you with basic clicker training as I've read several books and also learnt a lot from Hilary if you like? I'm not too far away either.

[0dd]

I know this pony will need feet doing as soon as, but shouldn't your time be put into winning this pony's trust and love before you go trying to get strange people to come in and inject her with things and come along with big scary rasps and whatnot?
If she's that nervous about it then there has to be a big problem behind it in her past!!

[cobby hoss]

At last I managed to get a vet out who sedated my shetland and trimmed her hooves- what a relief. That was the first priority.

Now I am trying to work on gaining her trust so hopefully it will be a bit easier for her next trim.

Gingeremmie thanks for the offer and advice - yes she does come up and take food from me- and will then let me stroke her face - she does have a friendly nature and you can see she wants the attention, she's just so scared. I think so far, Sarah Dent seems to be the person who may be able to help from reading her details on the internet.

[lh-sc]

If sedating doesn't work then have you tried clicker training? I've got one that was a total baggage to do anything she didn't like to her feet even when heavily sedated and she'll let you do anything after some clicker training.

How did you do this?