gholmer
18th Oct 2004, 09:15 AM
Hi,
I am having real problems trying to get my 2,5 year old Halflinger McEwan to pick up his back feet.
I am very worried it is something I have done wrong while he was a foal. I worked very hard on him with his front feet and he picks them up with no problems whatsoever - but am rather nervous about working on his back legs. I do try occasionally but feel my stomach lurch and the nerves start to go and I'm sure it passes on to him. He hasn't actually kicked me but when he was younger a friend tried to pick his feet up using a rope and he kicked and kicked. When I pick them up with my hands he tries to snatch his feet away.
Otherwise he is an absolute dear and extremely affectionate. He is in a field with four other horses (including his mother and half-brother) all belonging to us but he is the only one that will come and say hi when you walk by and will come to you immediately if you open the gate.
My own nerves have become even worse as my 4-year old son fell behind our mare in March this year (she jumped terribly and kicked out hitting him in the head). His skull was shattered on the right side and he had to have titanium plates inserted and was paralysed in his left arm and hand for a while and was in hospital for two weeks. He is absolutely fine now with no fears of horses whatsoever (although he does have a phobia about hospitals). He absolutely accepts that Mary was not at fault and she is also a lovely horse who never usually kicks but he fell in exactly the wrong place, where she couldn't see anything.
But - to get back to the problem - I have always had a thing about horses back legs and this has just aggravated my nerves.
So the question is - can anyone recommend a way for me to teach McEwan to pick up his back legs AND does anyone have any ideas on how I could overcome my fear of back legs:o. I can walk around him without any problem and combing his tail is fine as well, the problem is really when I bend down near his feet that my nerves go and I have visions of being kicked in the head:eek:
I am having real problems trying to get my 2,5 year old Halflinger McEwan to pick up his back feet.
I am very worried it is something I have done wrong while he was a foal. I worked very hard on him with his front feet and he picks them up with no problems whatsoever - but am rather nervous about working on his back legs. I do try occasionally but feel my stomach lurch and the nerves start to go and I'm sure it passes on to him. He hasn't actually kicked me but when he was younger a friend tried to pick his feet up using a rope and he kicked and kicked. When I pick them up with my hands he tries to snatch his feet away.
Otherwise he is an absolute dear and extremely affectionate. He is in a field with four other horses (including his mother and half-brother) all belonging to us but he is the only one that will come and say hi when you walk by and will come to you immediately if you open the gate.
My own nerves have become even worse as my 4-year old son fell behind our mare in March this year (she jumped terribly and kicked out hitting him in the head). His skull was shattered on the right side and he had to have titanium plates inserted and was paralysed in his left arm and hand for a while and was in hospital for two weeks. He is absolutely fine now with no fears of horses whatsoever (although he does have a phobia about hospitals). He absolutely accepts that Mary was not at fault and she is also a lovely horse who never usually kicks but he fell in exactly the wrong place, where she couldn't see anything.
But - to get back to the problem - I have always had a thing about horses back legs and this has just aggravated my nerves.
So the question is - can anyone recommend a way for me to teach McEwan to pick up his back legs AND does anyone have any ideas on how I could overcome my fear of back legs:o. I can walk around him without any problem and combing his tail is fine as well, the problem is really when I bend down near his feet that my nerves go and I have visions of being kicked in the head:eek: