Lifting front feet - any tips

[Vik2]

Brodie is slightly new to the whole lifting feet thing. he lifts his back feet up but his front feet are sometimes glued to the spot. He's not being nasty just not reading the signs that I want his foot up.

Have tried squeezing but should I apply quite a bit of pressure and put my shoulder into him to encourage?

Thanks !

[intouch]

Give his chestnut a gentle squeeze as you lean into him. ;)

[Jacquie]

Intouch has beaten me to it. I was going to suggest exactly the same method. :D

[Funky MeerKAT]

Don't lean into him as this just pushes him off balance. Before you try to pick is foot up make sure that he is standing well balcned so that it will be easy for him. Then with your thumb on one side of his tendons and your fingers on the other very gently sqeeze, count to about three and if he doesn't respond increase the pressure, after another three increase the pressure again until you are digging your fingers in as hard as you can and pull up a little at the same time it may take up to a few minutes, but keep the pressure on. As soon as he lifts his foot from the discomfort take your hand away, let him put his foot back down and give him a pat.

Then start again, always start with a light pressure so that he has the chance to respond to a light aid. he will learn that if he doesn't go off the light aid it will get stronger and start to hurt, so he will go off the light one.

Once he is picking them up off a light aid you can hold it up and support it, but if he tries to lean on you drop his foot strat away and then ask him to pick it up again so that he learns to hold up his own foot.

[beanie'sbaby]

my two horses bean and stormy have the same problem. now what a good thing to do is take the end of a lunge whip or a handy stick and rub your horses front feet but if your horse dos'nt stand still just keep rubbing until he or she will stand still when your horse stands still start rubbing its back and rub it for 5 minites and then start rubbing the feet again just keep doing this for half and hour for 4 days and your horse should be better

[angelfben]

It can also be useful to introduce some voice commands, I started by running my hand down the leg then gently tugging at the tufts of feathers above the heel while asking "h'up!" and repeating until they got the message and lifted their foot even for a second then they got bags of praise for their efforts, gradually building up the time I held their foot up for - now all you have to do is run your hand down their leg and say "h'up" and they pick them straight up for you. Bear in mind as well that if he's new to this he might have difficulty balancing on 3 legs at first, Gem quite regularly nearly topples over when I'm doing something with her feet and she's not concentrating :rolleyes: