Picking out hooves issue

[Squeeks]

Hi everyone!

As some of you may know i'm looking after a friends ponies for a week while they are on holiday. If you would like to see some pictures of them chase up my thread in the cafe area, it's headed something like "Pictures of the ponies I'm looking after".

Everything is fine apart from one thing which is really bugging me. Sunny the welsh section c gelding will not let me pick out (clean) his front hooves. He will stand like a stone while i groom him and surprisingly enough let me pick out his back hooves.

He lets me brush all his legs right down to the corronet band and even his hooves. But when it comes to picking up and letting me hold his front hooves (both the offside and fore) he will flick his hoove up, hop around and let his other leg buckle so that it looks like he is doing a bow. Its really stressful to both of us as he has got a bit of thrush and i want to get rid of it and atleast not aggrivate it by not picking the dirt out of it.

I've tried everything I can think of. I have held onto his hoove like mad while he does his mad dance, must of looked wike we were doing a funny can of walz! I've stoked it and it doesn't bother him, I've tried encoraging him to take his weight off his foot incase i was off balancing him when i pulled his foot up, when he picks up his foot i am as gentle as i can be and only ask him to keep his foot just off the ground so that i can use the hoof pick. I know that he has had shoes on his front feet so it can't be impossible to get him to hold his hoove up. I always make sure he is standing square (or near abouts) when i ask him to pick up his hoove. I've tried tying his head up but he just pivots his backside around. I've tried asking him to stand and 'pick up'. When i pick up his back hooves i always praise him like mad and talk to him really soothingly.

I really don't know what to do. I was wondering whether it might be something to do withh him only being gelded last autumn though he isn't a youngster! Also the owner has the same problem when she tries to pick up his front hooves and she doesnt do anything except let him get thrush!! He is turned out all day but goes into a spotless stable at night. Oh and he was owned by travellers before my friend got him as a stallion.

PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!

[galadriel]

This sounds like an issue that will take more than a week to resolve.

If you want to get started on it, then I'd suggest doing what you can without getting into a fight, and forgetting about getting the feet actually picked. I'd start by asking him to pick up a foot, then immediately putting it back down, before he starts to fight. From there, once he's comfortable with that, hold it up for very slightly longer each time, until you're holding the foot up for a few breaths. *Then* try turning the hoof up so it can be picked.

This is not usually something that can be taught in just a few sessions.

[Tnavas]

Is there any possibility that he might be sore on his front feet? Picking up one foot will put more weight on the other, so if he is a little sore he's not goinig to want to keep his other foot off the ground.

Does he ever suffer from Laminitis (Founder), if so he might have a touch of it.

You sound like you are going about the right way to insist that he holds up his feet. be careful about digging out the Thrush areas, the will be quite sensitive. There is always a possibility that you may have made him feel uncomfortable. Hydrogen Peroxide solution is a great treatment for Thrush.

I am surprised to hear he has Thrush it was always a problem in stabled horse kept in stalls, and is not often seen nowadays. Feet do smell, so don't automatically assume it is Thrush

[joshes mum]

My horse does this with his front feet to and it can be really annoying.Hold the foot up to as close to his body as poss and just hold the toe of the hoof.If he dances about or bows try to stay with him, practice every day a bit longer at a time. Also make sure he is standing square on all feet before lifting his foot up and if he does get it away from you back him up so he is standing square and try again.

[MelanieD]

He might be sore in his front feet, so picking one up puts more weight on the other. Or, could be sore on his back feet which would make him not want to pick up the fronts. Thrush can leave them pretty sore, especially if they haven't got shoes on.

One good way to get at the feet it insert a treat into horse as soon as the foot is up, then another as soon as he relaxes and stands still, add another treat occasionally while he keeps standing nicely. Don't hold the foot up too long and be gentle picking them out if he's sore because of thrush. In a greedy enough horse the ouchiness of taking more weight on the other feet while holding one up is worth it for a treat.