I have a bad back and would like to know how to train my two yr. old gelding how to have his feet handled to be shod. Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Farrier preparation
- Thread starter wstrnrider
- Start date
To add to Sarah's excellent advice, my youngsters were slightly concerned by a few things when they were first shod. First, when the farrier rests their foot on a tripod - they didn't understand what they were supposed to do, so a little pre-farrier training would have helped. Second, when we pick up their feet to clean them out, we don't tend to lift them as high as the farrier does to trim/shoe, or to get as 'under' the horse as the farrier (for their back feet), or to hold the feet up for as long. One of my horses really found this stressful and my farrier actually gave me exercises to do with her before he'd try shoeing her - so I used to spend ages in the stable, holding up a foot between my legs and counting to 300 or so! Tedious, but hard on the back (and I had bruises on my thighs - now I know why farriers wear leather aprons) - can you find a trusted 'mug' to do the job for you?! If the horse does lean on you even slightly, you could get hurt if you already have a bad back. Have you tried wearing a back support? (By the way, my horse was trustworthy enough not to kick me or panic - she just needed practice with someone she knew and is fine with the farrier now.)
I just remembered another thing, perhaps the most important thing!
Make sure htat your farrier is not in a rush on the day when your horse is shod the first time. Also, make sure that your farrier is patient. the first time I had my horse shod when i bought her as a four year old, she had obviously been shod before, but was very nervous of farriers. When the farrier picked up one of her feet and she tried to pull it away, he layed into her, thrashing her with a metal rasp, a complete over-reaction for a 'minor offence'. I then sent him away, and called up another farrier who is much, much more patient and after a long time is now happy with the farrier.
Make sure htat your farrier is not in a rush on the day when your horse is shod the first time. Also, make sure that your farrier is patient. the first time I had my horse shod when i bought her as a four year old, she had obviously been shod before, but was very nervous of farriers. When the farrier picked up one of her feet and she tried to pull it away, he layed into her, thrashing her with a metal rasp, a complete over-reaction for a 'minor offence'. I then sent him away, and called up another farrier who is much, much more patient and after a long time is now happy with the farrier.
Thank you sarah and the other person, (which I sincerely hate to say, but forgot your name) for your information. I guess I forgot to say in my letter, that I was writing that question for my father-in-law. I dont know if he just cleans their hooves and trims them himself or not. He also didnt say if he has a farrier shoe them, which I imagine he probably does. He probably meant he's the one to just maintain them and has trouble with his back and keeping his gelding standing still for him. I will let him know about a back brace and the ideas of how to practice keeping his horse to stand still when he does get his feet cleaned and trimmed.
Thanks for responding!
Thanks for responding!
hello!
Hmm, this could be tricky with you having a bad back!
It is important that your gelding is happy having his feet held up for short periods of time. i assume that you pick out his feet twice a day already, if not, you need to start. Be aware that picking up his feet removes one of his best escape mechanisns so he may well be concerned by this. Just pick them up for a very short time initially.
If, when he is used to having his feet picked up and picked out, you could gently tap them, firstly with your hoof pick, then with a piece of wood to get him used to funny things happening down there.
Also, if you can get him used to standing next to horses (who are well behaved!) while they are being shod and having their feet trimmed so he sees that it doesn't worry them, that can help.
If your bad back means that you can't do the above, it might be worth getting someone else who your gelding knows to do it, so that he is fully prepared for the farrier.
Good luck
bye!
[This message has been edited by Sarah (edited 11 October 1999).]
Hmm, this could be tricky with you having a bad back!
It is important that your gelding is happy having his feet held up for short periods of time. i assume that you pick out his feet twice a day already, if not, you need to start. Be aware that picking up his feet removes one of his best escape mechanisns so he may well be concerned by this. Just pick them up for a very short time initially.
If, when he is used to having his feet picked up and picked out, you could gently tap them, firstly with your hoof pick, then with a piece of wood to get him used to funny things happening down there.
Also, if you can get him used to standing next to horses (who are well behaved!) while they are being shod and having their feet trimmed so he sees that it doesn't worry them, that can help.
If your bad back means that you can't do the above, it might be worth getting someone else who your gelding knows to do it, so that he is fully prepared for the farrier.
Good luck
bye!
[This message has been edited by Sarah (edited 11 October 1999).]
Hi, my two year old gelding had difficulty with having his back feet handled. he never liked it. but with patience and persistence, he came around. Just mess with your horse's feet, and rubb them or pat them when you have the horse's feet up for picking out. just to get the idea that no matter what type of banging is going on, it won't get hurt. oh, how about a back support or something??? good luck.
my filly, much to my suprise since I'd known her for a few months before I bought her, was one of those horses that kicked if you even though about picking up her back feet! I almost got it in the head when I bent down and ran my hand down her leg to pick it up, I didn't even get to her hock! anyways, I took a nice soft cotton rope and started taping her leg with it and of course she kicked every time until she got tired of kicking. Then I let it rest on her leg and then I got it so it was partily around her leg (she kicked it out of my hands a couple of times) and I started to wonder if I was doing the right thing. Lucky for me my best friend's aunt was a horse trainer in florda (I live in pa) and she was up for a visit and said she would be happy to come down and see what was going on. she said I was doing everything right and did the same thing I was doing and eventually she stoped kicking and started holding it up. The traner then started working it back and forth and rubbing it all over the leg until she stoped objecting,then the trainer walked her hand down my filly's leg and so on. I found with this method, my filly didn't lean on me because I wasn't holding her leg up with the rope like people tend to when they pick it up by hand. She learned to balence herself and now when I go to my gleding after cleaning her feet, it feels like a tun of bricks! Just be patent and work with them consitently. Don't try to force the, and I sugest not tieing them because they learn more when they can move around a little, just have the lead in one hand and the rope in the other. Soft cotton rope works the best because there's less of a chance of them geting hurt or geting a rope burn if they kick. good luck
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by dreamer:
my filly, much to my suprise since I'd known her for a few months before I bought her, was one of those horses that kicked if you even though about picking up her back feet! I almost got it in the head when I bent down and ran my hand down her leg to pick it up, I didn't even get to her hock! anyways, I took a nice soft cotton rope and started taping her leg with it and of course she kicked every time until she got tired of kicking. Then I let it rest on her leg and then I got it so it was partily around her leg (she kicked it out of my hands a couple of times) and I started to wonder if I was doing the right thing. Lucky for me my best friend's aunt was a horse trainer in florda (I live in pa) and she was up for a visit and said she would be happy to come down and see what was going on. she said I was doing everything right and did the same thing I was doing and eventually she stoped kicking and started holding it up. The traner then started working it back and forth and rubbing it all over the leg until she stoped objecting,then the trainer walked her hand down my filly's leg and so on. I found with this method, my filly didn't lean on me because I wasn't holding her leg up with the rope like people tend to when they pick it up by hand. She learned to balence herself and now when I go to my gleding after cleaning her feet, it feels like a tun of bricks! Just be patent and work with them consitently. Don't try to force the, and I sugest not tieing them because they learn more when they can move around a little, just have the lead in one hand and the rope in the other. Soft cotton rope works the best because there's less of a chance of them geting hurt or geting a rope burn if they kick. good luck<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thank you dreamer for all your info...will have to try that......wstrnrider
my filly, much to my suprise since I'd known her for a few months before I bought her, was one of those horses that kicked if you even though about picking up her back feet! I almost got it in the head when I bent down and ran my hand down her leg to pick it up, I didn't even get to her hock! anyways, I took a nice soft cotton rope and started taping her leg with it and of course she kicked every time until she got tired of kicking. Then I let it rest on her leg and then I got it so it was partily around her leg (she kicked it out of my hands a couple of times) and I started to wonder if I was doing the right thing. Lucky for me my best friend's aunt was a horse trainer in florda (I live in pa) and she was up for a visit and said she would be happy to come down and see what was going on. she said I was doing everything right and did the same thing I was doing and eventually she stoped kicking and started holding it up. The traner then started working it back and forth and rubbing it all over the leg until she stoped objecting,then the trainer walked her hand down my filly's leg and so on. I found with this method, my filly didn't lean on me because I wasn't holding her leg up with the rope like people tend to when they pick it up by hand. She learned to balence herself and now when I go to my gleding after cleaning her feet, it feels like a tun of bricks! Just be patent and work with them consitently. Don't try to force the, and I sugest not tieing them because they learn more when they can move around a little, just have the lead in one hand and the rope in the other. Soft cotton rope works the best because there's less of a chance of them geting hurt or geting a rope burn if they kick. good luck<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Thank you dreamer for all your info...will have to try that......wstrnrider
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