Farriers – Picking Up Feet
We’ve all heard this one before: “No foot, no horse.” How true. Farrier attention is one of the most vital elements of caring for your horse, and usually not trouble-free sadly.
I’m sure we’ve all had them – the squirmers who take their feet away, kick, wiggle, tramplers, lazy leaning horses which can be the curse of a farrier’s existence. Discovery a superb farrier is tough enough the way it is, so you do not need him to say no to trim or shoe your horse as your equine is being a complete idiot. Farriers are always booked and so they do not have any time to train your horse to raise up their hoof and remain quietly. That is certainly your job. So, teach your horse to try this early and do it properly. Sure, it can also be taught to older horses. Just don’t ask for a lot early on from them and it will all work out.
You need to grasp a number of the reasons a horse isn’t a contented camper about raising his feet. A horse’s feet are used to canter to security. Holding his foot makes him feel susceptible. It may be they’ve not even been exposed properly the way to lift their feet. He may have been handled poorly in the past when having his feet picked up, or there could be a physical difficulty – for instance a sore foot.
This is how you begin to teach a horse to lift his legs up and remain peacefully. You start with tiny bits at a period, in the region of 5 to 15 minutes two times daily should work. Having said that though, each horse is it’s own personality so pace yourself fittingly.
Begin in a safe spot for instance a round pen. Don’t work with the horse tied for your wellbeing and his. Start off stroking his neckline and work gradually right down to the shoulder and then the leg. If he’s contented, you’re doing a very good job. If he niggles, just gently take away your hand at the spot he began getting grumpy at, and start once more until he calms. Keep doing this until you contact the feet. If you cannot on the number one session, it doesn’t make a difference. Just conclude things on a good note and begin again another time. This same routine can be utilized while using the rear legs. Just remember, slow, easy and calm.
Once you get to the feet, try lifting one up and holding it for only a mere fraction of a minute and releasing it before the horse pulls it away and compliment and reward them. Move on to a different leg and so on. When you find yourself first trying with them you do not need a long hold, you only want to have the confindence to pick the foot up and position it down straight away. This shows the horse you will not harm him. Keep increasing the hold time over your periods with the horse. In the end, and who is in a rush here anyway, you’ll have a horse that stands quietly for not just you, but the farrier as well. Trust is a serious topic here, so treat your horse with respect and he will comply.
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