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Photo of Ivory Pal by Cheri Prill Tennessee Walking Horse Issue August 2010
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Preparing your horse for the farrier is more than just having him confident to stand while you pick out his feet.
It is important that you recognize that daily hoof maintenance is much easier than the monthly or bi-monthly trimming or shoeing that the farrier provides. Your farrier will be very happy if you can help him do his job better and with less effort by preparing your horse to accept different things and handlers in his per sonal space, including the area directly below his belly, between his front and back legs.
For the sake of the example, I asked Jordan to pick up and clean out each of Scout’s feet. She was able to do that easily. However, when I asked her to put each of his feet up on the pedestal…. Ah, ha! He was unconfident about having the pedestal close to his belly, and that’s exactly where your farrier is going to be, and may have a hard time manipulating your horses’ feet for the time that it takes to do his job well.
So, with that in mind, preparing your horse for the farrier can be accomplished using an obstacle like a pedestal, and a long (14 – 22 foot) rope.
Excellent Hoof Handling Basics
The first secret to success with horses and hoof handling is NOT to tie your horse. When you tie your horse, you take away his voice. If he can not move, he can not communicate to you when he is unconfident. A tied horse may feet defensive, and more apt to kick out or bite. If you don’t know how to teach your horse to stand on a loose rope, as Scout is doing here, get that worked out first, before you proceed to the farrier preparation.
The following pictures will show how Jordan used approach and retreat, pressure and release to move Scout to both the left and right of the pedestal. She used the rope to ask him to yield to the pressure and pick his feet up. After he was soft and yielding to the rope, she could use her hands to pick up his feet and place them on the pedestal. The pedestal is similar to a farrier’s stand, and the way a farrier will want to manipulate your horse’s feet.
In this photo, Jordan uses the rope to ask Scout to bring his foot forward.
Using the rope gives Jordan a way to teach Scout to yield to the pressure and pick his own feet up, and keeps her at a safe distance.
Here, Scout shows that he understood what Jordan wanted, and placed his own foot on the pedestal. Jordan gives him a pet, and releases the pressure by just hanging out with him for a few moments.
Looks easy, when you are observing. It is easy, when you understand how a horse thinks about things, and how he feels. If you are finding yourself getting frustrated, or having trouble getting some basic things done, please seek help! You are not alone! And we want you to be a safe, happy horse owner many years into the future.
