The idea of picking up a horse’s hooves can intimidate some owners since a well-placed horse kick would really hurt! You can also use his coronary band as the stimulus on the hind foot. LEFT: Hesitate just a moment, so that your horse notices that you’ve stopped rubbing. Such caution is good, but in reality if you pick up a horse’s hoof properly you provide him with no leverage or ability to kick you. It is a very good idea to control your horse’s head while you are picking his hooves. The Hind Feet You’ll follow a similar process when you work on your horse’s hind feet. Such caution is good, but in reality if you pick up a horse''s hoof properly you provide him with no leverage or ability to kick you. Once you have finished cleaning the front hoof carefully guide it back to the floor; you don’t want to allow the horse to slam it, potentially hitting your foot in the process. The first time I do a hoof soaking, I have someone hold the horse rather than putting him crossties, just in case something goes bad or the horse needs a little more support. Use a quiet approach, and then bend down and rub your horse’s leg. If he’s well trained, that small cue will be more than enough and he’ll do just what you requested. It can either stand and allow you to pick it's hoof, or you'll scare the crap out of it and make it work. How can I overcome this resistance for more willingness when it comes to handling his feet? Slightly hesitate before moving on to the stimulus. Making sure that your feet aren’t too close to the horse’s hoof, start running the hand parallel to him down his shoulder and along the length of his leg, finally stopping just above his ankle. You will find many other informational articles dealing with horse training, horse care and more on their site. 4. RIGHT: Pinch or twist your horse’s chestnut just enough to make him notice and lift his foot in response. Use a verbal cue, such as “hoof up” or “pick up” to ask him to lift his foot. However, you should only dig the point of the pick into the hoof really hard when you are trying to get a rock out. After a few repetitions with correctly timed releases, your horse will put together that to avoid the pressure, he should unweight his foot when you hesitate after rubbing. Hold the pick so the hook is positioned below your hand. If you have trouble finding it, straighten your own arm, and find that little sack at the point of your elbow; it feels the same on his hock. Don’t … One Caution: Horses That Kick Horses kick out of fear or dominance. This is dangerous and unacceptable. Bend down to rub his forearm and lower leg to indicate that he should relax and just stand there, with all four feet on the ground. Then, put the foot down gently and repeat. Rub your horse’s leg while it’s on the ground, to indicate that he can relax and stand still with all four feet. When picking a horse’s hoof you want to remove all debris from the hoof clefts as well as the rim and frog. By doing this you lend him some support and more importantly the position of his leg and his flexed hoof will prevent him from being able to kick you. Such caution is good, but in reality if you pick up a horse's hoof properly you provide him with no leverage or ability to kick you. Q I purchased an aged gelding a few months ago, and I’m having a hard time picking up his feet. Repeat that process over and over again: Rub, hesitate, stimulate, and then go back to rubbing as soon as your horse lifts a foot. If I’m riding, for example, each time I dismount I walk around and pick up all four hooves and hold them for a bit. Rest his leg on your thigh, grab his hoof and gently flex it upwards. The sturdy and durable stainless-steel triangular-shaped pick can remove stubborn dried-on mud, dirt, or small stones. There is a slight difference between lifting a rear foot and front foot, even though your basic positioning and actions are nearly identical. If he tries to pull away or put his foot down, hold the toe of the hoof and lift it towards his elbow. Once he does pick up his foot, immediately release the pressure and begin rubbing his leg again, so he relaxes and puts his foot on the ground. Use downward strokes from heel to toe. Once you have picked your horse’s hooves a few times it will probably become very simple and take less than 5 minutes to clear all hooves. Praise your horse and pat him on the front shoulder a bit so he understands that you are pleased with his cooperation, then run your hand along his back to his rear leg. When lifting any hoof try to make sure your horse is properly squared (balanced evenly on all four legs) so that when you lift one hoof he can easily balance on his remaining three. This article will teach you my method for training a horse to stand nice and pick it’s feet up for a hoof trim. Massage your horse’s legs, hose them off after a hard riding session, wrap them with care, etc. Making sure that your feet aren’t too close to the horse’s hoof, start running the hand parallel to him down his shoulder and along the length of his leg, finally stopping just above his ankle. A The average horse weighs 1,200 pounds; that’s 300 pounds per foot. Most trained horses will raise their hoof for you the moment they feel your leg run down their leg. Be careful around the frog because it can sometimes be a bit sensitive, particularly if the horse has thrush. Clean the hoof, lower it cautiously as you did the first and praise him. These step-by-step instructions will help you to safely clean and pick up a horse’s hoof. Make sure your horse is tied safely and securely. New to horses? LEFT: For the hind leg, begin again by rubbing his leg, and then place pressure on the bursa at the point of his hock, as I’m doing here. One solution is to retrain your horse to lift his leg on cue, which may involve brushing up on your own technique as well: On soft, level ground, stand next to his shoulder, facing his tail. The idea of picking up a horse's hooves can intimidate some owners since a well-placed horse kick would really hurt! Follow the hoof pick with a wire brush for added cleanliness. I just have to unweight my foot when she stops rubbing.”. How to stay safe and have fun with horses! The most common method is simply to turn the horse’s head to the side of the leg you plan to pick up. The idea of picking up a horse''s hooves can intimidate some owners since a well-placed horse kick would really hurt! This is a common reflex reaction among horses and nothing for you to worry about. You’re now free to begin picking his hoof. Secondly, when you raise your horse’s rear leg you’ll want to step into him a bit so that your hip is underneath his leg. n. Pat Parelli and his wife, Linda, are the founders of Parelli Natural Horsemanship and present major seminars and demos around the world. The best way to solve that problem is to teach him that having his legs handled isn’t a big deal. When your horse picks his foot up, have your helper praise him effusively with pats, a soothing voice or a treat. It protects the digital cushion beneath it, aids in traction and circulation in the hoof, and partly acts as a shock absorber when the horse moves. 2) Bend forwards slightly enabling your right hand to slide down the back of the horse's right leg. Pat Parelli shares the steps to overcome resistance when picking up a horse’s feet. Even when you rest his rear leg on your thigh you’re not allowing him to use you as a crutch. Steps:1.Stand beside the horse next to his left (near side) shoulder.2.Face the rear end of the horse.3.Reach down with your left hand, and with your Repeat the steps I’ll outline here a few times a day, and your horse will begin to lift his feet for you, rather than you trying to wrestle with his resistance. The health of the hoof is vital to the health of horses, who spend about 90% of their lives standing up. Slightly hesitate that enjoyable massage so he notices that you’ve stopped. Then move to the “raise your foot” cue (the “stimulus”). Want perhaps a better way to pick up a horse’s hoof? The idea of picking up a horse's hooves can intimidate some owners since a well-placed horse kick would really hurt! © 2021 by Cruz Bay Publishing, Inc., an Active Interest Media company. At no time should the horse actually lean his weight on you! 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