With young horses, they can often be reluctant to 'give
up' one of their legs - how do they know you are going to give it back!
This can be especially true if the preliminary work of early handling
has not been carried out at an early age. Often a horse is told to pick
up a foot when his weight is balanced over it, therefore if he were to
lift it up for you he would probably fall over! He may be reluctant to
pick it up or even kick out rather than fall over or fall on you! So
maybe it would be a good idea to check he has his weight distributed
evenly, so as to make things easier for him to oblige.
Maybe the horse has a pain somewhere in his body and
finds it difficult or even painful to keep a leg off the ground for too
long. If you think this may be the case, please be sure to call in your
vet to make a diagnosis and treatment. Your horse could also have the
memory of pain, i.e. a farrier in the past has dealt with an abscess
in the foot and he now associates the farrier with pain and discomfort.
This situation needs to be worked through with patience and empathy.
Preferably before the farrier arrives for his visit. It is not his job
to train your horse!
OK, maybe your horse is not in pain, but does not want
to stand to be shod. What can you do? Well screaming and shouting probably
won't help the horse to associate the farrier as a particularly pleasant
way to spend an hour or so. Practise is what is needed. Treat it as any
other schooling/training situation. Set aside time each week to work
on specific small tasks. Back to some basic ground work. Can you lead
and back up your horse with ease? Can you ask him to stand still for
any length of time? Can you move the horses' forequarters and hindquarters
over respectively? Can you ask him to lower his head, stop, turn and
lead through narrow spaces with confidence?
If your horse has a real problem with you picking up
his hind legs, I find it best to start at his head and stroke his face,
neck, shoulders then slowly proceed along his back towards his hind end.
If you feel up tensing up, just ease off and when he is calm return to
the area you were trying to work on. Always keep one hand on your horse.
This way he knows were you are and it won't come as a huge shock if a
hand suddenly slaps down on his back! You may need to spend a long time
doing this, just stroking and working backwards towards his hind legs.
Take as long as it takes. (Days, weeks etc) Don't work so long in your
session so as to upset or overload your horse. Remember you should both
be relaxed and calm at the end of each session if he is to be learning
anything. Let him watch a good horse been shod so he can learn by example.
Ask the farrier nicely if he will go over and say "Hi" to your
horse to let them get to know each other.
A horse is a flight animal, he will generally only kick
out if he cannot flee. For example if he is tied up or held. And feels
threatened in any way. By working steadily through any issue your horse
may have, and ensuring that you work at a pace that keeps him calm and
relaxed, will help to keep you both free from injury and give you a high
chance of success!
With patience and time you can build your horses' confidence.
As he learns to trust in you he will happily allow his feet to be picked
up and shod and his cow kicking days will be a distant memory!
Good Luck and enjoy your horses.
For help with your horse, please telephone
Kathrine Wilson 07773 703276.
Holder of Monty Roberts Preliminary Certificate in Horsemanship.
Equine Body Worker - Equine Sports Massage
Based in SouthEast.
