Picking up feet without a fight

[DreamRider]

When I got Sy he would slam his back feet down when you picked them up. He would put whole weight into his slam. It caused harm to his previous owner. When I purchased him, I taught him that I can pick up his feet with a roped and hold it. This was fine for a long while, until I learned a new method.

Yes, I worked this method into Sy, and guess what? It works. He picks his feet up and practically hands them to me now. No problems and no ropes are needed. Just my riding crop. You can use a stick, pointer, cane, whatever works for you.

There is a bone, in the upper shoulder, that's connected to the movement of the foot. Serrious, I thought "No way would Sy respond by pushing a bone. Sure enough, when I pushed on this bone Sy moved his foot. Wow, now I had to use the crop to tap on his leg for the cue to pick up his foot.

Press on this bone and at the same time, tap tap tap tap until the horse picks his foot up. Release pressure. Repeat several times until your horse holds his foot up as long as the crop is touching his leg. Remove crop, and horse will put his leg down. Do this to all legs. There is a bone in the hip that sits close to the suface. If you feel around on your horse you will find it kinda high in the side of his hip. Puch on it while tapping his leg until he picks it up.

Eventally, you will have a horse that picks up his leg every time you touch this bone. It's great, Sy seems to like the warning of what I am asking him to do. He no longer slams his back foot to the ground when it is in my hand.

I hope this helps those who might have a problem with picking up horses feet. Please remember, make first handling attempts short. Pick them pu and set them back down before the horse pulls away. Starting this way helps get the horse to relax, shuffels their weight, and helps mentally prepare the horse for you.

[zar]

That sounds neat. I'll have to try it.

Liz

[Clydelover]

Wow, sounds great... so how about some greater details? How about some pics or drawings?

I've had so much trouble with not only Aleah, but a team of Amish trained Belgians that I help with at a local county park. Odd that these Belgians, who are harness trained and move as a team even when in the pasture... were never trained for hoof trimming. According to the fellow who bought them for the county, some Amish horses are worked so often that they never need trimming so are never trained for farrier work!

I've used the "rope method" and that has helped some with Aleah, and the Belgians, but it is still a titanac struggle sometimes.

I've been able to get to the point with Aleah where I can do the fronts ok. And pick up the rears to pick them out, but she won't hold them still long enough for me to trim. However, she will allow me to brace the rears, forward across my knee, and file them. That's the only way I've been able to keep her rear feet trim.

There is nothing in JLs first symposium about training to hold up feet. ( I know... he does "handle" that mares feet, but getting her to hold still for trimming is not approched) I recently purchased the second symposium set but have only gotten thru tape one so far. Maybe there is something in there? But in the mean time... your method sounds interesting indeed.

Now, a farrier friend has a way to get them to lift their feet too, but it's cumbersome and doesn't guarantee that they will keep them up. He takes his file and gently files the "scaley" patch that is inside the critters legs... it must tickle them or something because they always either lift the leg, or at least take the weight off so you can lift it. It's not foolproof tho and is still a big struggle sometimes = (

JL's Leading and Loading video was so great at showing how to teach a horse to load... I sure wish John or Josh would make one Just on the subject of training to hold feet for the farrier, and show some problem horses being trained... I'm sure that one would sell VERY well = ))

CL

[denise]

One of JL's books does have a section on a cue to pick up the foot. I think it's one of the communicating with cues? books.

With my guys I don't pull on the feathers or the hoof, I tap the front of the leg between the hoof and knee with my hoof pic, closer to the hoof. TAP, TAP, TAP till they pick up their foot. Not too hard just hard enough to make it annoying. Before long one tap and up goes the hoof.

[Clydelover]

This is a really old thread, but I thought I'd post a comment about what I've resorted to, since I haven't found a better way to date.

I've trained Aleah to the point that she will pick up whatever foot I want... she just won't hold 'em up or allow me to hold them up, for more than a few seconds...

I finally called the vet out this spring. I placed a bale of hay in front of Aleah to give her something to distract her.... and as she ate... the vet gave her a shot of something in the side of her neck... within a minute, her nose was resting on the hay bale and she was stoned.. heh. Yet she was able to keep her balance just fine while I trimmed her hooves. I was able to do all four with little trouble. She did take the rears back a couple of times, but only weakly, and I was able to pick them back up again and keep working... took me about 30 min to do all four, and within 45 min of getting the shot, she was back to normal.

The shot was cheap... $25, but the Vets visit was $75 extra... oh well... for $100 it was worth it to get 'em all done with no struggle.

CL

[ak_leroy]

Dreamrider: Could you give more details or some pics like Clydelover suggested???

[Ellie]

That would be really nice...an illustration. I have four horses and of the four of them, it's the heaviest, stockiest built horse that won't lift or keep his feet up for us. :eek:

[haylisa]

One of JL's books does have a section on a cue to pick up the foot. I think it's one of the communicating with cues? books.

With my guys I don't pull on the feathers or the hoof, I tap the front of the leg between the hoof and knee with my hoof pic, closer to the hoof. TAP, TAP, TAP till they pick up their foot. Not too hard just hard enough to make it annoying. Before long one tap and up goes the hoof.

I do that too. Benny used to be kind of naughty with his feet, either trying to paw with the front or trying to pull his hind away, or slamming them back down!... It took time, but now he lifts them up very nicely, and mostly I only have to bend down and kiss and he knows to pick it up for me. I think some horses get tired of having people pinching their tendons, and/or dropping their feet down, which makes some cranky about their feet. Can't really blame them!