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Handling the Horses Feet
- By Ed Thornton
- Published 12/18/2005
- Health Care
- Unrated
Lesson Plan
HERE IS A LESSON PLAN TO TEACH YOUR HORSE TO PICK UP HIS HIND FEET FOR YOU
Start with your horse in a halter and lead rope. Walk him to an area that will have few distractions. If your horse has a go forward cue, ask him to step froward and walk in a circle around you a few times. Then ask him to stop by taking the slack out of the lead rope. If he stops with his weight on his left hind foot, ask him to move his hindquarters away from you one step by moving toward it as you kiss to him. Repeat this until he stops with his left hind foot cocked a little. Then stroke his neck and praise him and let him stand there. When he puts the foot down flat, ask him to move again, moving toward his hindquarters. He will probably not guess correctly yet so just repeat the movement until he stops with the foot cocked again. Pet and praise him. Repeat every time he puts his foot flat on the ground, moving his hip to the right. Sooner or later he will guess the right answer and give you the cocked foot consistently. This will take about 20 minutes. Once he rests his toe on the ground consistently you are ready to go on to the next step in your lesson plan. While he is resting his hoof on his toe, touch his head and run your hand down his neck to his withers and back up to his head. Continue rubbing his head for a second or two, then rub down his neck to his back, and back to his head. Repeat until you get all the way down to his foot. If he gets tense and moves away you've gone too fast. Just set him up again and start over at his head and work slowly back toward the foot. Soon he will be comfortable with you touching the foot.
If your horse has a history of kicking, stand forward of his shoulder at first. You can slowly move back a little at a time as the horse builds trust in you and accepts you back there. If you think he is dangerous, you may want to seek professional help.
He will also go through phases of learning, consisting of not guessing correctly because he doesn't know what you want yet. Then he will get better and guess correctly for awhile, and then he will go through a bad phase, like he didn't learn a thing. You just stay consistent and repeat, repeat, repeat. He will get back on track and do even better than before. He will go along for a while doing better, then he will get bad again. This time he will get real bad and may even seem mad. Again just stay simple and consistent and he will improve. He is just now getting a clue and starting to learn. I believe this to be true with horses " if they know the cue they will give you the correct answer".
The next step in the plan is to put hour hand on his heel and pick up the foot about an inch and put it down and return to his head. Pet and praise him if he remained resting on his toe. Repeat this again and again until he is comfortable with you picking it up and moving it around a little in each direction and gently putting it down. Each time return to his head and pet and praise him for being such a good boy.
The higher you pick the foot up, and the longer you hold it, the more likely it is that the horse will get irritated and take it away from you. You do not want this to happen even once. The more comfortable the horse is, the more tolerant he will be with you handling his feet. Here is a rule I use: If I think the horse will take it away in three seconds, I put it down in two.
The next step is to teach the horse to pick up his own foot for you. If you are satisfied with your horse just letting you pick up his foot then that is all he will do. However, you can take it a bit further if you want to.
You can teach your horse a cue to pick up his foot by touching him on the inside of his leg just above the hock and kissing to him. The kiss tells him to move something and the touch on his leg tells him what to move. Then reach down and pick up the foot. Don't pick it up too high or hold it too long and he won't mind giving it to you. The touch will soon become his cue to pick up that foot. Repeat these steps over and over and eventually you will be able to hold it as your farrier does and the horse will not get upset. Repeat all of these steps on the opposite side of the horse as well.
Start with your horse in a halter and lead rope. Walk him to an area that will have few distractions. If your horse has a go forward cue, ask him to step froward and walk in a circle around you a few times. Then ask him to stop by taking the slack out of the lead rope. If he stops with his weight on his left hind foot, ask him to move his hindquarters away from you one step by moving toward it as you kiss to him. Repeat this until he stops with his left hind foot cocked a little. Then stroke his neck and praise him and let him stand there. When he puts the foot down flat, ask him to move again, moving toward his hindquarters. He will probably not guess correctly yet so just repeat the movement until he stops with the foot cocked again. Pet and praise him. Repeat every time he puts his foot flat on the ground, moving his hip to the right. Sooner or later he will guess the right answer and give you the cocked foot consistently. This will take about 20 minutes. Once he rests his toe on the ground consistently you are ready to go on to the next step in your lesson plan. While he is resting his hoof on his toe, touch his head and run your hand down his neck to his withers and back up to his head. Continue rubbing his head for a second or two, then rub down his neck to his back, and back to his head. Repeat until you get all the way down to his foot. If he gets tense and moves away you've gone too fast. Just set him up again and start over at his head and work slowly back toward the foot. Soon he will be comfortable with you touching the foot.
If your horse has a history of kicking, stand forward of his shoulder at first. You can slowly move back a little at a time as the horse builds trust in you and accepts you back there. If you think he is dangerous, you may want to seek professional help.
He will also go through phases of learning, consisting of not guessing correctly because he doesn't know what you want yet. Then he will get better and guess correctly for awhile, and then he will go through a bad phase, like he didn't learn a thing. You just stay consistent and repeat, repeat, repeat. He will get back on track and do even better than before. He will go along for a while doing better, then he will get bad again. This time he will get real bad and may even seem mad. Again just stay simple and consistent and he will improve. He is just now getting a clue and starting to learn. I believe this to be true with horses " if they know the cue they will give you the correct answer".
The next step in the plan is to put hour hand on his heel and pick up the foot about an inch and put it down and return to his head. Pet and praise him if he remained resting on his toe. Repeat this again and again until he is comfortable with you picking it up and moving it around a little in each direction and gently putting it down. Each time return to his head and pet and praise him for being such a good boy.
The higher you pick the foot up, and the longer you hold it, the more likely it is that the horse will get irritated and take it away from you. You do not want this to happen even once. The more comfortable the horse is, the more tolerant he will be with you handling his feet. Here is a rule I use: If I think the horse will take it away in three seconds, I put it down in two.
The next step is to teach the horse to pick up his own foot for you. If you are satisfied with your horse just letting you pick up his foot then that is all he will do. However, you can take it a bit further if you want to.
You can teach your horse a cue to pick up his foot by touching him on the inside of his leg just above the hock and kissing to him. The kiss tells him to move something and the touch on his leg tells him what to move. Then reach down and pick up the foot. Don't pick it up too high or hold it too long and he won't mind giving it to you. The touch will soon become his cue to pick up that foot. Repeat these steps over and over and eventually you will be able to hold it as your farrier does and the horse will not get upset. Repeat all of these steps on the opposite side of the horse as well.