FOR THE TOUGHEST CASES
Horses who aggressively resist having their feet handled pose a serious challenge, one that goes beyond simple retraining exercises. This behavior may result from a previous bad experience, inadequate training or, simply, a disagreeable temperament. What- ever the cause, the solution more often than not requires the help of one or more professionals.
A trainer, for example, may be able to work through certain issues with a horse to safely change his attitude about having his feet picked up, trimmed and shod. But along the way, communication with all of the other professionals in a horse’s life is key.
Moshier appreciates learning as much about a horse’s background and behavior as possible so that he can properly prepare himself. “Nothing bothers me more as a farrier than getting out from underneath a horse and the owner says, ‘Wow! He’s never stood that well before,’” he says. “It’s nice to get some background information before I am potentially killed!”
The other professional you’ll want to call on is your veterinarian. “There are times when as a last resort a veterinarian may have to sedate the horse. This may be the safest, most humane way to handle that horse--rather than fighting with him. This is sometimes the case when it’s a horse who’s not broke and the owner hasn’t been able to get the horse broke and the farrier has used all his/her techniques to try to work on the feet,” says Boudreau. “Maybe the horse needs to be trimmed badly, or maybe he has an abscess in his foot or something that really needs to be tended to. This might be a situation where you need to have a veterinarian sedate the horse enough so we can get the feet picked up safely.”
When working with your horse, don’t forget one other important part of the equation: your own demeanor. Even if you have a good technique for handling his feet, if you are nervous or afraid of what might happen, this makes him anxious as well.
Sometimes the biggest challenge in handling a foot-phobic horse is managing your own emotions. Try to relax, take deep breaths, and lower your blood pressure. If you can stay calm, your horse is much more likely to do the same. If you are confident and at ease, he’ll follow your lead. And you’ll be on the way to establishing a pattern of desirable farriery behavior.