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Asking the horse to pick up his feet, hold them
off the ground and stand on three legs is a big one. It's only
natural for them to resist. First then, they need a good
preparation, or indication of what is to come. Just diving at the
foot and expecting him to pick it up is asking too much.
Equally, an indecisive or softly, softly
approach lets the horse know you're not sure. If you're not sure,
he will make the decision for you and it won't be the one you want!
Problems with picking up feet are remedied by
modifying the standard procedure - as follows.
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1. Give warning
Place yourself next to
the horse and place your hand in his shoulder or rump. Hold for a
moment and pat a couple of times.
If the horse seems anxious or fidgety, keep your
hand in place and wait until he is calm.
Stay close to the horse to show that you are not
afraid and give him confidence. |
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2. Be firm
When he is calm - and
not before, slide your hand firmly down his leg, as far as he will let
you go.
The moment he shows signs of anxiety, stop and
wait. Stay where
you are and keep your hand in place. It may be anywhere on his
leg, so watch carefully. Wait until he is calm
again.
Eventually the horse will allow you to slide your hand firmly down
to his feet. Back and front is the same procedure.
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4. When the going gets
tough!
When you get down to the foot, firmly grasp the
hair (feathers) just above the foot. If the horse has no feather,
you will have to grasp him round the pastern.
Lean your shoulder against the upper leg to throw
him slightly off balance. Then pull in an upward and backward
direction. Pull as hard as you have to, to get his foot off the
ground. |
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5.Hang on!
At this point, you MUST
hang on - which is not as hard as may seem. If you get the horse's
foot off the ground and he gets it away from you, he will do it every
time - because he can!
If you feel you don't have the strength or the
courage to do this, find some one who can. The horse must be
brought to the state of submission, or the problem will never be solved. |
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6.Success!
Once you have the foot
off the ground, hold it up for a short while. If you can, give it
a quick run round with a hoof-pick, then put it politely
back down again.
The horse MUST NOT be allowed to put
his foot down until you say so. If he struggles a bit, so be
it. Just hold on until he stops and calms down again.
NB. If your horse is seriously difficult
get some one qualified, such as a
vet or farrier to help you. |
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