Teaching horse to pick up his (hind) feet

[Elaine]

If you have a horse who tends to kick out a bit with his hind (or front) feet, and you want to work on this, here's a nice way to do it... first priority is to keep both of you safe, so put on your hat, gloves, good boots, coat, use a long lead rope (12 foot or simliar) and have a headcollar on your horse. Do this in a safe enclosed paddock or arena - not on concrete and not in stable. Step 1 is the dummy arm

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The dummy arm is literally a pretend arm (you can make one yourself from your local dept store - I made one with a mop handle, jumper & gardening glove). The idea is atht you can use it to touch your horses legs without you having to be too near your horse, particular if you horse is knwon to kick out when his legs are touched or lifted.

It is used like your real arm, but you are standing 3 or 4 feet away from your horse so if he does kick you're not right there beside him in the firing line.

Then I'd use advance & retreat. Do this in an arena though, not a stable or anywhere enclosed, and wear a hat, gloves, good shoes, thick coat, etc.

So you're standing 4 feet away from him on a loose rein, first goal is to rub his body - except his legs all over with the arm. If he stands still, take arm away and give him a rest for a few secs. If he moves, you'reeither going to far too fast, or if you're not, just keep dummy arm touching him, till he stops moving, Then take arm away as a reward. Continue until he's cool about the arm all over his body (but not his legs yet).

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Now we're going to work on his front legs. (practise for you & building confidence in your horse). Touch his shoulder. If he moves, keep arm there, If he stops moving, or continnues to stand still, take arm away immediately.

When he's 100% at his shoulder, touch the top of his leg.
If he moves, keep arm there. If he stops, or doesnt move, take arm away immediately.

When he's 100% at top of leg, rub his forearm a little. If he moves, keep arm there. If he stops, or doesn't move, take arm away immediately.

Conintue like this - only doing it in 3 or 4 min lessons and then stopping the lesson after a good effort. Don't stay doing thsi for half an hour and getting both of you revved up too much. Instead, do it little and often. He'll pck it up quickly.

When whole body & front legs (but not back legs) are 110% , now you're ready to start on the back legs. You do the same thing you did for the front legs.

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Touch his near hip. If he moves, or kicks out with any leg, keep arm there, If he stops moving, or continnues to stand still, take arm away immediately.

When he's 100% at his hip touch the top of his leg.
If he moves, or kicks out with any leg, keep arm there. If he stops, or doesnt move, take arm away immediately.

When he's 100% at the top of his leg, rub a little further down, above his hock. If he moves, or kicks out with any leg, keep arm there. If he stops, or doesnt move, take arm away immediately.

When he's 100% above his hock, touch around his hock. If he moves, or kicks out with any leg, keep arm there. If he stops, or doesnt move, take arm away immediately.

When he's 100% around his hock, touch below his hock. If he moves, or kicks out with any leg, keep arm there. If he stops, or doesnt move, take arm away immediately.

When he's 100% below his hock, touch his pastern. If he moves, or kicks out with any leg, keep arm there. If he stops, or doesnt move, take arm away immediately.

When he's 100% at his pastern, touch around his hoof. If he moves, or kicks out with any leg, keep arm there. If he stops, or doesnt move, take arm away immediately.

Eventually you should be able to touch anywhere on that near hind leg without him moving ANY legs or feet.

Then repeat on the other back leg.

ONLY when both back legs are PERFECT with the dummy arm (ie horse asleep while arm moving ALL about hind legs) would I put the dummy arm back in its closet.

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THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND:

For this exercise, the horse is the one who will decide how long all of this will take. You have to follow his lead.

This excercis requires a trainer who can read a horse, and will take away the pressure (dummy arm) the SPLIT second they see the horse stand still and RELAX.

Anyway long post, hope its of some use.

[bobbicotter29]

this is great Elaine!

Mia doesn't have a problem with me picking up her feet, but she's decided that she doesn;t want anybody else to. The farrier was over on Thursday and apparently (i had to work so it was the livery yard owner holding her) she was a nightmare for him. She was kicking out at him and he couldn't do anything with her, and said he won't do her feet again.

Eek!! I've got another farrier coming out on wednesday, a woman (Mia's very much a girls girl and isn't overly impressed with men, apart from Peadar but even their relationship took a while to grow), and i think she might be better able to work with Mia.

But what do i do if she decides she doesn't want this woman to touch her feet either?
Peadar thinks she'll be fine because I'll be there, and she's much calmer when I'm around, what a mommy's girl! here's hoping

[Elaine]

I went through this with Oz as well.. while he had confidence in my doing stuff, he was very wary of other people......so its just a case of getting him used to other people.. so for example if your horse is 85% with you, maybe she's only 20% with new people. So bring out a helper and show them what to do. Except only 20% on the first day. Make a point then of having yoru helper come out for 5 mins with you when you catch Mia, and slowly, build up from 20% to 25%, 30% percent, etc. It probably will take a few days alright.

When helper one is up to maybe 70%, keep going with them, and enlist the help of helper 2..... (bribery in the form of chocolate, handmade jewellary gifts or car washing works well for me ) and repeat as before.. its really just building up tolerance until your horse gets to the point where she thinks... oh its ANOTHER new person who wants to pick up my feet. alright, I think I've been there before...

Honestly, time, patience & LOTS of practice, I was in the very same postion You can get a lot done in two or three 5 mins sessions a day over a few days.

[bobbicotter29]

ok, i'll try that out Elaine, thanks!

now to find some volunteers......

[cooper69]

have tried this with my girlfriends cob had him 2 years never been able 2 get any were near his back legs am glad 2 say after a weeks work 15 minutes twice a day yesterday was able 2 lift them both couldn't believe it gf in tears thanxs

[Elaine]

Ah wow!! Well done you. The thing with this stuff is its not just good enough knowing what to do, but you've got to have feel and timing yourself, and also be able to read your horse and react and change as needed. So I think if you followed the above and it worked, it means you have a lot of talent as trainer of horses Have karmaed you.

[Elaine]

Just to add, I read someone that how well a horse picks up a feet is a direct corrolation to what's going on in his head. That rang true with me based on what I'd seen with Ozzie.

So in your case cooper69, I think not only have you improved the feet picking up business, I think you are changing what your horse thinks about being handled as well. It should hopefully help you in other stuff you do with him too

[cooper69]

have started to notice this he is in the field with the other horses and would b the last one 2 come over unless there was food on offer but in the last few days he is the first one two come over and is starting to just stand wile i lift his feet would never stand before cant believe this could have such an affect

[cooper69]

just an up date in my oh own words.http://www.stabletostable.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10461

[Elaine]

Fantastic!