Picking Feet Up For the Farrier 

As a horse owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that your horse will stand politely for your farrier.  It is not the job of the farrier to train the horse.  The best tool a farrier has is the key to his truck, he should know when to get in it and leave!  If a horse is a problem for shoeing, the farrier should give the owner a card for a trainer and then head out. 

As an owner, you should make an effort to have the horse’s feet clean so that your farrier is not working in dirt.  Set up a nice open area for your farrier to work in so that he has room to move around and can stay safe.    

Another important job for the owner is to be on time for appointments.  Your farrier's time is just as valuable as yours; think how annoyed you get when you arrive on time for a doctor's appointment only to find that you have to sit in the waiting room 45 - 60 minutes.   Don't wait for the farrier to arrive before you go out to the pasture to try to catch your horse...have him haltered and standing ready by the time your farrier gets his shoeing box and pedestal from the truck, and gets his apron on.    

Be courteous to your farrier.  If you happen to have a horse that is a problem for the farrier, you should work to fix the problems before your shoeing appointment. If you have a horse that won't stand still, put the horse to work.  This teaches the horse to choose an easy option (standing still) over a more difficult option (moving off and having to do an exercise it would rather not do).  When a horse I'm working with would rather not stand, I drive the horse in a small circle around me making the horse work.  I teach the horse that if it wants to move that it's OK but it will move on my terms, in the direction and at the pace I choose.  After a couple of small circles I give the horse the option to stand and I go back to what I was originally working on.  If the horse moves off again, I repeat the exercise.  The horse will eventually get tired of working in the small circles and will decide that it's much easier to stand and be polite. 

Some horses will try to cow kick when someone approaches their hind end.  This problem is a little tricky to fix as the potential is there for getting hurt.  Rather than immediately trying to pick up a hind foot and setting myself up to get kicked, I will de-sensitize the horse to being touched back there from a distance.  I will have a lead rope on the halter so that, if the horse does try to kick, I can pull the horse's head toward me taking the hind end away from me keeping me safe.  That said, I first take a dressage whip and rub it on the horse’s leg taking it away only when the horse is standing quietly and not threatening to kick.  Once the horse is comfortable being touched all over it's hind legs with the dressage whip I will tie a wash cloth to the end of the whip and repeat the exercise.  When the washcloth is no longer a problem I'll advance to a plastic bag on the end of the whip.  Each time you should see less and less of a threat to kick.  Once it's safe to work around the hind feet you can then start to put a cue on the horse to tell it to pick up it's foot safely. 

It's pretty simple to put a cue on your horse to pick up a foot.  To teach the horse to politely lift it's foot I first ask the horse to just shift its weight off of the foot I'd like to pick up.  I build on that until the horse picks the foot up off the ground.  It's important that the horse not feel like you are taking his foot but rather that he is giving it to you.  Gradually build on the amount of time that you hold the foot.  If you feel like the horse will get antsy and try to pull the foot away in 10 seconds, you put the foot down after 8 seconds.  This is very important, as it is your choice when the horse gets to put its foot down.  This will help build the horse's trust and confidence in its handler and make it more willing and pleasant to work around.  When I get to the point that I can pick up all four feet, hold them like the farrier, bang on them with my Leatherman and use nippers I then think about teaching the horse to hold it's foot on the hoof stand.  I teach this the same way I taught the horse to pick up its feet.  I place a foot on the hoof stand and gradually build the amount of time I ask the horse to hold its foot there.  I get the horse to a point where it no longer minds having all four feet handled and held off the ground.  Once we are at this point I have a happier horse and a much happier farrier and we all stay safe. 

Lastly, don't be afraid of your farrier.  Ask him questions; he can be a wealth of information.  Ask him what you can do to help make his job easier.  If he feels that you are trying to work with him, he will be much more likely to spend extra time with you to get your horse though any rough spots. Remember, a good farrier is hard to find, and even harder to keep…especially if you don't do your "homework" with your horse!   

To contact Kenny, or to learn more about his schedule or training programs visit www.kennyharlow.com.