Getting a horse good with his/her feet

Whose responsibility is it? And how do you go about making it happen?

A good trim is critical to your horse's hoof health. But a horse that has not been schooled to balance and give his feet for as long as one needs them makes it much more difficult to implement. Of course, sometimes it's hard to discern whether the horse has not been properly taught to help the hoofcare professional, or the last farrier made the experience less than pleasant for the horse. If the process has been painful, rough, or disrespectful, you certainly can't blame the horse. And generally, horses like this quickly figure out that there are no nails or hammering involved when I handle their feet (nothing makes a horse more reluctant to give his feet to a farrier than a nail driven through the laminae), and that I will work hard to find the position that is most comfortable for them.

The simplest single thing you can do to get your horse more relaxed about having his feet handled is to pick them up every time you get a chance. Don't just pick them up and immediately drop them. Pick them up, hold them braced against your thigh, move them into different positions as your trimmer will need to do. If the horse begins to resist, rock or circle the leg gently until the horse relaxes again. Only give the foot back when the horse is relaxed, and then let the hoof down gently. I like to put one hand behind the knee, or in front of the hock, as I take the other hand off of the foot, and let the leg down softly.

Some horses have a difficult time holding a hind leg up, due to pain in the hip, back or haunches. If that's the case with your horse, teach him to cock a back foot for you, resting his toe on the ground, and get him used to having the foot handled in that position.

Be mindful, also, that frog infections can be painful and cause a horse to yank his foot away when the hoofpick hits a tender area. If that's the case, we absolutely understand, and do our best to be extremely gentle cleaning out the frog.

A horse that will allow his foot to be picked up, but then becomes impatient and yanks it away should be taught that grabbing the foot away before you give it to him results in more work for him. Take him in a roundpen. You can work on this with a halter and lead rope on the horse, or, if the horse is reliable enough and you are competent enough, do the exercise with the horse at liberty. Ask for a foot. If the horse yanks it away before you're ready to give it back, immediately and vigorously drive him out around the roundpen (or in a circle around you, if you have him on a lead rope). Don't be unreasonable about how long you try to keep the foot at first, but gradually build the length of time. Give the foot back occasionally and then ask for it again. When you drive him out, it doesn't have to be a marathon; a lap around the roundpen at a good brisk trot is fine; then draw him back to you and try again. When he yields the foot and is standing comfortably and relaxed, praise him verbally, and by stroking him (not patting him -- I hate it when people do that -- horses are very tactile creatures and respond much more favorably to a caress than a smack!)

Kicky horses are not only frustrating, but dangerous. The safest way to work through that issue is by roping a hind foot with a soft cotton rope. This is not something you should try without supervision, if you have never done it, as it can be dangerous for both horse and human. Many of the better natural horsemanship clinicians teach this method of teaching a horse to yield all four of his feet. If you're not sure how it works, find someone experienced and don't hesitate to dig in your wallet to have them handle the issue for you. If you're confident you can handle this, you can buy a nice, soft cotton foot rope from Houlihan Horse Gear here:

Soft Cotton Foot Rope

Some barefoot trimmers may offer to teach the horse good foot manners if the horse is difficult or young. Be prepared to pay them an hourly rate beyond their trimming fees -- this is training, and who better to teach the horse to have his feet handled than a professional hoof handler?

The bottom line is, no matter how you accomplish it, it is your responsibility to make sure your horse is reliably safe and compliant with his feet. Please don't expect your trimmer/farrier to train the horse at the same time he/she is supposed to be applying a balanced, healthy trim to your horse's hooves!