Can anyone offer assistance/tips/ideas as to how to work with a young mare (5yo) who refuses to allow her back feet to be trimmed? I just got this girl, and she's pretty good in all other aspects. Just refuses the farrier. She does okay for brushing her legs and for picking the feet, but she got nutty when the farrier wanted to pick them up for trimming. Tried kicking him repeatedly, until he gave up. He said we should work with her, daily, picking up the back feet, etc. And he can come back any time and do the same, or try. I called the woman I bought her from and inquired about this and she said she'd run into the same problem, and her way of fixing it was to simply trim the feet herself! She said the mare didn't really like it much, but at least didn't try to kick her.
That's obviously not something I will do - I'd rather leave it to the professional so as not to screw up her feet! Any ideas anyone?
TB mare who refuses to allow farrier to trim back feet
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster, madelyn
TB mare who refuses to allow farrier to trim back feet
Justice: When you get what you deserve.
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Mercy: When you don't get what you deserve.
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yukidragon
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sounds like she needs training.
you might try working with her everyday until the farrier comes back.
pick her problem feet up,tap on them with different things make alot of different noises day after day .After a few weeks if she still a fool try to get a buddy horse to stand with her.
Note: you are talking about a (TB).
We have one 25 year old exrace horse that is still a nut with the farriers no matter what we try.
you might try working with her everyday until the farrier comes back.
pick her problem feet up,tap on them with different things make alot of different noises day after day .After a few weeks if she still a fool try to get a buddy horse to stand with her.
Note: you are talking about a (TB).
We have one 25 year old exrace horse that is still a nut with the farriers no matter what we try.
I have a mare like that. Her "nuttiness" stems from a very bad farrier who worked on her when I had her leased out. He shod her back feet... and lessor complained that the mare went wild with each nail... you guessed it, he quicked her bad and she ended up back at my farm, dead lame in the back, puss oozing out of the holes once we pulled the shoes. It was over a year before she would ever even LET a man near her hind feet.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
Patience. Get yourself a pair of nippers.
Wear chaps. Pick up her hind feet and swing your leg over, hold and just pick out her feet. Then just position nippers (or hoof testers). Then get a guy to do it... you could also twitch. Tranquillizing is bad because the horse learns NOTHING.
Wear chaps. Pick up her hind feet and swing your leg over, hold and just pick out her feet. Then just position nippers (or hoof testers). Then get a guy to do it... you could also twitch. Tranquillizing is bad because the horse learns NOTHING.
So Run for the Roses, as fast as you can.....
My 9 year old TB gelding had a horrible hock injury a couple of years ago. Since then it has been pretty difficult to trim his left hind leg. Even before that he wasn't the greatest with his hind feet. But since then I have had to tranquillize him every time.
There is proof that horses do learn while tranquillized!!
Most likely they won't learn anything if they got a large dose of dormosedan and are totally out of it (and barely able to stand up). However, if you just give them enough to take the edge off they are capable of learning. (There was a good article about this very subject in 'The Horse' a while ago.)
As far as my gelding goes, he now requires a lot less tranq. Most likely he would be okay with out it now. I don't want him to hurt himself or the blacksmith.
There is proof that horses do learn while tranquillized!!
Most likely they won't learn anything if they got a large dose of dormosedan and are totally out of it (and barely able to stand up). However, if you just give them enough to take the edge off they are capable of learning. (There was a good article about this very subject in 'The Horse' a while ago.)
As far as my gelding goes, he now requires a lot less tranq. Most likely he would be okay with out it now. I don't want him to hurt himself or the blacksmith.
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Intrinsic Worth
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Shammy Davis
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Sounds to me like your mare needs a comfort zone. It's hard to tell what has happened in the past to this gal, but I can tell you that unshod, the hind feet are the easiest to care for. If they are in relatively good shape now natural wear normally takes care of trimming. Someone said pull out the nippers and do it yourself. 
Ahhhhhhh, not a good idea. I've spent a lifetime as a farrier and horse dentist and the only tool you should put to this mare is a rasp. The rasp is least likely to do any real damage should someting go wrong. If your farrier was unable to get anything done with her, what do you think you are going to accomplish? If you feel confident working on the hind legs, establish a secure position with the mare's leg cradled and rasp with short strokes for as long as she'll let you. Always try to finish before she looses patience and control. End on a positive note. It may take a few days but you can accomplish something and the socialization and experience is good for her. If you do not feel comfortable working with her, take her for daily walks on an abrasive service like asphalt, gravel, or concrete. If her hooves just need trimming, the exercise will do you and her good and the walks will probably do the trimming for you. I'm not an admirer of sedation unless it is the last alternative. Once you sedate, you will have to sedate in almost every case from floating teeth to shoeing to Vet examines. Don't start down that road unless there are no other alternatives. Despite what many people say, a twitch is best tool in the horse business. I recommend it in all cases like this. Best of luck. 
Ahhhhhhh, not a good idea. I've spent a lifetime as a farrier and horse dentist and the only tool you should put to this mare is a rasp. The rasp is least likely to do any real damage should someting go wrong. If your farrier was unable to get anything done with her, what do you think you are going to accomplish? If you feel confident working on the hind legs, establish a secure position with the mare's leg cradled and rasp with short strokes for as long as she'll let you. Always try to finish before she looses patience and control. End on a positive note. It may take a few days but you can accomplish something and the socialization and experience is good for her. If you do not feel comfortable working with her, take her for daily walks on an abrasive service like asphalt, gravel, or concrete. If her hooves just need trimming, the exercise will do you and her good and the walks will probably do the trimming for you. I'm not an admirer of sedation unless it is the last alternative. Once you sedate, you will have to sedate in almost every case from floating teeth to shoeing to Vet examines. Don't start down that road unless there are no other alternatives. Despite what many people say, a twitch is best tool in the horse business. I recommend it in all cases like this. Best of luck. madelyn wrote:Patience. Get yourself a pair of nippers.
Wear chaps. Pick up her hind feet and swing your leg over, hold and just pick out her feet. Then just position nippers (or hoof testers). Then get a guy to do it... you could also twitch. Tranquillizing is bad because the horse learns NOTHING.
I would ADD to Madelyn's advice...get a reputable Equine Massage Therapist to work on her. You may discover something else is bothering her in that area. At worst, she will be more relaxed and comforted.
Also, aren't there Dually (sp?) halters or some other name, used as an accupressure type halter for breeding mares? It presses on an area that relaxes the mares. I would definitely stay AWAY from anything that would make the whole experience more of a trauma or discomfort for her.
I have the exact same problems with my 7year old mare. Got her the end of her 3year old year. She by the way was bound for the killers. As a foal she was run through barbed wire and had her hind leg hung up for 24 hours before found, so I'm told. With Stella, she will not give up, she will keep going until you give up. At first she had to be tranqed quite a bit. I worked with her all the time and some days she would let me and some days not. Paitence was the only thing I could do. Any little progress was rewarded. This mare has a thing about men. Our current blacksmith has never really liked her so I use a diffrent one who comes in and talks to her before he trims her. He spends quality time with her and she loves it. She is goodish for him. He is the only one to get her hind legs up on his knee with him underneath. (kept my eyes closed for this). Like Shammy says above, good hind feet don't need too many trims. Hers are good and wear down naturally so she is only has to deal with this about 4 or 5 times a year. I get her front feet done more often. Try and get into her head a bit.
teb
teb
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TrueColours
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Stableizer - works fabulously well and relaxes them - doesnt get them upset like a twitch will tend to do
It works on the pressure points to release endorphins into their system which relaxes them
We ALWAYS use them for breeding, palping, giving needles to iffy horses, blacksmiths (if required), vets (if required), etc
There is an article of how they are used on the Army remount horses in shoeing situations, where they can be rather obstinate animals, and doing them with the Stableizer on is a breeze.
Personally I love them because you can set them and then have both hands free to work on something else
I also sell them so if you are interested, let me know ...
[email protected]
It works on the pressure points to release endorphins into their system which relaxes them
We ALWAYS use them for breeding, palping, giving needles to iffy horses, blacksmiths (if required), vets (if required), etc
There is an article of how they are used on the Army remount horses in shoeing situations, where they can be rather obstinate animals, and doing them with the Stableizer on is a breeze.
Personally I love them because you can set them and then have both hands free to work on something else
I also sell them
so if you are interested, let me know ...
[email protected]
www.TrueColoursFarm.com
Breeders of unique coloured Thoroughbreds & Sport Horses - standing Guaranteed Gold - 16.1hh cremello TB stallion - CSHA and AQHA, APHA, ApHC listed
Breeders of unique coloured Thoroughbreds & Sport Horses - standing Guaranteed Gold - 16.1hh cremello TB stallion - CSHA and AQHA, APHA, ApHC listed
All very good suggestions, folks, thanks very much. Her feet are not great, but not awful either....they are overgrown enough though, that they really do need a trim. Now, to add to the proverbial can of worms, she has cut one of her back ankles....looks to me like a wire cut <sigh>. Naturally, she won't let me look at it, I imagine it hurts. Have started her on a little powdered bute in her food and antibiotics, too. Vet is coming out tomorrow afternoon and is prepared to trank her to get a good look at it.
The cut may be a mixed blessing....it's an opportunity to handle her back feet and try and get her used to it. At the same time, maybe she'll realize no one is going to cut those feet off and some trust will be gained. I'm going to try my best to look at it that way anyhow!
Mercedes is my newest mare. I got her at the end of November. She's 5 years old and a bay with black points. Apart from the feet, she's a good girl - has a good work ethic. She is the lowest of the herd, though, and the alpha mare will bite her if she gets too close. I rather imagine she cut her foot trying to get away from that one!
Will keep you posted as to her progress..... and mine!
The cut may be a mixed blessing....it's an opportunity to handle her back feet and try and get her used to it. At the same time, maybe she'll realize no one is going to cut those feet off and some trust will be gained. I'm going to try my best to look at it that way anyhow!
Mercedes is my newest mare. I got her at the end of November. She's 5 years old and a bay with black points. Apart from the feet, she's a good girl - has a good work ethic. She is the lowest of the herd, though, and the alpha mare will bite her if she gets too close. I rather imagine she cut her foot trying to get away from that one!
Will keep you posted as to her progress..... and mine!
Justice: When you get what you deserve.
Mercy: When you don't get what you deserve.
Grace: When you get what you don't deserve.
Mercy: When you don't get what you deserve.
Grace: When you get what you don't deserve.
Bondama wrote:Mercedes is my newest mare. I got her at the end of November. She's 5 years old and a bay with black points. Apart from the feet, she's a good girl - has a good work ethic. She is the lowest of the herd, though, and the alpha mare will bite her if she gets too close. I rather imagine she cut her foot trying to get away from that one!
Will keep you posted as to her progress..... and mine!
Awww...sounds like she just needs some time and TLC to get her over some of her experiences to date. Every good horseman I know says "patience" is the name of the game with horses.
Eclipse Award winning TB trainer, Richard Mandella says patience is the key, on his On The Muscle DVD. After watching him "patiently" work through numerous setbacks, in just one year of training, and seeing the results...I'm sold!
Is Mercedes her registered TB name?
Good luck with her!