4mo filly started kicking at people?!? Mare not picking up feet?

Question

I have a 4mo draft cross filly, and she (up until now) had that awesome laid back draft horse attitude. I purchased her along with her mother back in April of this year, and it was obvious that the mother (a 4yo Percheron) hadnt been handled much or either mistreated. She is very shy and skiddish, and her feet have NEVER been done. I have been working with her on picking up her feet to no avail. We have discussed sedating her, but now she runs from me when she sees a lead line, and now i have to work on her coming to me. She doesnt like for me to touch her below the knees on any leg...and her feet are terrible! What can I do to get her to pick up her feet? She panics when i try, and takes off...usually damaging whatever she is tied to!

Now back to the filly, I have worked with her extensively and successfully. She was coming along nicely, had a halter on her, go her picking up her feet, stands quietly to be scratched and brushed, and leads ok. She has a puppy dog personality, and comes to you as soon as you show up. Now all of the sudden she is kicking at my boyfriend!! High and hard with BOTH back feet. Luckily she hasnt struck him yet, but I am confused as to why she is doing this? She would swing her backside around at you when I first got her, and she kicked at me once....but it was just that once, and one leg...a little "cow kick". Never kicked at me or anyone else since then...until now. What could cause her to do this? My boyfriend was just carrying her feed out to her the other day, which was the last time she kicked at him, and she has been eating out of her own trough for about a month now, so it wasnt anything out of the ordinary.

Answer 1

With your mare you should try a sedative when she gets her hoofs trimmed, just enough to make her real sleepy but not enough to do down. As for training you could tie her (not solid) with a Clinton Anderson tie ring so if she pulls back she won't break anything or have someone hold her. Then get a stick/long lunge whip and start to rub all over her body and just go lower and lower till your at her knees, then go to touch just below her knees and when she relaxes take it away and each time go lower and lower until your at her hoof, the key is do not take the pressure (ie. touching her legs and hoofs) when she does the wrong thing and take the pressure away when she does the right thing (ie. let you touch her legs and hoofs).

Now for your filly. Did your boyfriend do anything to startle or threaten her? She may be kicking him cause she's scared of him, cause she thinks she knows bigger and stronger than him or she may be rough housing just like she would do with another foal. What i did with my colt when he started to kick me i would enter his pen holding a whip and when he turned his butt to me to kick i would give him a good, hard smack on the top of his butt, after a several more times of this he completely stopped.

Hope i helped!

Answer 2

I have a mare who had the same problem- it just wasn't as bad.

Because she is now reluctant to come to you, you should re build up her trust.

To do this you should try and spend time around her (don't bring a halter or lead) take her some treats or food until she starts to come up to you rather than you going to her. Once you've  done this you should start to try and pick up her feet again. Because she damages what ever she's tied up to I suggest doing it in a large lose box or a small paddock so if she has to she can get away but won't be running lose in a large area (also make sure she is tied with bailing/ binder twine). Get her used to being rubbed and patted all over (make sure you end on a positive note - to do this you may only be able to have her tied up for 5 or so mins to start off with). Once she trusts you rub the tops of her legs - not asking her to pick them up but just letting her know you won't  hurt her (only start with her front legs) once she is relaxed (may take days depending how bad she is) progress down her legs until you can rub her front legs all over.

Once she knows nothing is going to happen to her you can try gently squeezing down her cannon bone- if she picks up her leg DON'T grab it or touch it let her put it back down  then rub it while verbally praising her and then give her a treat. Continue this until she relaxes about the idea of lifting her leg only then should you hold it. Make sure you are only holding her hoof as grabbing her round her fetlock could be interpreted by her as you 'biting' her leg, to start off with only hold her hoof for a few seconds. Once again when she starts to relax progress to holding it for longer and then to holding higher up her hoof so she can feel you hand on her leg- continue progressing like this and then start on her back legs using the same procedure- make sure you don't lift them up too high as that may throw her  off balance.

if her feet are very bad and she is in danger of foundering then you should sedate her but make sure it is a stress free experience and she feels comfortable around your farrier first or else she will lose all her trust in you- I would avoid any methods involving tying her legs up as that will make her condition even worse.

With your filly she may have been being playful, she may have thought your boyfriend was stealing her food- if he had been bending over the bucket or feeder mixing it etc or he may remind her of some one who was cruel to her (smell or looks) or he could have been wearing something similar to a person who scared her eg: hat.

hope that helps good luck