I'm having problems lifting my new horses back feet?

Question

my new 8 year old mare is a beutiful chocalate palimino with long blond hair we belive its a noriker shes very inteligent and gental now after two months of traing but had no previuse training we were told she was a broad mare and never had any one in the saddle but it sounded like a good challenge for me to train her witch im proud to say im now ridding her around the arena after about 200 hours of training but she still goes crazy when i try to pick up her back feet when i first got her i couldent even touch her hind quarters and now im able to touch her all the way down her leg but shes very dangerouse when you go to lift them she will rear and kick at you i belive she might of been abused back there are somthing iv never had this many problems with this issue

i really need to get her back hoofs done they look teribble and there probablly starting to really hurt her

i refuse to use a hobble are tie her back feet please help

Answer 1

Are you silent when you are down by her feet? There's a reason farriers normally talk "gibberish" when handling a horse's legs or feet. Horses can't see down there without tilting their head, or looking back. If you tie her up, leave maybe 12 inches or so of free space so she can look back and see what your doing - and I advise against using crossties, those can do a lot of damage to horses or anyone around if the horse were to spook. Also, talk to her in a 'monotone' voice. You can talk about anything, or sing her an Italian love song. Please remember that wild dogs go after the hind legs to cripple horses, and it's their natural instinct to kick / get away from whatever is grabbing a hold of their leg. What's your first reaction if someone were to walk up and grab a hold of one of your legs and not let go - I bet either pull back or do something to get a hold of your leg again.

Talking to her keeps her concentrated on you, as well as lets her know that your down there. Just start with her front legs and fiddle with those, and then start around the hind legs - brushing, poking, prodding, etc. Gradually work at it until she trusts you enough to pick it up quietly - even if it's just for a second. Pick it up - put it down a few times then praise her for being good. Eventually you'll be able to keep it up a little longer, etc.

PS - Please don't pinch at her fur / tendons / chestnuts. To horses, it's like someone coming up to you and plucking the little hairs at the back of your neck :(  It hurts and after a while it gets annoying and they'll probably react badly to it eventually. Good luck :)

Answer 2

I have a stallion that does not like his back feet messed with, But my farrier showed me an awsome trick, take a lead rope and loop it around the back leg, not tight or anything. Make sure the rope is touching where your hand would grab to pick up the feet, then just pull on the rope as you say pick it up or what ever you say.  If ther horse wil hold it up in the air that is a good sign. Then after about  5 mins of down that, start touching her foot and holding it there(rope still intact). After about 20 mins of there farrier and me doing that my stud pick his hoof up and held it for ther farrier to trim it.

Answer 3

if u need to pick her hooves, pinch her chesnuts, or pinch her whole leg, starting @ the chesnuts, and going down. If u think she will kick you, then get t as close as possible to her hip. She cant kick you if you are close, because then if she kicks out, you can grab her hoove, and when i say get close to her a.p., i dont mean behind her, i mean beside her. Horses cant really strech there foor out very long if you follow these steps. Hope i helped!!

Answer 4

Have you had a vet flex her hocks and stifles? I see this quite often and it is so easy to fix. Have your vet flex her and see what happens... I bet you she will gimp off 3 legged lame. Good Luck with that!!!

Answer 5

Consult a vetinarian.

Answer 6

I second Megan's rope idea.  Getting close to a horse that is apt to kick or throw a fit with it's hind end is not a good idea.  Get yourself out of that danger zone by using a rope to lift the foot for you.  You aren't actually tying her foot up to anything so it's not restricitng her movement at all.  It also give you leverage so you can hold her foot up even when she kicks so that she learns that just because she kicks doesn't mean she'll be able to put her foot down and get away with it.  Just keep holding that foot off the ground until she quits fighting it.  Then let it down.  She'll learn that she gets a release from NOT kicking and struggling.  When you feel she is doing well with the rope, start picking up her foot with your hands.  If she gives it to you willingly, let her put it down immediately.  That way she knows she was doing exactly what you want.  Then increase the time you hold it up very slowly.  It takes a bit of time and patience but it works.

Good luck!

Answer 7

You might want to have her checked out for ovarian tumors. I had a mare like yours and our farrier told us to have her looked at and this was the problem. They get pretty sore and it just hurts to lift their hind legs. If she's okay, you could try twitching or giving her a shot of tranquilizer to get the job done. That she's now letting you at lest touch them is good and maybe it'll just be a matter of time before she trusts you enough to take away her stability. The shot will let you get them trimmed for now and then you can go back to teaching her you mean well.

Answer 8

I would start with taking your hand and brushing down her neck, to her barrel, then to her hind quarters. If she shows no sign of being afraid then I would move my hand down her hip. Hold it there, give her a carrot to reward her for not being scared then move down more till you can rub her back legs without worry. Keep rewarding her with she's good and talk to her sweetly when she's bad, eventually she'll trust you enough to pick up those hooves. When you do eventually decide to pick up the hoof (whichever one that may be left, right...) have someone in front of her on her cross ties (chains etc)  rattling peppermint wrappers or something to keep her attention. That way her mind is not on bucking and kicking or you picking out those hooves.

Also have an expert black smith some and take a look, infected hooves are a serious issue! First few times with the black smith you may have to sedate her, we do that with our colts/fillies and about the third or fourth time of being near the guys they are fine with it, they just need to see and feel what's going on while their mind is someplace else.

Hope this helps

Answer 9

have you tried a twitch with her? this may help you be able to get done back there quicker and its not harmful to her

Answer 10

you have to start by working way down by her feet and alot start brushing her with a soft brush down there get her realy use to her then start in with lifting them and droping after a couple secounds but make sure you dont drop it because she wants to make sure you doit before shes going to throw it down then hold it longer and longer then you can work on her hooves then shell relize your just tryin to help her GOOD LUCK