Was my pony being a brat or is she hurt?

Question

I picked my pony's hooves once today, and she was fine. Then I went to pick them a second time today because she stepped in manure. I picked all of them fine except her front left hoof... She wouldn't pick it up (and she is usually very good about it) and so I kneed her in the stomach and picked it up. She stood with me holding her hoof for about 5 seconds, and then she tried to lie down. I dropped the hoof and she stood back up. Was something wrong with her or was she just being mean? :)

Answer 1

Definitely get it checked out. My horse was the same- not a pony, though, she was 16.2 hands! Hehe. She was always pretty good about picking up her foot, except for one day. I chose to have a closer look and she had a little rock wedged in her hoof!

Answer 2

She may have had something sharp under another hoof, and was reluctant to put her weight on the other hoof. Or maybe she had a momentary pain?

I wouldn't have thought she'd try to lie down unless something pained her just at that moment. It's quiet an effort for a horse to lie down - maybe she was just in a silly mood. Who knows what they are thinking sometimes.

I remember kneeing my pony occasionally to get his attention - maybe some of the others just can't remember being that tiny beside your pony, and so light weight.....

Answer 3

lucky! you have a pony =(

i dont have a guess but  i think she might be stubborn oh and

WHY WOULD YOU KNEE YOUR HORSE IN THE STOMACH!!!!!!!!!! U HURT IT

Answer 4

Is her other front hoof hurt, or is her diagnol back foot hurt? i'd check out the other two legs.. she may not have wanted to pick it up because her other feet hurt.

also - ponies are brats, no one can deny it. just BRATS! and kneeing her in the stomach is FINE. it doesnt hurt them. like a annoying noise is going to do anything other than make your pony think... wtf?

Answer 5

If there were flies in the barn, she could have been shifting so she could turn around and bite them. So long as she is not limping, and she okay now, she was probably just leaning to that side. My 10 (or 12?) year old appendix quarter horse has done that since the day I got him, as did my thoroughbred while i had him. Another good trick to get them to shift their weight is to lean against their shoulder, or firmly press into their stomach with two fingers. Some people also recommend pulling their tail, but I am hesitant to do that unless I am in danger because if you pull too hard you can cause spinal damage.

I think your pony was fine, she was probably just standing funny.

Answer 6

sounds like she was just sick of you messing with her. Don't knee her in the stomach though, thats a little dramatic. Just make an annoying noise. When i used to pick this one horses hooves she put all of her weight on that hoof so she would put all of her weight on me. It's normal.

Answer 7

Nothing wrong with your pony.  You chapped her out and she "got even." You don't "knee" a horse in the stomach to pick up their hoof.  The procedure is: face the rear of the horse, reach down, grab the fetlock, pull gently but firmly and at the same time lean your weight against the horses' front shoulder.  This maneuver causes the horse to shift to balance themselves (which takes the weight off the hoof you are lifting) as you smoothly lift it up into your lap.

Answer 8

pony are night mares with feet. you should have kneed her harder lol. put her in cross ties next time, so she cant lay down

Answer 9

Maybe shes colicking. if not though she was probably sick of you picking up her hooves lol

Answer 10

Check her right front foot/leg again for anything you might have missed.

If her right hoof is bothering her, she won't put any weight on it, when you try to lift the left one.  

Edit your question and I'll check back later.

Answer 11

She probably didn't want you messing with her hooves anymore.  My horse used to lay down when I tried to put a saddle on her.  It sucked because she wouldn't get back up so I couldn't rider her. I hope you didn't knee her hard though.

Answer 12

you kneed her in the stomach!

o ok

Answer 13

I'm pretty sure that when you kneed her she picked the left leg up too fast to rebalance and shift her weight to her right side and her right knee buckled.

When I need weight off of the left leg, I bump the horse's left shoulder with my shoulder, which causes the horse to shift it's weight to the right leg.  This allows you to pick up the left leg without risking throwing the horse off balance and having it  buckle the other knee or fall.  You face rear, bump her over and at the same time slide your hand down her leg, still leaning on her as you pick it up.

I'm not a horse, so I can't know for sure, but I would think that a knee to the rib cage would be at least somewhat painful...which is why I stopped doing it over 40 years ago. Surprisingly, I found I didn't need to do that to get the job done...maybe you don't either?

At any rate, bumping the horse over to shift it's weight is a much better idea since, as you found out, the horse can lose it's balance and buckle the opposite knee or fall.

Answer 14

Maybe she got a rock in her front right hoof that you missed. She probably doesn't want to lift up her front left hoof because then her weight will be on her hurt foot. Is she walking OK?

Answer 15

First, please don't knee her in the belly to get her to pick up a hoof. Train her to pick up a hoof when you pinch the space between the tendon and the cannon bone above the fetlock. All horses and ponies have a reflex to pick up their hooves when pinched there anyway.

If she was in pain, she would have snatched the hoof away from you, not tried to lie down.

How long have you had this pony? Perhaps a previous owner taught her to lie down as a trick using this as a cue?

Try to feel for heat in her hoof wall, sole, and frog. Any heat is a sign of an infection. If you find heat, call your farrier.

And, work with her several times a day on picking up her hooves. She will get to the point where she picks each one up as you run your hand down her cannon bones.

Answer 16

I wouldn't have kneed her in the stomach about it, but at least you didn't let her get away with it. Maybe you just caught her off balance? o_O. I would go with the thought that she was just being naughty, there isn't much harm stepping in p**p can do.

Answer 17

everyone stop critizining her!, Good. Ok first i get what everyone is saying about kneeing her but i also get what your saying here is a better idea that hepled me with my pony. When you do up the girth you know how you pull her legs forward to stretch? Do that then grab her hoof and look at it. Ok incase there is anything wrong with her leg try this. Put one hand on each front leg then at the same time very slowly pull your hands down her legs if one leg feels different in an area (hot, swelling ect.) Give that part of her leg a tiny flick with your finger if she flinches try again for 3 goes with flicking, if she flinches everytime she definetly has something wrong with her leg. If it is a hoof problem she could have bruised/stoned her hoof, call the farrier out and see whta he can do. If it has been muddy/wet there it could be an absis or something.

Goodluck