Working with a horse and the back feet?

Paint_luver · 03-04-2005, 07:23 PM

Okay, so as most of you know, the mare that I'm getting isn't very good with her back feet. She kind of "kicks out" for lack of better terms. It's not like a mean, powerful kick, but definitely that sort of motion. To me, her body langauge is saying "hey, give me that leg back, what you doing!?" We are having a vet check done Monday, so assuming that she comes back clear and the vet says it's not health related, then how would you start to handle this?

My trainer will be helping me extensively with this bad habit of hers, so don't worry that I'll go and just try these techniques myself, I'm simply curious as to what others would do in this situation. One of my own ideas was to "play it rough" perhaps, and get a little mean when she kicks out so that she'll hopefully learn. Moving circles, backing up, etc. I'm not too sure about that theory, because she doesn't seem to do it in a mean way to start off, although I do know this could be potentially dangerous.

My other idea was to take a lead rope and use it to pick up her back feet. Once she picks it up, I thought I'd give it right back, so she's not scared about not getting her foot back. Then I'd gradually lengthen the time I hold it up as she gets more comfortable with the whole thing.

So, please don't be shy to tell me my ideas were terrible, I was just trying to think of possibilites. As I said before, my trainer will be doing most of this and helping me to get rid of her bad habit, so I'm mostly just looking for opinions because I thought it was an interesting problem and one I havn't had much hands on experience with.

Cowgirl2135 · 03-04-2005, 07:31 PM

We had a exact same problem, everytime my horse kick out, I kind of kick my horse with my heel of my foot.
Just hold the horse feet and kick, but make sure your horse don't know that you the one kicking him. It kind of teaches him that everytime he kick, he hurt myself.

zorse · 03-04-2005, 07:35 PM

I think first you'll have to figure out if it's fear related or just attitude.

If it's fear, you'll have to gradually gain her trust in that area. Your idea with the rope sounds good.

However, if it's just attitude I wouldn't be so nice about it. How powerful does she kick out? If it's manageable and it's just attitude, I would try to hang on to it for as long as possible so she realizes she can't get away with it. Then as soon as she holds it still, you can set it back down.

Paint_luver · 03-04-2005, 07:43 PM

Zorse- It's not powerful for me to be real worried about getting seriously hurt, but powerful enough that I wouldn't want to get my face down there or to get wacked by her leg still. Do you think I could still use a lead rope to hold it up if it were attitude instead of my hand so I can stay a little more out of the way. This way I also don't kill my back depending on how long it takes for her to hold it still.

probarrelracer · 03-04-2005, 09:15 PM

Use a soft lead rope. Hook it in a loop back to itself (slip knot). Slip the loop over the hoof and just below the ankle on the pastern. Use this to hold the leg up. When she quits pulling, even for one second, release the rope. Repeat over and over holding the hoof up a little longer each time.

belle4 · 03-05-2005, 01:22 AM

Can you even touch her hind feet? If not, start at the beginning with a broom. Be sure you are able to touch her all over with a broom before progressing on to actually picking up the foot.

haunani · 03-05-2005, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paint_luver

My other idea was to take a lead rope and use it to pick up her back feet. Once she picks it up, I thought I'd give it right back, so she's not scared about not getting her foot back. Then I'd gradually lengthen the time I hold it up as she gets more comfortable with the whole thing.

This is a good plan of action. Good thinking!

Start of small, just asking her to pick it up without holding it up. Chances are, she's never been taught this or maybe has been "manhandled" with her back legs at some point. Build her confidence that you aren't taking her leg to try and confine her, but are just asking her to pick it up. Once she's comfortable with this, then start asking her to hold it up. Once she's comfortable for an amount of time, lengthen it a little. Before you know it, she'll be doing it really well, b/c you helped her to build her confidence in you.

stockhorse · 03-05-2005, 05:55 AM

good advice above but perhaps you can refine it a bit and make it easier.I am asuming you can touch the back legs all over and it is just acase of lifting them to do trimming etc.If this is not the case then work on that first.
to advance from there tie your horse front on to a rail,fence or whatever to stop it from being able to walk forward.Do not tie a loop in the lead rope but simply feed it behind the horses leg,holding one end in each hand stand at the horses shoulder(out of the way of any kicks ) and gently pull on the rope to lift the horses leg.It will of course move the leg forward the first few times instead of lifting it.This is fine as long as the horse gives to the pressure.the horse will soon learn that more pressure requires it to lift its leg.hold it for only a few seconds and put it down.do this twice a day for 15 minutes and you will progress naturally from there.Cheers

CowGirlUp1833 · 03-05-2005, 06:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zorse

......if it's just attitude I wouldn't be so nice about it. How powerful does she kick out? If it's manageable and it's just attitude, I would try to hang on to it for as long as possible so she realizes she can't get away with it. Then as soon as she holds it still, you can set it back down.

This is what I did with my mare....but you have to hold on! If you let go then she learns that is the way out of it. If this doesn't work, you can add a good smack on her rump with a crop. I had to resort to this with Dawn because she is SO stubburn and can be quite naughty. I only had to swat her good a couple times...now its not even an issue....she just picks it up.

Doll-Face · 03-05-2005, 07:21 AM

Like others have said, figure out if its fear or just 'being a pain' which is what I think it is. Because you said the lady told you she just started doing this right? And it was after she had already had her feet picked that day. Sounds like she is just showing an attitude saying "no, leave me alone I already did that! Do you know how much work it is to hold myself on 3 legs??" lol.
SO, what I would do is do the buzzer sound at her and find some way to smack her firmly so she realizes hmmm, bad things happen when I pull back my leg. Then hold onto it until she stops struggling for a moment, then realease. So she knows she gets a release when she behaves.
Good luck chick!

03-04-2005, 07:23 PM	#1
Paint_luver Senior Member+ Join Date: May 2004 Location: Central Iowa Posts: 5,881 Images: 297 Blog Entries: 135	Working with a horse and the back feet? Okay, so as most of you know, the mare that I'm getting isn't very good with her back feet. She kind of "kicks out" for lack of better terms. It's not like a mean, powerful kick, but definitely that sort of motion. To me, her body langauge is saying "hey, give me that leg back, what you doing!?" We are having a vet check done Monday, so assuming that she comes back clear and the vet says it's not health related, then how would you start to handle this? My trainer will be helping me extensively with this bad habit of hers, so don't worry that I'll go and just try these techniques myself, I'm simply curious as to what others would do in this situation. One of my own ideas was to "play it rough" perhaps, and get a little mean when she kicks out so that she'll hopefully learn. Moving circles, backing up, etc. I'm not too sure about that theory, because she doesn't seem to do it in a mean way to start off, although I do know this could be potentially dangerous. My other idea was to take a lead rope and use it to pick up her back feet. Once she picks it up, I thought I'd give it right back, so she's not scared about not getting her foot back. Then I'd gradually lengthen the time I hold it up as she gets more comfortable with the whole thing. So, please don't be shy to tell me my ideas were terrible, I was just trying to think of possibilites. As I said before, my trainer will be doing most of this and helping me to get rid of her bad habit, so I'm mostly just looking for opinions because I thought it was an interesting problem and one I havn't had much hands on experience with. __________________ "Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby to be picked up and laid down like a game of Solitaire. It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and, once it has done so, he will have to accept that his life will be radically changed ." Ralph Waldo Emerson

03-04-2005, 07:31 PM	#2
Cowgirl2135 Senior Member+ Join Date: May 2004 Location: California, USA Posts: 3,455 Images: 32	We had a exact same problem, everytime my horse kick out, I kind of kick my horse with my heel of my foot. Just hold the horse feet and kick, but make sure your horse don't know that you the one kicking him. It kind of teaches him that everytime he kick, he hurt myself. __________________ My Quarter Horse is better than your 4th level dressage horse!

03-04-2005, 07:35 PM	#3
zorse Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 6,605 Images: 474 Blog Entries: 331	I think first you'll have to figure out if it's fear related or just attitude. If it's fear, you'll have to gradually gain her trust in that area. Your idea with the rope sounds good. However, if it's just attitude I wouldn't be so nice about it. How powerful does she kick out? If it's manageable and it's just attitude, I would try to hang on to it for as long as possible so she realizes she can't get away with it. Then as soon as she holds it still, you can set it back down. __________________ To an ordinary human being, love means nothing if it does not mean loving some people more than others. -George Orwell http://flippingpages.wordpress.com/

03-04-2005, 07:43 PM	#4
Paint_luver Senior Member+ Join Date: May 2004 Location: Central Iowa Posts: 5,881 Images: 297 Blog Entries: 135	Zorse- It's not powerful for me to be real worried about getting seriously hurt, but powerful enough that I wouldn't want to get my face down there or to get wacked by her leg still. Do you think I could still use a lead rope to hold it up if it were attitude instead of my hand so I can stay a little more out of the way. This way I also don't kill my back depending on how long it takes for her to hold it still. __________________ "Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby to be picked up and laid down like a game of Solitaire. It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and, once it has done so, he will have to accept that his life will be radically changed ." Ralph Waldo Emerson

03-04-2005, 09:15 PM	#5
probarrelracer Senior Member+ Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Louisiana Posts: 2,267 Images: 603	Use a soft lead rope. Hook it in a loop back to itself (slip knot). Slip the loop over the hoof and just below the ankle on the pastern. Use this to hold the leg up. When she quits pulling, even for one second, release the rope. Repeat over and over holding the hoof up a little longer each time. __________________ Help a friend to turn his frown upside down. Just rip his head off, and flip it over! He who says that you only have yourself to blame never learned to blame other people!

03-05-2005, 01:22 AM	#6
belle4 Senior Moderator Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 8,895 Images: 423	Can you even touch her hind feet? If not, start at the beginning with a broom. Be sure you are able to touch her all over with a broom before progressing on to actually picking up the foot. __________________ "Never has an adult stood so tall as they were when they bent down to help a child....." (from my friend Sandra)

03-05-2005, 05:55 AM	#8
stockhorse Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 453 Images: 6	working with a horse and back feet? good advice above but perhaps you can refine it a bit and make it easier.I am asuming you can touch the back legs all over and it is just acase of lifting them to do trimming etc.If this is not the case then work on that first. to advance from there tie your horse front on to a rail,fence or whatever to stop it from being able to walk forward.Do not tie a loop in the lead rope but simply feed it behind the horses leg,holding one end in each hand stand at the horses shoulder(out of the way of any kicks ) and gently pull on the rope to lift the horses leg.It will of course move the leg forward the first few times instead of lifting it.This is fine as long as the horse gives to the pressure.the horse will soon learn that more pressure requires it to lift its leg.hold it for only a few seconds and put it down.do this twice a day for 15 minutes and you will progress naturally from there.Cheers

03-05-2005, 07:21 AM	#10
Doll-Face Senior Member+ Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 1,169 Images: 228	Like others have said, figure out if its fear or just 'being a pain' which is what I think it is. Because you said the lady told you she just started doing this right? And it was after she had already had her feet picked that day. Sounds like she is just showing an attitude saying "no, leave me alone I already did that! Do you know how much work it is to hold myself on 3 legs??" lol. SO, what I would do is do the buzzer sound at her and find some way to smack her firmly so she realizes hmmm, bad things happen when I pull back my leg. Then hold onto it until she stops struggling for a moment, then realease. So she knows she gets a release when she behaves. Good luck chick! __________________ Britnie Proud owner of Huffs Scarlet Rose (Daisy) ~ Reg. QH mare & Tuff ~ 8 month old gray sabino QH colt