Bad behaviour when picking out feet / shoeing

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katymay

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We have had Harry for just over a month, when we went to view him my friend who came with me picked all his feet up no problem, since we have had him home has become a bit of a pickle about feet care, no real issues to begin with, just waved his back offside around a bit so I had to hang on, but he seems to have really gone backwards with this, some days he lets me pick them out fine with no issues, he is a bit stubborn to pick up but if I lean into him a little he lifts up, other days (like today) I picked his first front foot up, this was after 30 minutes of grooming so he was nice and relaxed, including all legs, belly etc, and he kept trying to pull it out of my hand by yanking it forward, if this doesnt work he bounces around on his remaining front doing mini hops, his backs are even worse, really refuses to pick them up and if I do get hold of one he kicks out backwards really violently to the point that I cant hold on and have to drop his feet, I do persevere with him and eventually I manage to do his feet, I always make sure he puts them down gently, unless he has kicked it out of my hand, and keep going until I have won I never back down, I make sure he looks balanced before I attempt pick up and never hold them up for too long, he also gets rewarded with a carrot if he is good, I dont think it is a pain issue more naughtiness he just doesnt like it or feels secure with it, when the farrier came to shoe him for the first time it was awful, thought Harry was going to kill me and the farrier and im not sure whether the farrier will ever return :(
next time im just having fronts done as his back hooves are quite tough, I have done loads of desensitising work on his legs and he has no issues with me brushing them all over, running my hands over them etc,
so, if you have got this far well done! any tips on how I can make him behave better as he is killing my back with me trying to hold on for dear life and avoid being struck!
thanks
 
Yes buy yourself a swearbox and keep plenty of coins in your pocket:D:DNext time the farrier comes give him a calmer for a week before. Some horses do go through this behaviour,when they get a new owner, just trying it on but he will improve as you never give up, he's got to learn how you like things being done not the previous owners way.
 
Don't give up. Sometimes what starts as trying it on with a new person gets worse. If they manage to get their foot down whilst misbehaving it confirms they can get away with it. Agree if they're kicking a hind leg it gets to a point you have to, just pick it straight back up. Always make sure his hoof goes back down at your say so, not his. If that means at first you only hold it up long enough to check nothings amiss & don't pick it out properly don't worry, just increase the time you can hold his leg up by a bit each day, always making sure you decide to put it down before he does.
Daughters pony tries stuff on with new people. Rather funny to watch farriers apprentice being shaken off a ponies leg until her 7 yr old owner held her & told her to behave. (& rather cruel of farrier to have suggested it in the first place!)
Just keep trying, & irrelevant as it sounds make sure he has respect for you in other areas too, all helps. Like the idea of a calmer before farrier too
 
Is it one sided, or is he equally bad on both sides? Sometimes if a horse is reluctant to pick one foot up, he is sore on the opposite leg.
 
thanks for the replies, he was worse with his offside rear, now he is worse with his nearside rear so really depends which one he feels he wants to have a blip with, which makes me think naughtiness rather than pain,
to be honest he is a pony that thinks he is in control, we have had to nip a few isses in the bud so to speak, getting him into his stable was a major one which ended up with me tugging him, him planting his feet and refusing to budge then rearing backwards if I pulled too hard, but with lots of work we have overcome that obstacle and now he goes in fine and if he stops I pull then release and he follows :)
so I will keep persevering with daily pick ups, checks and general leg work, for those who recommended a calmer, can you name any? He has been on 25mls of NAF Magic daily since we got him to help him settle but hasnt really made any difference! he learns fast though and now waits by the back door at home when its grooming time for his carrot!
 
One other suggestion which can help you to keep the hoof in your hand is to put your thumb on the sole of the hoof. It makes them less likely to succeed in waving the hoof around. No idea why but a friend suggested this to me and it worked
 
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