Farrier kicked my horse! Rant!

SuperCoblet

SuperCoblet

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 January 2011
Messages
2,166
Location
Shropshire
Visit site
As title really.
Gyp was getting a bit peeved with the farrier and didn't pick his foot up so the farrier kicked him just above his hoof :eek: luckily it didn't exactly hurt him, he just flinched suddenly and picked it up immediately, he's not lame atall it just made my heart crunch when he did it :( also gypsy refused to move over for a couple if seconds and got a belt in the ribs with the clipper :( carriers really nice usually I think he just got a bit peed off with gypsys 'extremely bad behaviour'

Sorry for the rant, had to get it out of me!
 
Omg me neither - how0 dare he????!!!!#
Sack this horrid farrier and get a nice one - also spread the word amongst your locality - this guy does not deserve any business!
 
When I was a kid, my farrier walloped mine in the stomach with a steel toe capped boot, taking a good 5 footsteps back and a run up to him. Horse broke free, run up onto a pile of wood which then punctured his frog.:mad:
 
Farriers are a breed apart, thats true, but the job they do is back breaking. As owners we do have a responsibilty to do our best to have well trained horses that know how to cooperate for the farrier and other professionals.
If my cob puts his weight on my farrier, which'll be several hundred kgs- big fella he is, then fair enough if farrier gives him a dig in the ribs. I don't condone excessive aggression, or intimidating a scared horse, and I've stopped using a farrier because of his attitude, but sometimes, in order to preserve their backs and knees, a farrier has to get some respect from the horse.
 
Laafet said:
Is your horse normally good to lift his feet?
Click to expand...

He can sometimes be a pain in the @rse, he doesn't really get along with farriers and he's temperamental sometimes, I thinknhe was just telling him in a firm way to behave as gypsys not the horse to get on the wrong side of. I just think he went too far today :(
 
I find it hard to understand how anyone thinks they have the right to treat someone else's animal like this. Would you tolerate it if your friend or neighbour kicked your horse? And you're PAYING him to do this??
By the same token, it behoves us to have our horses trained to the best of our ability so that they know how to behave so the farrier can do his job with as little hassle as possible.
 
GypsyTheCob said:
He can sometimes be a pain in the @rse, he doesn't really get along with farriers and he's temperamental sometimes, I thinknhe was just telling him in a firm way to behave as gypsys not the horse to get on the wrong side of. I just think he went too far today :(
Click to expand...

Sorry - don't see what the problem is?

You've said your horse was 'peeved' with the farrier and that he can be a pain in the arse. And that he's temperamental. And not to get 'the wrong side of him'?

Sounds to me like Gypsy thinks he's the boss! Not safe when he weighs half a ton and has a brain the size of a clenched fist.

Now, what Achinghips encountered was out of order, but a swift, sharp reminder from your farrier when your horse weighs half a ton and your farrier about 12 stone? Have you SEEN how horses remind each other of their manners?!

If mine had needed such a reminder, I'd have been apologising to the farrier as it would have meant I hadn't taught my horse polite behaviour.
 
Its difficult to judge on open forum if you were not there, as I have seen farriers take things too far.

However I think a lot of people do no training for the farrier and then expect them to deal with it nicely when their 650kg darling is thumping about

I am in the process of hobble training all of my horses to make them into fantastic shoeing horses

Actually it really peeves me that whilst mine are fantastic usually, they do very much view the farrier as their 4th leg, so thats where the hobbling can help
 
Mine kicked my pony in the side once when she was being a pain. He was having a very bad day and unfortunately he knew pony was already nervous about being shod. I forgave him and let him carry on and he was absolutely fantastic both with getting the pony's confidence back, and keeping my current horse sound... wasn't worth "sacking" him after one mistake. A beating, no - I wouldn't tolerate that. But one kick when they're being a pain? I hate to say it (and of course I wasn't there so can't accurately judge it anyway) but I agree with the posters above who've said it's tough being a farrier when a horse decided it doesn't want to co-operate.
 
It totally depends on how much of 'a beating' the horse gets - if they are being pillocks, they deserve a bit of a nudge or a thump just to say 'oi, manners'. As said before, I've seen farriers go way too far, slapping a horse across the face, but they do have a hard job - made harder by horses refusing to cooperate :)
very difficult to judge as I wasn't there obviously but as long as it wasn't a very hard kick and he is generally a good farrier, I wouldn't be too hasty.
K x
 
Depends on the horse IMHO.

A farrier kicked Wings once/hit him with his tools, and Wings flipped out and generally got worse over the next few weeks. He figets when he gets nervous, not because he's rude. Got a new farrier, who is really nice and has really got Wings better, Wings now falls asleep when being shod and stands stock still.

With Casper though, he sometimes needs a bit of a nudge to tell him to stand still and support his own weight, as he can be a little rude, not malicious, or bad with getting his feet picked up, but just gets bored and undoes the farriers chaps etc. Sometimes he does need a bit of a nudge to remind him how to behave, but anything more would be unnecessary.

So yeah, I think it depends on the horse.
 
Mrs B said:
If mine had needed such a reminder, I'd have been apologising to the farrier as it would have meant I hadn't taught my horse polite behaviour.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this comment. There are far too many people who think it's the farriers job to teach a horse manners around it's feet and legs.
I have over 20 horses and I would not expect my farrier to work on any of them (even foals ready for their first trim) until they will stand still, pick all of their feet up and hold them still either independently or at the slightest touch. Even the foals learn to do this with a few days.

My farrier always comments how much easier it makes his job and he appreciates the effort I go to in order that he is working with safe horses.
 
alligator40 said:
Maybe you should teach Gyp to be mannerly and pick his feet up when required?

Just a thought?
Click to expand...

He's good as gold with me and I've been getting my dad to occasionally pick his feet up to get him confident with other people and men handling him too.

With regards to the other comments, I agree he has a hard time being a farrier and gets stressed, and the ponies need a reminder sometimes, but all he did was not pick his foot up within 5 seconds if being asked so he got a darn right kick in the leg with steel toecap boots :(
 
If you don't like the way your farrier behaves around your horses, then change to one that behaves in a way you do like. I would say though that don't just go on the manner, check the shoeing suits you as well. I would also be prepared for other farriers to 'nudge' a horse that won't pick its feet up.
 
Hmm then it is difficult to comment really without being there. Tarquin used to be awful to pick his feet up and is a bolshy whatsit. My farrier walloped him once with the rasp (he had his rug on) and TBH I said the farrier do what you think is necessary. I have a very trusting relationship with said farrier and so accepted that he did what was necessary. Manners maketh the horse. He is perfect now to the point where I can tie him up and leave the farrier to it knowing that he will not be naughty. He has not needed a reminder again.
 
GypsyTheCob said:
He can sometimes be a pain in the @rse, he doesn't really get along with farriers and he's temperamental sometimes, I thinknhe was just telling him in a firm way to behave as gypsys not the horse to get on the wrong side of. I just think he went too far today :(
Click to expand...

But it is your responsibility to make sure your horse behaves for the farrier. Why should he put himself at risk because your horse can be a pain in the arse. If Gypsy thinks he isn't a horse to get on the wrong side of, then perhaps Gypsy needs to learn his place in the pecking order!

If my horse misbehaved for the farrier I would expect him to get a telling off. If I didn't trust my farrier to do this in an appropriate way then I would find another farrier.
 
so are a lot of you guys saying as horses really kick each other in the field to show dominance in the hierarchy - a human doing the same has the same affect on horses perception of farrier say - and horse then behaves?
 
i think its very hard to find farrier who wont ever give your horse a good kick/wallop with a rasp.

Our 1st farrier once smacked our (pregnant) mare round the stomach with the rasp becuase she moved a bit and wouldnt stand perfectly still. we were not happy! new farrier whacked my 2yo round the front of his shoulders with the rasp quite hard because he didnt move back immediately after he asked him (poor youngster is very well behaved and was just snoozing) then after he was asking how old he was, he thought it was an old pony not a youngster and said he felt bad for hitting him!!....im not sure why an older pony deserves a smack for being sleepy but there we go.... Neither of these horses were being that naughty or dangerous in the slightest, i think farriers cram so much work into their day that they are often tired and stressed and do take it out on the horses, sometimes when its deserved but often not.

i would not, however, tolerate kicking a horses leg as that could cause very serious injury!
 
sam4321 said:
i think its very hard to find farrier who wont ever give your horse a good kick/wallop with a rasp.
Click to expand...

Really - I've never had a farrier who has kicked my horse or walloped them with a rasp. Maybe I've just been lucky.
I suspect its not the amount of work they do that can cause farriers to become stressed, but the number of badly behaved horses they have to deal with.
 
I have horses ranging from yearling to twenties i think you have to tread a fine line with farriers i always remind of the ones who are stiff and have little quriks, and they listen to me because on the whole they know my horses will pick thier feet up and be well mannered.

However i tell them off and allow the farrier to do so when needed and expect them to behave, i think what you have to remember it is a back breaking job they often see the worst of horses and you should make thier job as easy as possible.

You do however have to keep on top of them sometimes but a nudge telling off or light slap really just reminds a large animal to have some manners and does no harm.

I would not accept bullying hitting hard or in the face or frightening a nervous animal.
 
I saw my friend's horse get a wallop in the belly by a farrier because she wouldnt stand still but it was her first time getting shoes on! I couldnt believe it. Would never recommend him.

My boy hasnt been hot shod so he gets nervous with my farrier and once he was just being bolshy and tried to drag me so my farrier slammed his hands down on his back and it gave my horse a shock but did the trick. He behaved after that. Now he only gets bothered when my farrier semi hot shods him but farrier knows its an issue for him and he's considerate about it. I wouldnt stick with a farrier who hit or kicked him for being nervous over that as it would only make him worse.
 
You say it didn't hurt him, just shocked him, so I presume it was more of a sharp nudge than a real boot.

Personally sounds acceptable to me, when you've acknowledged that your horse can be bolshy and naughty - if a horse is being rude then I think a sharp reminder does no harm.
 
Where are all these awful farriers? I've never met them. No farrier has ever gone to hit or kick any of my horses. If any of my horses have ever misbehaved, even slightly, I am the one who immediately reprimands them. I do not understand this mentality that you have to leave disciplining your horses to someone else :confused: Take responsibility for your own animals people and don't let them undo the farriers chaps, or fidget, or not pick their feet up when asked. It really doesn't take much training to teach a horse to stand quietly to allow the farrier to do his job.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top