Help me please xx

[katiebaybee]

Dont really know were to put this but can anyone help me please

Katies getting her feet done in the morning and shes a right cow and i mean it

She kicks and jumps everywhere and shes quiet a couple of times kicked the farrier

She has a bridle in with feed and has been twitched but it didnt work

Shes been smacked and really told off by the farrier because shes a right handful

Can anyone give me some advise please?

 

[Skhosu]

She is probably scared of the farrier if he has 'really told her off' would be my feeling.

 

[katiebaybee]

No shes not scared she just takes the p**s out of him

Shes fine when he gets her foot up its when it comes to nailing the shoes on

Hes told her off because shes kicked him a couple of times in a row

 

[pagancluf]

Try some sedalin to take the edge off? Best of luck

 

[chestnut cob]

Must admit I'd be thinking of sedation as well. My old farrier used to do a few horses like that who he said he wouldn't go near until they'd had ACP because they were too dangerous. IMHO it's not really different to taking the edge of with sedalin for clipping.

 

[Panther]

We had an Irish jumping mare who was always difficult to shoe, rearing, kicking.. anything ... luckily we had a very good farrier who would literally ignore her when she threw a hissy fit and just got on with it.. talking to me like nothing going on... she soon stopped it... Mind you I knew her very well too and her behaviour didn't 'worry' me so it helped to 'loose' the edge.. Just a quick curt.. growl..

If you have an experienced farrier they can mostly hold the leg till they give up..

if it's fear they get over it ... if pulling a hissy they do too...

i personally would not suggest sedation of any type and work through it...

perhaps see if your farrier can bring a friend for the next few shoeings....??? Or perhaps get an 'old hand' in to help..
Don't want to put you in danger but really should work through it...

 

[Panther]

p.s. note to people who have bred for first time this year... pick up foals feet regularly and tap feet...

Also if she has ever been nail bound this can cause fright!

 

[Shilasdair]

Some hope for you - my mare used to be terrible (bought her as an unhandled 4 yo) for farrier...took about 3 of us to hold her and we could only get one shoe on at a time!
I held her, fed her when she stood quietly, withdrew feed and growled at her when she was naughty, and smacked her when really wriggly. She never tried to kick though, just to escape.
Now (a good few years later) she stands in the yard, with her leadrope draped over her neck and the farrier says she's the best one he does...!
So keep going, patient and firm....and don't feed her when she's being bad!
S

 

[collie]

Sounds like she is wary of the farrier, does she lift her feet for you and everyone else. If she is being a pest it will require much patience and a very firm demenour [not violent]. Sometimes you just have to keep after them and never back away. As a farriers son i have seen some right buggers in the smiddy and some right choice language. However, my old Dad was never beaten and it was down to patience and firmness mos of the time, you may have to work on this behaviour for a while but if you persevere you will win. Bsically it can be down to the farriers patience some of the time as well. I could go on about some of the techniques employed for the really bad buggers but i had better not or i will get into trouble with some of these mother earth lovie types.

 

[seaofdreams]

I knew a young mare, who was fine to shoe for a year or two then turned very funny about it all, the farrier in the end said he wasn't going to do her anymore as it was too dangerous, they tried various other ways but in the end they had her sedated, she was sedated a few times then slowly weened off and she is now fine.
Panther - I have a four week old colt, he picks all his feet up and you can tap them as much as you like, my farrier came to see him on thursday and was very impressed!!

 

[BethH]

Could be a number of reasons, agree with a lot of the above about time and patience but should also ask how your farrier deals with it. I wonder if she is foot sore and can feel the nails when they go in or if that has happened in the past it can make things difficult. Does she have good feet or are they soft? This is nothing to do with your care just how she is made, this time of year is always the worst for my boy. What is she like to have her feet picked out, does she complain if you hold her foot up for a long time or is it just purely nailing on the shoes. Think you need to narrow it down to exactly the bit she has the problem with and work on that. Can you give her a haynet to keep her busy?

 

[Panther]

seaofdreams - gold star!!!*

 

[BenjaminBunny]

My IDxTB has farrier issues relating to the fact that he had suspensory ligament damage in his hind so when doing a back hoof he'd bounce and hop on the other... he was signed off a few month ago and is doing well but...

I've tried 3 different farriers - the first refused to work with him unless he was heavily sedated and left him really flat footed and the shoes always fell off after 3 weeks - the second shod him without sedation for about 6 months until he gave him nail bind which when i started to get him sedated - the first time he was heavily sedated - the next a bit less and each time i reduced the sedation - i then swopped farriers as this one refused to shoe when it rains and when i was having a vet out to sedate each time i couldn't risk the cost element

i've now found another farrier who is more thoughtful and my horse is now being shod with minimal sedation - then he lost a shoe on a hind limb and the farrier came out and i gave him sedalin rather than an IV injection - and he was an angel and i think it helped that the farrier stood and reassured my horse and his apprentice stood stroking him and talking gently - this farrier has now said that i can try sedalin when he comes to do him again - so fingers crossed

i'm probably the only person that dreds farrier time

 

[katiebaybee]

Hi, thank you for everyones replies - really helpful!

She has had sedation and it didn't even touch her nor the injection when she has the vet out she still tries to fight.
A couple of months back i posted on here that she has metabolic syndrome which we found out after having abscesses ongoing.
She had the farrier and vet dig out at her feet and she also had her sole took off.
I think most of the problem is trust with the farrier as she thinks of him when he comes that he going to hurt her again - which he doesn't and she brilliant with her and so patient. He keeps hold of her leg but she rears up and takes all her feet off the ground so he has to let go in time.

She is fine with me and any other people that pick her feet up but she doesn't like the farrier or the vet.


Thank you for all your help xxx

 

[rcm_73]

Hmm just had farrier out this a.m. My gelding has a fear of farriers from once having a very bad abcess and being beaten by two farriers both with white vans..I bought him in Feb and my old farrier refused to shoe him as he was hopping out of nailing on (fine with trimming). I have since found a very patient farrier that is a regular on the racecourses down at the start shoeing anything that's thrown a shoe. The first time we used sedalin but for the last 2 visits a bridle and a bucket of feed have worked well. My farrier makes the effort to get to know the horse beforehand and also makes an effort to say 'goodbye' to them on leaving by giving them a pat and a rub. It's amazing what a difference a good farrier makes..my horse was generally frightened of farriers, snorting, heart racing..in what is generally a very bold horse. I think time and patience are the key, if any discipling is to be done my farrier leaves it to me to take care of, we still only shoe his fronts however, don't see the point of rushing him before he's ready! Good luck I hope you can find something that works for you, when i bought this gelding I was quite worried he would never be shod!

 

[Panther]

Yes my mare in question did that... just hold another foot up before see thinks about it and hang on.... or even hobble if you have to... my friends stallion is so bad she has hobbles attached to wall one front one hind.. then he gets turned.... he's as good as gold now cause he realises there is nothing to fear.. used to have paddy to begin with but he was safely restrained and now he knows it isn't soo bad after all and he doesn't need them..

 

[filly190]

Sorry to hear you are having problems. I suppose you have tried distraction, bucket feeding etc.

Trouble is when they begin to fight, they can always win, being bigger and stronger. I had trouble with one of my mares and I used to ACP her which took the edge off and I then I constantly fed her to cause a distraction. Over a year she got better and does not kick out, but I am still bucket feeding each time.

 

[katiebaybee]

Well it started off good last night (was supposedly the morning but he came at nearly 6 in the night) and then went bad but the farrier said start smacking her chest as if your strapping her which wont hurt her just makes a noise when i am banging the nails in

Well you never guess what......... it worked and she just stood there