help on picking up feet

[lozz_jess_bhabbi]

my 4 yo that have only had for 6 weeks is refusing to pick up his feet. i am doing it corectly by pulling his feather but he just doesn't budge. he puts all his weight on the foot i am trying to pick up. it's mainly his front feet. iv'e tryed everything i can think of. could anyone surgest anything?
any help apprciated

jess x

 

[Haniki]

When my horse was a youngster, she was reluctant to pick up one of her back feet. Someone told me to put a rope around her pastern and lift it up with that. I used a rope with a small loop on one end which I threaded the loose end through to make a 'noose'. It worked very well.

 

[ladylisa]

There was an article on his last month in one of the horse mags, and as i am also having trouble with my younger with picking up his feet, i read the article with interest.

It said to pull the foot forward rather than up, and to use a walking stick with the hook end around the horses foot.

I havent got a walking stick but taken the advice of pulling the foot forward.

 

[gg68]

May I suggest that you put away the props and take fetlock joint in one hand and lean you shoulder against horse's shoulder, (transfer weight to other foot) and speak and lift and then quickly take hold of hoof not leg. Also check that it does not have a lameness in the other foot otherwise it would be reluctant to put weight on other foot. Good luck

 

[Taffyhorse]

Another way is to do the above^^^ and squeeze the chestnut at the same time. I don't know why or how it works but when I used to work in a dealing yard (many moons ago) with young irish horses, this is what we used to do until they got the msg about lifting their feet up.

 

[brucea]

Yep - squeeze the chestnut - then reward by sratching the hollow above heels - they love this!

 

[SarahX]

[ QUOTE ]
lean you shoulder against horse's shoulder, (transfer weight to other foot)

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this! Also agree with the squeezing of the chesnuts. Both these work with my 4 year old

 

[FestiveBoomBoom]

[ QUOTE ]
May I suggest that you put away the props and take fetlock joint in one hand and lean you shoulder against horse's shoulder, (transfer weight to other foot) and speak and lift and then quickly take hold of hoof not leg

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep ditto this, exactly what I was going to say! If the horse still wont move just rock against the shoulder, increase the pressure and eventually he/she will have to lift the foot, but be ready to catch it

 

[Chavhorse]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
May I suggest that you put away the props and take fetlock joint in one hand and lean you shoulder against horse's shoulder, (transfer weight to other foot) and speak and lift and then quickly take hold of hoof not leg

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep ditto this, exactly what I was going to say! If the horse still wont move just rock against the shoulder, increase the pressure and eventually he/she will have to lift the foot, but be ready to catch it

[/ QUOTE ]

Ditto the above too. We have using this method got to the place where I can run my hand down the leg I want up and say up and hey presto...patience you will get there

 

[Witchy]

My boy done this when I first got him - was testing me

I, like you, asked here for advice and was told to bring the foot forward and then once up bend the leg up to get the hoof.

Worked perfectly for me and now all I do is say 'this one' and touch his feathers and he picks each foot up for me