Horse hates farrier but cant be barefoot - PLEASE HELPPPPPP ;(

With regards to sedation the vet can give you domosedan gel which is half of what they used to iv sedate a horse and is usually very effective. i have found you need to give it on an empty stomach, get it under the tongue not down the throat like a wormer and at least half hour before the farrier arrives. I have had to use it recently for a horse who was amazing for the farrier due to a pain related issue is no longer safe around the farrier. a tube costs £40 so not cheap but I have found it very good.
 
Maybe his feet ar sore thats why he doesnt like farrier, agree diet, lots of foot supps, try a female, get a horse whisperer. Have you tried a twitch what about sedalin
 
One off sedations are fine but is it really right for the horse to sedate every 5 weeks or so to shoe? It could mean sedating for the rest of it's shod life and the reason for the horses objection is never addressed!
 
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As a farrier who comes across horses that do not like having their feet treated in any way I find myself having to do ‘Little Learning’ sessions before I even think of going anywhere near the animal to perform any form of trimming.
The method involves going back to complete basics with owner and horse, it can take several sessions but it is so worth while as it means by re-teaching you do not have any memories playing their part in the process.
Time is the main factor, if you, the farrier, vet or whoever does not have the time then don’t even think of getting anywhere with the method.
http://www.rockfoot.com/little_learning.html
 
It's so nice to read about a farrier with your approach of helping the horse and owner Heelfirst. I realize the owner has the main responsibility for training the horse but these problems often need a team approach and as you say, time. These skills are in the farriers interest to keep themselves safe when owners are struggling to train a horse with hoof problems and especially when the farrier or shoeing is the main problem for the horse. A farrier can just walk away of course...
 
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I have an 8 yr old that i have had since he was 3 .He is terrible with farrier .There is no pain involved .He turned out to be a rig when i brought him and it seems that rigs are quite often badly behaved as not everyone is aware there is a prob .ie the girl i brought him from ..Not that this is any excuse but on tracing his history back he went thru a lot of dealers yards at a rate of knots as a baby .He is very dominant still and has obviously had a beating at some point from a man i would think as he fronts up to them .He is my daughters and although he is never to be trusted as he bites and strikes she has an amazing bond with him . My farrier is a star ,he has so much patience .When we first got him he just had trims then as his work progressed he had fronts and eventually hinds too as he needed them for various reasons . Cameron my farrier has always taken his time with him but we have decided upon trying most things that he just gets bored with it and likes to keep him on his toes . He sedates really well with a little bit of sedalin so if his really bad i can sedate him but we have to hold him pretty much the whole time .He has never had any reason to dislike the process but being naughty is just his character
 
Have you tried shoeing him outside of a stable? I only ask because I have one that was sold because he had to be sedated to be shod and it was costing them too much money. He was very bad with his feet full stop but little by little it improved. My farrier is very patient and showed us how to practise with him inbetween shoeings. He now falls asleep when shoeing! However you absolutely can't shoe him in the box and there are still days (few and far between) when he barges me picking his feet out in the stable - 10 years on. We tried a couple of years ago when it was raining to shoe in the box and he was literally shaking and when he gets uptight he does barge. Farrier said take him outside and give him some time to calm down and within 30 seconds of being outside returned to his normal sleepy self to be shod. Whatever happened in his stable with his feet as a youngster scared him to bits and he has never forgotton, however he has learnt that tied up outside is a different experience and therefore ok. Good luck x
 
Strange, I only ever shod outside due to light I suppose, also fire risk !
Did have one BAD b*********, just waited till farrier was in vulnerable place then kicked, farrier suggested shoe in box, but we never saw that farrier again!
I recall in racing yard one of mine was terrible if tied up in box [they twitched him instead of telling me!, but fine if loose and facing door [he was a bit strange tbh, had his own ideas about quite a few things.
 
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Mine is better done outside too, it is safer for everyone too. She is also better held and not tied up.

It can be worth trying a good bf trimmer too. A horse on our yard was dreadful to be shod or even trimmed by a farrier but much better for a trimmer. I never tried a trimmer because my farrier is so patient and good that we made good progress but it has to be worth a try.
 
Hetsmum said:
Have you tried shoeing him outside of a stable? I only ask because I have one that was sold because he had to be sedated to be shod and it was costing them too much money. He was very bad with his feet full stop but little by little it improved. My farrier is very patient and showed us how to practise with him inbetween shoeings. He now falls asleep when shoeing! However you absolutely can't shoe him in the box and there are still days (few and far between) when he barges me picking his feet out in the stable - 10 years on. We tried a couple of years ago when it was raining to shoe in the box and he was literally shaking and when he gets uptight he does barge. Farrier said take him outside and give him some time to calm down and within 30 seconds of being outside returned to his normal sleepy self to be shod. Whatever happened in his stable with his feet as a youngster scared him to bits and he has never forgotton, however he has learnt that tied up outside is a different experience and therefore ok. Good luck x
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I also noticed that you said he was shod in a stable, I have known quite a few horses that wont be shod inside, one of mine is not keen on it either but if held by me he is ok now.
 
I would no longer do anything in a stable with a nervous horse, I found out some years ago it could lead to more potential problems. Think horse broncing on the spot when girth done up loosely! A horses' instinct is to run but in a stable it is completely trapped and often can't even see out. So what can it do if it can't handle it's fear? Also if a horse takes to being aggressive to protect itself the human is also trapped in a confined space! Plus, a stable should be a place where a horse feels safe.
 
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