Horse pulls his foot from farriers stand?! Naughty or pain?

mazzerrr1993

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Hi everyone!

Just after some opinions really, my horse keeps yanking his foot off the farriers stand when he's being filed, he's fine for the nails to be put in but when the foot is pulled forward into the stand for the filing he constantly pulls it off. Last year we discovered balance issues via x rays and sometimes i wonder if horse is just being an a*se or genuinely letting us know something isn't comfortable?
He's done this since about last summer but it is gradually getting worse, he's not nasty in any way he just pulls his foot back to the floor but I always feel bad as I feel he is misbehaving for the farrier but can't shake the feeling he's doing it for a reason?!
Ideally he does need to be shod regarding the issues found and I did speak with vet about taking shoes off and she said it would not be ideal (he does get uncomfortable whilst standing barefoot during farrier time)


Anyone had anything similar? Thanks
 

hopscotch bandit

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I would give him a sachet of bute prior to shoeing in case he is just uncomfortable. Maybe the farrier needs to be aware he has balance issues (I assume these were brought to light as a result of radiographs on his neck?)
Maybe the farrier can make an allowance for him and not stretch it out so far or a different angle?
 

mazzerrr1993

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I would give him a sachet of bute prior to shoeing in case he is just uncomfortable. Maybe the farrier needs to be aware he has balance issues (I assume these were brought to light as a result of radiographs on his neck?)
Maybe the farrier can make an allowance for him and not stretch it out so far or a different angle?
Yes sorry should have added the vet spoke to the farrier and gave him a copy of x rays and agreed a plan to help the horse with the shoeing x

And the x rays were taken from his feet as it was isolated he was lame from there, his bones are at a slight angle if that makes any sense
 

Ouch05

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My lad does this, He just finds the stand painful in the sole of his foot. My farrier is amazing and just accepts this is what he does. He is fine shod not feet issues at all just finds the stand uncomfortable.
 

Rowreach

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Yes, any number of issues can make a horse uncomfortable when its foot is on a stand. One of mine had sacroiliac issues, which the farrier knew about. She pulled back, he got cross with her and said he wasn't doing her anymore, I said you're right there mate ...

I asked someone else to do her and explained the problem. When he came he told me he had been online and asked a few other farriers and had come up with several ways of doing her feet without using the stand and without holding her legs in ways she couldn't cope with. Any farrier who is aware of an issue should be able to work around it tbh.
 

Pinkvboots

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There are a lot of horses that find putting there feet on a stand uncomfortable, one of mine sometimes objects a few treats help or sometimes the farrier puts the foot on his knee to finish off.
 

Milliechaz

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My mare struggles. She has kissing spines. When she has to put her foot on the stand her back quivers and she stands on tiptoes on the opposite hind leg and rocks her entire body back and forth. My farrier is fab and just does it in short bursts. She has to have front shoes as she is very pigeon toed and wears her hoof unevenly.
 
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If the farrier has a standard tripod style stand then ask them to flip it on it's side and put the hoof on a foot of the stand. Yes it's lower to the floor but much happier for horses - ok not so much for the farriers back!
 

SEL

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Neither of mine can manage a stand due to physical issues. It's not "naughty" and I do remind anyone who heads down that thought process that it will be uncomfortable for them.

I danilon the one with arthritis and distract with food when he has to take the weight on his bad leg.
 

holeymoley

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Mine associated the stand with pain when he was getting remedially shod for laminitis. A cloth or a towel over the top can pad it out a bit. I would say he’s probably finding something sore as going by my guy he’s happy to rest on it now that he’s feeling better.
 

FFAQ

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I too would assume discomfort. Don't rule out tight shoulders either. When I'm trimming I use a tiny hoof stand for these horses - an axle stand works well. A lot of horses really like a good scratch between the front legs, so if that's the case I get the owner to scratch while the foot's on the stand and stop if they snatch it back. As other people have said, lots of rests are important too - maybe as often as 2 swipes with the rasp then put the foot down, repeat!
 
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