Horse reluctant to pick feet up

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franco

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Hi, my new horse is a very green 5 yr old. She’s very sweet in the stable and to ride however she is not good at picking her feet up. She has not been trained to do so. She doesn’t kick out or put her ears back though. (She came with front shoes on)
The farrier came yesterday and couldn’t do her and suggests we sedate her whilst she gets used to being shod.
So twice a day I’m practicing picking her feet up. Does anyone have any tips out there to make this job a bit easier. Thanks in advance
 
Mine was reluctant to pick up her front feet when I first bought her. If tugging (gently) on her feathers or leaning on her shoulder didn't work I found that twisting her chestnut did. I made sure I picked out her feet when coming in from the field and after riding, and within a few weeks she'd got the idea. She will now pick up each foot in turn without me touching them, if I go round in the usual order.
 
I've found tickling around their tendons works quite well. It's just annoying enough to get them to take weight off of the leg and let you pick it up.
 
The best thing is to keep doing it and keep doing it. Just pick them up and put them straight down at first and work work up to her holing them up. She's probably just never been trained to do. If you work on it , it will soon come.
 
Cowpony said:
Mine was reluctant to pick up her front feet when I first bought her. If tugging (gently) on her feathers or leaning on her shoulder didn't work I found that twisting her chestnut did. I made sure I picked out her feet when coming in from the field and after riding, and within a few weeks she'd got the idea. She will now pick up each foot in turn without me touching them, if I go round in the usual order.
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Be really careful with this, a farrier tried it to get mine to pick up her feet (having been warned she wasn't good with her feet) she jumped a mile and it really upset her.

Mine got better with lots of practice (and some treats ) we picked her feet up several times a day and made a massive fuss when she did as she was asked.
 
It could be greeness or something else. My friend viewed a horse who didn’t pick his hind feet up. He was 7. He passed a 5* vetting. After a few years and a uncomfortable horse when ridden, it turned out he had previously broken his back.
 
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