Horse snatching feet away when picking them out

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kirstyhoneyb

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My horse has started trying to snatch her front feet away when I am picking them out. Ive only had her 4 weeks and was fine but started this yesterday.
Any ideas?
 
She could be trying to push her luck with you or it could be that her feet are a little sore. Do they smell? Or have black gunge in them? My loan horse had thrush and he started doing this. If her feet are OK health wise, just try and hang on to her hoof and don't let her get away with it, otherwise she will think it's a great game! Good luck.
 
My mare started doing this a couple of weeks after I got her too and it was basically because she's a bit too intelligent and likes to test the boundaries! I basically tried to hold on if I could and leant back against her if she started trying to lean on me as well. Sometimes it is hard to keep hold if they snatch their feet away too quickly or strongly and so I would just give her a stern word and a jab in the ribs and make her pick the same foot up again straight away, even if I had actually just managed to finish picking the hoof out. If she stood quietly she would get a pat after every hoof was done and after all 4 she got a couple of pony nuts. She learnt after about 2 days that the boundary was very firmly there and not to be crossed!
 
myn also started to do the same after i had him a month or so so he got told off n when i picked his feet out i held his toe n now hes fine he was just pushing his luck
 
Yes my mare tried it on just after I got her too. I resorted to a trick used on youngsters. Get an old leadrope with no clips or buckles, loop it around the fetlock and gently pull her feet up. Hold it as if you are picking it out, then if they try to snatch it back, you have a bit of leverage to pull it back towards you (no need to yank it, they just very quickly learn that you are in control).

My mare took about 2 days to stop it. She still tries it on other people though, the monkey
wink.gif
 
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