Major issues picking up back feet.... any advice?

S

Signal

Member
Joined
5 August 2017
Messages
18
Visit site
We recently brought a wonderful little mare, who has not really been handled. We've managed to get her used to being regularly caught, groomed, etc and with a lot of work picking up her front feet daily. Back feet though seem to a new barrier. If we go near her back legs, and start to run a hand down she kicks out quite violently, not so much at the person just randomly. I want to work through this in a gentle way but do need to overcome this, without causing serious injury to someone! She is 3yrs old and basically came in off the hills, so feet etc have never been done. In all other ways she is a lovely mare.
 
Rubber glove, blown up and stuck on a broomstick. Just make it part of the daily process till it becomes oldhand. Once she lets you do that, then move onto running your hands down her legs. Then and only then, start asking her to pick up her feet. Finally, once you can do all that, just start tapping her feet gently to get used to this ahead of the farrier. My horse was bad with his back legs, (thoroughly vetted and no physical issues) and took me about 6 months to gain his trust as well as a really patient farrier.
 
I used an old glove stuffed with old tights and taped to walking stick. Use the pressure and release methods and you will soon have the filly quiet with her hind legs and feet.
 
I used treats with mine, someone at his head offering polos, one person running a hand down a leg. He improved rapidly, but did floor the groom one day who didn't believe me.
 
I also did the glove on a stick, with lots of praise. She got used to having her legs handled pretty quickly, but actually getting her to pick her feet up was more of a challenge. I used clicker training for that.
 
I used clicker training with mine too. Initially glove on stick, reward when she picked her foot up but didn't kick. Then just tapped her leg with my hand, reward for picking up, gradually moving on to being touched and then held. She now picks up a foot when I point at it and say 'this one' - she's actually easier to do than the older horses!
With yours, it sounds like you need to have the glove on a stick touching her until she stops kicking, then remove it and reward and build from there.
 
Another fan of the glove on stick approach, although I use a woolly one, stuffed with shavings, so it has a bit more weight to it.
When it comes to picking the feet up, which I don't do until they are thoroughly desensitised to the hand,and to be being brushed, touched and generally fiddled with, I start with the hind feet, and use a tea towel, folded into 3 lengthways. I slip it round the pastern, hold both ends, and gently pull until the horse lifts it's foot - saying "Up" as they start to lift the leg. They quite often get a bit kicky at this point, so I hold the towel and let them have a bit of time to wave the leg around - going with them, without letting go. Once they stand quietly, I let go of one end of the towel, and give them a scratch. I do this multiple times each day, until they start to lift the leg when I say "up" - gradually getting close enough to run my hand down the leg and tap the inside of the fetlock for "up".
I start with the back legs for two reasons - firstly, the towel pull is easier for the horse to figure out because of the way the horse lifts its hindleg, and secondly, I'd rather get the kicking end tamed first!
If you get them lifting the hindleg to a tap on the inside of the fetlock, you often don't need to go through the whole process with the fronts, as they already understand the cue.
 
As above, glove with stick - though importantly you should only stop contacting the leg with the glove when they stop flicking the leg around and are still
 
Tbh you don't even need a glove on the stick as it's the contact they object to, not the fact it's a hand. So a stick on it's own would do the job, even a lunge or dressage whip. As others have said the important thing is not to remove the contact until they stop kicking out. Don't try lifting the leg until she is completely happy with it being touched and you can do so safely.
 
Thanks all, we have begun the glove with stick training today, took a little while for her to stop lashing out but we got there, we'll continue this morning and night. Thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top