Pony - short legs and farrier

[Fruitcake]

Little pony tends to be a bit of a pain when having front feet trimmed. He’s fine with hinds, and for most of the fronts, but seems to object when it comes to resting his front feet on the stand and will do a mini rear / hop. Now, he may just be being a pain, but I’m wondering if it’s uncomfortable for him. He has quite short legs and the stand does seem quite high for him. Is this likely to be a thing? I’d never really considered the height of a farrier’s stand before as the other horses are all much bigger. Now that I think about it, with a very small pony I had in the past, an old farrier used to just rest his front feet on his knee for that bit rather than using the stand.

He’s otherwise extremely steady and calm.

 

[meleeka]

Mine puts the stand on its side so it’s only half as high for my ponies. Ask him not to use it to see if he’s better. I’m sure he’d rather have a well behaved pony than a naughty one.

 

[Lois Lame]

Mine would somehow just hold the hoof a lot lower. He was the kindest farrier I've ever known.

 

[SEL]

Mine has a Shetland pony stand that he brings out (for the Ardennes whose belly gets in the way of his legs going on a big stand....)

 

[Archangel]

I would say he is finding it too high.

 

[Tiddlypom]

The stand could be too high. Farrier could put the stand on its side - my farrier does this with wonky ones, or hand holds them.

If it's a fairly new thing, maybe pony has tweaked himself or has some sort of ouch?

 

[J&S]

Yes, ask him to turn it over on its side.

 

[Marnie]

My farrier either uses his knee or turns his stand on the side for my little pony as otherwise it is too high.

 

[Fransurrey]

My farrier was constantly holding my elderly shetland's feet too high for him and so it was a struggle. I have a hoof stand, now, so if I was in the same situation again I'd drag that out to make pony and farrier's life easier!

 

[Fruitcake]

Thanks everyone. It seems I'm not imagining it then. He's been with us for a couple of years now and has always been a bit difficult to have his front feet trimmed. Like I say, he's otherwise very steady and completely fine to mess about with. (He's no problem when picking out feet either). I think I'll try to (politely) ask farrier if he'd mind trying the stand on its side next time. Farrier is quite tall so I don't want him to do his back in either!