Problematic day with farrier!

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Laurenm01

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Argh! Need help or a new horse lol!

Tried having two fronts put on Zorro today. The farrier just about managed to trim them because Zorro wouldn't stop rearing. He wasn't in pain but was very stressed - his heart beat was pounding. It's the first time he's seen the farrier on new yard. His previous owners had him unshod (I now know why)!

The farrier has suggested Sedalin for next week but I have a feeling that it won't work as he had it when he was being loaded to come to new yard and it didn't work. Think his adrenaline was so high.

I've contacted previous owner to find out how he behaved with her. i.e. was he trimmed inside or outside etc. As I think this may make a tiny difference as we did it inside today.
Alternatively get old farrier out depending on what old owner says.

Also if I did use Sedalin I know I'd need it prescribed. Does the vet need to come out for this?

Any other ideas?
 
my vet just lets me pick it up from the surgery,, if you can get a prescription u can normally get it cheaper via the internet.
 
Do you have to have him shod? A lot of horses do fine barefoot. If your lad is used to not wearing shoes then his feet are hopefully conditioned to working without them.

Have a look at some of the barefoot websites, there are a lot of them around.

We have a mix of barefoot, shod just on fronts and shod all round with our horses so I'm neither pro or anti barefoot or shoes. Just what is best for the horse.
 
He was left in a field for a few years so has been unshod for ages. It's just that he wouldn't let the farrier even trim him. He seems to be afraid of most things bless him.

I'm also neither for or against shoes but the area has alot of stone paths so I thought it would be best to have them on (just fronts). There's only one other unshod horse at the yard currently.
 
You can pick sedaline up from your vet - they don't need to come out.

Make sure your horse is calm before you give them sedalin, or it wont work. Once the adrenalin is up, it has no effect.

I have a mare who kicked my farrier across the yard several times, and she will now stand for the farrier - it took two years, but basically I handled her feet everyday, and once she was happy to let me touch and handle her feet/legs, I used a small farrier hammer (my farrier gave me an old one) and started tapping it against her feet so she got used to the noise/vibration. With me doing this daily, she got used to it but it did take a long time. Now, when the farrier comes, he holds her, I pick her feet up, then pass them to him, and she stands fine to be done.
 
You will need to put in the work with the horse. How is the horse when you handle its feet or have you not done it much?

You will need to pick its feet up daily and hold them up. YOu will need to tap in the feet with a little hammer or even the back of the hoof pick.

Does the horse stand quietly? If not it will also need to learn to stand quietly.

How old is this horse and how new is it too you? The horse sounds like it is acting like a youngster and will need appropriate handling, firm, conistant, reassuring and quiet. Only with time and patience will this come right and i am not sure a change of farrier will help unless its one that the horse has already responded too well. If its been left in a field the other farrier may have had the same issues if the horse was not being hadled frequently.
 
We on our yard have had a few like this over the years...my mare when I first had her would constantly pull away and rear, not high but enough to force farrier to let go - I did all the tapping with hammer, lots of handling etc and had a lovely patient farrier who would just let her leg go and then pick it up again, and again....after a while that and a haynet meant she was ok....both youngsters on the yard now we have gone through same althomine actually didn't fuss at all, but we did quite a lot of prep work.
How old is he? Think the younger they are sometimes the easier it is to retrain them not to worry so much?
 
You could consider hoof boots instead of shoes.

As for trimming, all I can suggest is the same as others have already said - lots of handling his legs and feet for you, and hammer tapping, rasping (could you beg/borrow/buy a rasp to run across Zorro's feet - not to rasp them yourself but to get him used to the feel of it?) etc etc.

If your horse (new to you I guess?) won't stand for you lifting his feet (and remember farriers will often lift higher than you do to pick them out) do bear in mind they might be uncomfortable or in pain - so maybe have a visit from an oste or physio to check them over.
 
I agree with The Farrier here especially as he's been turned away and not been shod for a long time if ever? I wouldn't expect a horse to just give up his feet without training and him feeling safe and confident. Don't forget his feet are his escape to save his life if needed (to him) so especially in a new yard he is going to be anxious and lack confidence so more protective of his feet.

I wouldn't rule out pain either tbh. is there any sign of thrush, thin soles, lgl, seedy toe ect? If his feet really need attention I'd personally go down the vet sedation route. Sedalin is unpredictable so a vet sedating by injection the dose and effect can be precise and even increased if necessary.

Building a rapport with him and training in a calm gentle way must be done though as the farrier says.
Hone your timing skills and look into clicker training are some suggestions that might help in this situation.

Imagine yourself in a new place and someone you have never met before just expects you to let them perform surgery on you... you can 'rationalize' this situation but horses live in the moment and have no idea what you want unless you teach them.

I'm trying to help here btw. good luck with him.
 
has he not had them trimmed since being turned away either then?
definately doing more handling- you need to get him happy with pickign his feet up and having them held like a farrier would.
also do some general spook busting- like setting up plastic sheets and bag in the school and building his confidence in you to tackle them.
 
Hi, I think you keep Zorro where I keep Norman and J.J (I'm the girl that goes aroud talking to her horses and wears silly hats!)
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I can't really offer you much advice as everything I would have said has been said already! But Kevin is the best farrier for the job and he is really quick as well.
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has he not had them trimmed since being turned away either then?


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I think from what's been posted he was trimmed but not shod.
 
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You will need to put in the work with the horse. How is the horse when you handle its feet or have you not done it much?

You will need to pick its feet up daily and hold them up. YOu will need to tap in the feet with a little hammer or even the back of the hoof pick.

Does the horse stand quietly? If not it will also need to learn to stand quietly.

How old is this horse and how new is it too you? The horse sounds like it is acting like a youngster and will need appropriate handling, firm, conistant, reassuring and quiet. Only with time and patience will this come right and i am not sure a change of farrier will help unless its one that the horse has already responded too well. If its been left in a field the other farrier may have had the same issues if the horse was not being hadled frequently.

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I agree. You will have to train the horse to accept having his feet done and teach him there is nothing to worry about.
 
Will do! Thanks for all the help.

I'm determined to make it easier for both of us so will put in the work! He's getting better at standing still and letting me do his feet so that's a start!

Bearing in mind that he's 15 and last owner had him 10 months and previous to that he was in field for years, it feels like he is a youngster! Practice makes perfect eh!
 
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