Should a farrier hit a horse?

it depends. Ive had to hold unruly horses for the farrier before and when he needed to he has given them the odd thump to steady them up if they are being idiotic.

so yes i probably would, but only to an extent.
 
depends where, how hard and if the horse is jus trying it on. my horse can be a bit of a b@tch sometimes and she was trying it on with the farrier and he just gave her a smack on her belly. not a hard one but it just made her know he wasn't having it. i'm not one to hit my horses but i don't let them mess me about. the horse that was playing up is a rather chunky 15.1 who throws her weight around. can't afford to let her get in her head shes boss or i'm buggered. but if the farrier went for her completely with no reason or if she was just scared i would not be happy
 
NO!! I would be furious if mine hit my horse....he'd get hit from me if he did....I won't tolerate that behaviour at all not matter how fidgity the horse was....does not have the right to hit the horse....
 
My farrier will give fella a bit of a slap, or a gentle dig with his elbow when he starts getting restless towards the end of his feet trim and is sick of standing still, but it isn't hard, more of a "Pay attention to what you are doing and concentrate" reminder! I think a tap, nudge or a gentle slap is fine - even small ponies are so much stronger than people, it is important that they behave or they could hurt someone. However if it was a hard hit, with anything, or I didn't think it was necessary, then I would be having harsh words with them. So really my answer is, it depends on the circumstances.
 
No the farrier should not hit your horse.

However, I do feel that your horse should be trained to stand for the farrier without playing up. If he gets kicked it is his livelihood at stake.
 
Ditto Andy - I would probably reprimand my horse before the farrier, they should behave and stand still to be shod so the problem never arises.

At the end of the day a farrier has to be fit for work and if one pig-ignorant horse injures him then he has no way of earning his living so in that respect, yes he should be allowed to smack a horse who can't behave
 
My farrier will growl at my boy if he is naughty, but as with vet, my horse seems to know when he can and can't mess around. I would be happy for the farrier to square him up if needs be but I wouldn't be happy if he hit him.
Many years ago I had a pony who got bored half way through shoeing and would mess around. The farrier really laid into him one day, more than he needed. Pony was only half shod but we told him where to go and he was never going to sho my pony again, which he didn't!
 
I was annoyed about it, Horse just a bit fidgety really nothing bad or nasty. farrier thumped him twice. I was not happy and told him so, in fact not be using him again.
 
My farrier will smack my horse if she's misbehaving and that's OK with me. I would do the same thing! He doesn't beat her, but yells in a loud voice and gives her a whack, usually on her butt. She always settles down after that and doesn't fool around anymore.

In the grand scheme of things I don't think a smack from a farrier is damaging her in any way.
 
JoG said:
Ditto Andy - I would probably reprimand my horse before the farrier, they should behave and stand still to be shod so the problem never arises.

At the end of the day a farrier has to be fit for work and if one pig-ignorant horse injures him then he has no way of earning his living so in that respect, yes he should be allowed to smack a horse who can't behave
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It is up to us to present a safe, mannerly horse to the farrier.
 
My gelding had very bad manners when I first had him and was very bolshy, so yes my farrier has smacked him a few times with my approval.

Half a tonne of Welsh Cob throwing a brat attack because he's bored of standing still just isn't on.

Last time he was shod he got the best behaved horse of the day sweet :D

My farrier is also very patient with young and nervous horses.

I completely recommend him and trust his judgement.
 
It has to be said though, that NONE of our horses ever mess around for the farrier, he just has a way with them that makes them stand like statues.
 
It is no longer necessary but in the past my farrier has smacked my horse.

I wouldn't allow anyone else to lay a finger on her, but this person has shod my horse for years and I trust him.
 
I understand its the farriers livelyhood etc but to thump a horse twice in the stomach just for benig a bit restless is over the top and he was told so in no uncertain terms. I was just worrying I over reacted.
 
No. But then I wouldn't hit a horse either so if that's soft then so be it. I was told my farrier kicked one of my horses once in the stomach, this was a perfectly quiet and gentlemanly horse who would do nothing ever to hurt anyone and I had trusted this farrier for years with my horses and always left him to work on them alone. So you can imagine how upset I was to learn of his treatment, he admitted to me he had lost his temper because the horse accidentally trod on his toe (and he'd forgotten to put his steel toe caps on). My hubby escorted him off our farm and I told him to never step foot near us again, I was more upset that someone I thought I knew and trusted could be so cruel and behave so appaulingly with a simple animal than the horse being hurt because I knew the horse had already forgotten the incident, but I most certainly have never forgotten and will never forgive.

If you work with animals and children you absolutely must have an even and controlled temper. For the same reason I would never work with kids then someone who cannot control themselves shouldn't work with animals.

Edited to add the farrier I have now is 70 and a very small man, yet he manages to shoe my Shires and big heavies without ever once resorting to violence in any form, his manner and quiet handling is enough to make even the most restless animal settle. He is a wonderful man and I absolutely adore watching him work and interact. THAT is a good farrier and one I trust..although I never leave my horses to be shod without me there now..lesson learnt.
 
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I have given my permission for my farrier to give L a tap.
She is fine with the farrier but can be a bit lazy with picking up her back legs and can sometimes play up so I tell her off but in some cases I've told my farrier he can giver he a tap on the bum. She then behaves impeccably afterwards, she's the type of horse that would try and get away with murder if you didn't tell her no.

My farrier is not only here to shoe my horses, he has many other horses to shoe which earns him a living so my horse should behave otherwise if she injures him (she most likely wouldn't, but just saying) I would feel so guilty that he is unable to shoe other horses and out of work.

Before any of you think my farrier is abusing my horse it's not as though he/ or I attack her with a rasp over and over again! :rolleyes:
 
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i know a farrier who gave a horse a thump with his elbow whilst still holding the rasp in the same hand (backwards) the sharp point where the handle would be went in to the horse and pierced its skin, okay so it was a skin wound, no it was dead 48 hrs later the diaphragm had been pierced as well and it got peritonitis.
 
I would have sacked the farrier straight away!
I run a yard and we have a few that can be naughty. If the farrier has a problem they should tell the owner not take it upon them selves to hit the horse. If the owner/ handler wants to tell them off fine its up to them.
 
If it needed it I'd probably have got there first but I trust my farrier completely and he would only ever do it if they were big bad as in kicking out at him. After all, it doesn't pay them to make the horse scared of them if they have to do them in the future so they're not going to make a habit of it but if the horse is bad enough to need one then it should have one else it'll get away with doing it for ever more.

If a horse is bad to do perhaps the owner might like to have a go and see what they would end up doing in their place; it's not always black and white.
 
This is one of the problems when hitting becomes ok? Rasps and nippers are in the hand and are often used as weapons in the heat of the moment! :mad:
 
I questioned this myself when my farrier first trimmed Harry's feet... He'd only been done once or twice before and I was still working on his ground manners. Anyways, Haryy decided to swing himself round, trying to avoid mr Farrier, and farrier gave him a big whack in his shoulder. Now I was a bit shocked by it but Harry then behaved and he's been getting better every since, almost fell asleep last time, and he didn't seem that phased by it and doesn't have a problem with farrier because of it.

So I dunno, looking back Harry was being very rude and he did nearly stand of him so he probably did deserve it, but I would not accept it now as his behaviour would not warrant it.

Think it can depend on how the horse is, if they're being really difficult and likely to hurt said farrier, it may be acceptable, but very dependant on the situation.
 
No, never. If your horse is a prat then it should be up to you, as the owner to sort him/her out. As a farrier I think it's in the job description to be calm and patient in order for the horse to trust them.
 
No, but on the other hand it is the owner's place to train their horse to behave (or find someone who can do it for them). When my horse was difficult to shoe, right at the beginning of his life with us, my dad and I spent lots of time conditioning him to have his feet handled, and made sure we were available to hold him for the farrier. So if he needed a gentle word to calm him down, or a growl to tell him off, someone responsible was there to give it.

Not saying YOU do this of course op, but some people just seem to expect farriers to deal with their green or ill mannered horses. IMO it's not surprising that they get annoyed in those circumstances.

If a farrier hit my horse I would be hopping mad! But I make sure I hold up my end of the bargain too!
 
it wouldnt be ethical for the owner to do it as they are not trained to do horses feet, the particular horse i am talking about actually was doing nothing too bad bar pulling its foot away from the farriers hold - i simply told the story to show how a simple back elbow thump can have disastrous results, yes the said horse should have been held but then not all horses are held for farriers - the said horse was not mine, thank the lord.
 
imo, no.

but then if I have ever had something silly to shoe/trim I supervise and I am the one to decide if it gets a smack or not.

my farrier wouldn't ever smack my horses but there has never been a need tbh.
 
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