Comments on: Train Your Horse to Pick Up a Foot

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 06:06:29 +0000

I start with a lot of approach and retreat and stroking their leg in the direction the hair grows. Never grab, just ask gently. If the horse jerks their foot away or stops then work their feet, i.e. lunge them in a small circle. If they try to lay down then stay with them. Release their hoof only when they are calm about it.

By: Tina

Tina — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 14:11:03 +0000

I have a a eight year old gelding. He does everything I ask of him except pick up his feet. I have tried everything and he acts like he is falling to the ground and won’t pick up his feet. He cow kicked me when I moved back. I need help.

By: Terry

Terry — Sun, 05 Jul 2015 16:06:11 +0000

What if my foal is already 3 months old?

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:31:30 +0000

We recently adopted a shelter horse who allowed hooves to be cleaned fine at shelter during interact time. But now at home she will not pick up her front hooves for cleaning. I have tried all the ideas presented with no luck. Should I just work on getting her to pick front hooves up before even attemping to use hoof pick? Honestly, I would not have adopted her if I knew this was going to be an issue. Please share any baby steps so we can go forward positively to reach goal of four clean hooves and not just two back clean hooves. Why will she allow only back hooves to be cleaned?
Thanks for any helpful ideas!

By: Nicole

Nicole — Sun, 28 Dec 2014 15:27:47 +0000

I have a small horse who was abused by the farrier as a colt. When I got him you couldn’t touch his feet without him pulling away, hopping on 3 legs, kicking, pawing or rearing. He minorly injured me and 2 or 3 other people. It’s been 3 years but he finally will stand groundtied for me to pick up all 4 feet. He will stand for the farrier if you let him eat. (This is a different farrier from the one mentioned above.) No more doping or nose twitching finally.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 15:30:37 +0000

If your horse starts to hop around three legs when u pick out his feet or even bow try having an assistant there to simply put there hand on his bum do discourage this, if he continues to do this put a little more pressure on. When your horse starts to stand more square praise him and even give treat. DO NOT BE TO ROUGH WITH THIS THEROY, A HORSE CAN FEEL A fly ON ITS SIDE SO WHY SHOULD WE BE RUSHING THEM!

By: Elle

Elle — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 08:11:43 +0000

I was hoping this article would help more with other scenarios…like mine where my yearling started off picking up her feet when she was younger, but now when her feet are picked up, she will start to go to the ground and sometimes almost lay down. I hang on as long as I can and know to not let go, but it’s so much of a struggle, she will even hop around on the other three legs and it just wears me out.

By: clara

clara — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 07:36:19 +0000

My horse lets me pick them up but then moves back and starts to bow, Can someone help???

By: PKL

PKL — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 06:13:15 +0000

My yearling filly will pick her little hooves for me, is a holy terror for the farrier. Just reading to see if I could find some hint in this article.

By: Christine

Christine — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 10:26:17 +0000

At our barn we have a little fat mustang pony that was abused at his past ranch. He is slightly tolerant about picking up his front feet, but when we tried his back feet he would kick and its hard to hold a hoof of a horse who is kicking at your face. If you are ever faced with this problem, I found the most helpful training technicque is to get a lead rope and put it around the hoof and simply lift it up and he will pick up his hoof. Then grab it and reward him. Now he picks his feet right up without a problem.