Picking a Horses Hooves?

First let me say that most people OVER pick a horse's hooves. I check for rocks but unless I feel something wrong in the stride (Like Lilian on this) I do not pick a horse's hooves. In damp ground the packed in mud, holds moisture and softens the hoof. Allowing it to flex more. This is better for the horse. On hard dry compact ground the packed dirt tends to come out, allowing the hoof to dry and harden in response to the harder surface. This allow less wear on the hoof.

No with that said, I still do all my own farrier work (as well as taking care of about 20 other horses too) and will not allow horses to lean on me. Here is how I stop that nonsense....I like to do this on soft bare ground.

When they lean, keep the hoof bent up, buy don't support any of the horse's weight. In other words let the horse fall. Most will realize you will allow that, way before it actually happens and will straighten up and stop leaning. A few, very stubborn ones, will let their knee touch or knee go down on their shoulder, but those are very few and very far between. This is an old farrier's trick that has served me well. I can place our finished horse's hooves in my lap while I am sitting on a 5 gallon bucket and shoe them like that if my back happens to be bothering me.

Faustina...no you don't drop the foot. Although Julie may tell people that as a safety precaution to avoid a lawsuit. Do that and you give the horse what they want. Just discretely move to the side while still holding up the foot and let the horse fall. Just be careful you are not in the horse's way if they do fall.

When the foot is up and he leans, poke him on the girth when he leans on you. Or turn loose quickly and let him tip and scramble. Is this something he has started or did he do it when you first got him?

Some are just that way! One of the horses at a school I worked for did it very bad. I put shoes on all the other horses but had a F. come and do him.

Years ago all the riding schools had to have the students pick the hooves before they rode. Now they have decided that the hoof is shaped to pack around the frog and on the sole and it is not that necessary. I will clean my horses hooves occasionally and put Strong Iodine around the frog. I check if I feel any kind of an off step but certainly not every time I ride.

I'd have to say, "Don't let it happen." You can train a horse that it's all right to lean on you, or that it is not. Everything you do with a horse, even picking up a hoof, is training.

So if a horse leans on you, change the training. (First train yourself to notice the situation instantly and to correct it.)

Work it until you and the horse get it right. Don't give up. Especially don't let the horse win "this time" because you're "in a hurry". Do not pick up feet when you are in a hurry, but instead set aside a time when you'll be picking up feet, just for training.

Do I follow this rule myself? Um, well, I'd rather not answer that right now. I'm in a hurry.

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Ron~N, our farrier has a shoeing stand that he built out of a jack-stand for cars. He replaced the part that goes against the car's frame (or lack of frame) with a rubber-lined curved cup that holds a hoof or leg gently at a reasonable angle. Some horses like it. Others neatly flip it out of the way. And a few horses just put a swift hoof into the farrier himself. Never did understand why someone would choose being tortured by random horses as his profession.

Lots of great answers, I notice I tend to agree most with those who say "Don't allow it". I realise you yourself most likely didn't cause the problem here. For what it's worth, I would say that, for training purposes, you lift the feet as many times as you can, even if you don't pick out every time, holding the hoof up just briefly then putting it down, and a pat and a quick quiet"good horse". Don't go overboard with the praise, this is the behaviour you expect every time, from the horse's point of view it should be just what you do. Do the feet in the same order every time. My 20 year old mare will have her next foot already lifted for me or the farrier when we get there, many people are surprised, but it is simply well established habit.

Just a little PS after reading a few more answers - no point in getting into a battle - horse is bigger and stronger - use your brain instead!

best of luck!

Unfortunately some farriers (especially the big lugs) let the horses do this when shoeing. I agree with snezzy, and also Avis.don't allow it and train your horse to do things the way you want them to.

I am a retired blacksmith and never did a lot of shoeing but had a friend that had large Clydesdale's and one in particular had an unusual big foot and shoes could not be bought for him so i made a heap up just for that right foot. We -Hot shoed them. He had a stool that he sat on but also an adjustable stool for the horse which was well padded so they could lean on that.He made that himself and i have never seen any available on the market yet.

Lots of horses try to lean on their handler when holding up a foot, particularly a hind one. Never try to use your own weight against a horse - you won't win! He will simply use more weight against you.

You can get a horse out of the habit with a little time and patience. Try asking the horse to pick up a foot by very gently tapping the lower leg with a dressage whip. As soon as his foot comes up stop tapping and give lots of praise. Don't grab his foot.

You should aim to gradually extend the time that the horse keeps his foot up on his own. He won't want to hold it up for too long naturally without having it held there.Reward the horse for trying to keep his foot up on his own just a bit. Next thing is to ask for a foot. Reward the horse each time he lifts his foot, however long that is.

Then start to cup your hand around the hoof for a few seconds, first using your fingers only and then gently let it down. Using your fingers only to begin with rather than your hand will not give the horse enough to lean against and it will help him to balance himself without leaning on you. It will also take much less effort on your part to hold the foot by the toe with your fingers. Remember to praise him. He will quickly associate the praise with the lifting of his foot.

When the horse is standing quietly with having his foot in your hand, then is the time to clean it out.

Make sure you pick your horses hooves out at the very start of the grooming routine. This means you're not doing it in a hurry at the end. Start on one of the easiest hooves. For me this is the front right. Make sure you've giving the correct aids (face the hind of the horse, start at withers and run your hand down the horses back leg, etc.)

Make sure you've got a good grip of the hoof (I usually put my hand closest to the horse around the hoof and hold it underneath, with the hoof resting on my palm... If that makes sense), then start to pick out their hoof. Obviously make sure you're picking away from you, avoiding the sensitive frog.

The second the horse begins to lean his weight on you, lean towards them and point the elbow of the hand holding the horse's hoof. Do not let him win. If you lose grip, try again immediately.

Often horses who do this try to make you let go by 'pawing the air', basically just waving their hoof violently to make you stop. Again, just keep tight ahold and lean towards them.

Once you've finished your horse's hoof, make sure you let go for them to put it down. Do NOT let them be the ones to make you stop. If they lean their weight or shake their foot to get free, even if you're finished, pick their hoof up again and put it down yourself. Don't let them win.

Reward them, after each foot give them a treat (i usually just give them quarter of a treat a time, don't want to give them too many), and after a while, just give them the treat after you've done all four

good luck xx

Grasp the toe with your holding hand and bring the foot up to his elbow so his upper leg is pointing straight down. You should then be able to hold the toe with a couple of fingers.

Get his back checked out as he might have a back/balance problem, a pinched nerve or something that makes it hard for him to stand on 3 legs and balance.

What is he like with other people and the farrier?

Your horse needs to learn to balance on three feet. The safest way I know to accomplish this, for the human and the horse, is to use a rope around the horse's foot to pick it up. Loop the rope around the pastern and apply light pressure. Don't pull the foot up, let him pick it up on his own. When he takes the weight off that foot, release the pressure. Build on that until he can pick that foot up without a fuss. This way he has nothing to lean against to help him balance and he learns to arrange himself to balance on three feet,he will be able to hold his feet up on his own when you ask and that foot won't weigh much in your hand.

If they lean all their weight on you, you do it back! push your shoulder into them, that will make it uncomfortable for the horse to lean on you, and will make them more reluctant to lean on you. Lifting the horses hoof up higher will also put them more off balance if they lean on you.