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Post by Andrea on Jan 7, 2006 1:38:22 GMT -3
I thought I might as well start one of these things for Sundance Well, so far we've achieved haltering, blanketing, grooming, and now we're working on leading, and his hooves. He's pretty good with his back hooves, but isn't so good with his front feet. Once I finally get one of his back feet up, and keep it up for about 5 or 6 seconds, and I put it down when I want it put down (not when he wants to put it down) I stop on a good note, and repeat with the other back hoof. I thought he would freak at the blanket, thinking it was a monster, but he doesn't mind it at all. He's actaully very calm with .. everything. Havn't had much time with leading, but he's not bad with it .. just needs to understand that when I move, say 'walk-on' and give him a little tug with the lead line, it means move. lol. most of the time he gets it though .. And he has no bad habbits what-so-ever. He doesn't bite, or kick, or even put his ears back at you .. such a good boy We'll just be working on those two things for a long time until he's old enough to get on the lunge line .. woo fun.
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Becca
Level 3
Ride on
Posts: 613
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Post by Becca on Jan 7, 2006 11:17:30 GMT -3
thats great to hear that you and sundance are doing so well !
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Post by amandaelizabeth on Jan 22, 2006 16:01:04 GMT -3
i was juss wondering how old your horse was...
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Post by Andrea on Jan 22, 2006 17:06:44 GMT -3
9 months
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Post by Andrea on Feb 5, 2006 16:47:09 GMT -3
Okay, so Sundance's hooves need to be done soon. They're getting a bit too long for my liking, and well, his comfort. I've been working with his feet, and trying to get him to pick them up, and I have success with his back feet, but I can't get him to keep his front feet up. I was thinking maybe it's balence he needs. I'm trying my hardest to get him to trust me that I won't hurt him, and I don't want his foot forever, but being calm and consistent doesn't seem to be working, well, fast enough. His feet need to be done, and I don't want Mary to be fussing with him for hours just to get his feet done. I was wondering if any of you have any ideas of how I can get him to pick up his front feet and let me at them for at least 5 seconds
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aks
Level 2
Splash&Katie
Posts: 295
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Post by aks on Feb 5, 2006 18:45:24 GMT -3
Have u ever tried clicker trainnning.. i do that with my horses and i find it works great
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Post by Andrea on Feb 5, 2006 23:36:44 GMT -3
Is that where you click this thing after your horse does something good and you give them a treat? I think i've heard of that .. might try it
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Post by Vicky on Feb 5, 2006 23:47:31 GMT -3
Once he gets used to having his feet picked up, its a good idea to start tapping around his hoof with the hoofpick (while youre holding his foot) just so he doesnt freak out when your farrier does it. I did this with Zam and it worked fine JUst do it everytime you pick up his foot.
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Post by Andrea on Feb 5, 2006 23:52:02 GMT -3
yeah, I clean out his back feet with a hoof pick, but I just can't get him to stand/keep his front feet up long enough for me to clean them out
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Post by jumpthemoon on Feb 6, 2006 0:06:22 GMT -3
How high are you trying to hold his feet? Sometimes if balance is the problem a horse finds it hard to hold it's foot up high at first. You need to start off only picking it up a little ways and increase the height as they develop their balance. good luck!
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Post by Sarah on Feb 6, 2006 9:51:16 GMT -3
Yeah remember he is probably still a shorty! You might be asking him to hold them too high.
I would probably work to small goals. Lets say we are picking up his left front foot. (Have someone hold him or secure him if he is used to being tied.) Stand with your left shoulder against his (face the back) and run your hand down his leg, while leaning in (he will have to shift his weight over). When he shifts his weight over (even if it's just because you are pushing him), stop and REWARD! (Some kind of treat I guess, how old is he? Carrots/apples should be okay but check cause I have little experience with foals.) Go from shifting his weight, to picking his feet up JUST A BIT, and REWARD HIM IMMEDIATLY. And then build from there. Go from picking them up a bit, to a bit higher, to a bit higher, and then once he'll pick them up, go for holding them there longer. IMO I wouldn't try to push for it all right away, esp. with a foal. Take your time so that you will have results that last his lifetime.
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Post by Andrea on Feb 6, 2006 12:41:33 GMT -3
I barely lift his foot up 5 inches .. he'd probably fall over if I were to lift it higher haha .. Even when I run my hand down his leg, it's like he panics, and shift's his weight backwards, or moves backwards, usually .. but he's perfectly fine with his back feet .. And when I groom his front legs, he's perfectly fine with that .. (I use a really soft curry and a soft dandy brush on his legs) I can touch him all over, and he loves being groomed, so I thought it was balence or something, keeping me from getting at his front feet, because i'm pretty sure he trusts me. .. I notice a big change in him, because first when I met him in his stall, he would go to the back corner, and wouldn't let me touch him, now he comes right up to me when I open his stall door and puts his head right in his halter! haha such a cutie But thanks for all your help guys! geez, getting Chloe to pick up her feet was EASYYY. Sundance is a strange one haha
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Post by Sarah on Feb 6, 2006 13:43:52 GMT -3
Well if he does pick them up then I would just take it really slow with him. He's only a baby remember - he probably doesn't understand yet.
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Post by Andrea on Feb 19, 2006 17:53:26 GMT -3
Progress Report: Still very good with his back feet. Front feet getting a little better, especially his front left hoof. I still can't keep his front right foot up though. I sit there and rub his leg, just to show him I won't hurt him, and he lets me do that, but he still won't let me keep his front right hoof up. Hooves still havn't been trimmed, but I have asked a man who does it for his own horses(because Mary doesn't do it any more), but still havn't gotten a reply. Hoping to by the end of this week.
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Post by Sarah on Feb 20, 2006 10:41:11 GMT -3
Hey I was just browsing some online articles and found this one that might be of interest to you (off http://www.horse-canada.com)
Teach Your Foal to Pick Up Its Feet
Gentle, early handling of the foal and consistent positive reinforcement are the keys to training success and the development of a trusting, manageable individual.
Because our horses will often lift up their hooves for us on command, we tend to forget what an act of trust and effort it truly is. We are essentially disabling a flight animal by taking away his means of escape. It is also not easy for a thousand plus pound horse to suddenly readjust his weight and balance on three legs .
If you begin training your horse as a foal to pick up his feet on command, you can teach your horse that there's nothing to fear from having his feet handled by you or the farrier.
Sandra Costanzo, breeder and trainer of champion Welsh ponies at her Schomberg, Ontario, Brookside Stud says that starting early is best. "The key is working with them when they're very young and letting them feel that there's nothing to be afraid of. Start at a very early age and do it every day. Repetition is very important with young stock."
Costanzo trains her foals to wear halters on the first day, so that they become accustomed to it and can be handled more easily when wearing one. When training them to lift their hooves, a helper can be invaluable. "Have somebody physically strong to hold them, so that if something goes wrong, they won't initially get the idea that they can bowl you over," Costanzo says. However, she stresses that aggression with the foals doesn’t work - being gentle and kind is important. "You have to put yourself in his position and imagine how he feels."
To begin picking up the feet start in the stall with both mother and foal as early as possible. "I like to pick up my foals' feet on the second or third day [after the foals' birth]," says Costanzo. The surroundings are familiar and mother is nearby, so generally foals are more comfortable in the stall. These steps can help you train your foal, though Costanzo advises, "Assess the situation as you go along - every foal is different."
1. The important thing is to let the foal get used to the feel of human hands both on the body and on the legs. Clip a cotton lead onto the foal's halter. Pet the foal gently all over, rubbing your hands on the foal's legs and body to accustom the foal to handling. "It's very important that the first experience is a good one," says Costanzo.
2. After the foal accepts this, stand facing the foal's rump, with your left side and leg against the foal's shoulder. Gently run your hand down the foal's near front leg. This is some times best accomplished by placing the foal against the wall to limit the foal's movement.
3. Lift the foot gently, accompanied by a verbal cue. You must use the cue without fail every time you pick up the foot. Costanzo's command is 'up'. "You can use any term, just as long as it doesn't signify anything else," says Costanzo. If the foal does not want to lift his foot, try pressing gently behind the pastern. Be sure to release the pressure the moment the foal complies. A word of warning: make sure that you do not put your head under the foal's belly. If he were to collapse you could end up with a serious neck injury.
4. Take care not to lift the foal's foot too high. "The biggest mistake that most people make is lifting the leg too high," says Costanzo. The foal could panic, which would not only set the training back, but endanger both handler and foal. Don't try to do too much with the foot now that you have picked it up. At this point, you are just trying to accustom the foal to the sensation of having a hoof lifted and to the cue associated with it. "Don't do anything else - just pick them [the feet] up," she says.
5. When working on the back legs, you may wish, for safety's sake, to hold the tail on the side that you are working on. By restricting the tail, you are also restricting the vertebrae in the back and are therefore controlling the movement of the foal, who will be less likely to try to rear or move forwards.
6. Move around the foal and repeat lifting each leg. Your cues must be identical, so the foal does not get confused. Do not rush the lesson; at the same time, keep your lessons short, so that the foal will remember them and not tire. Repeat every day.
7. As the foal gets used to the lesson, try simulating all the actions that a blacksmith would do. Tapping the foot with a pick and rubbing the hoof walls will help prepare him for eventual hoof trims, shoeing and other care.
When the foal is four months old, try picking up the hooves outside of the stall. Take him into the aisle so that he can still see his mother, but is physically separated from her. Pick up each foot in the same manner as before. Eventually, you can proceed to having him stand tied while you pick up each foot and from there, to the first visit from the blacksmith.
Thanks to Sandra Costanzo of Brookside Stud for her help with this article. Costanzo is a Canadian Equestrian Federation judge and clinician, as well as a breeder and trainer of Welsh ponies.
Canadian Horseman March/April 1999
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