Hoofs

Question
Hi, I recenting recused a 13yr old Arabian mare from auction. she was a nervous reck ,scared,shy and every untrusting. The 8 months that she has been with us she has gotten alot better,but she still has her days. The crazy thing is that I toke her out trail when I thought she was ready, and she great under the saddle. Someone toke the time to properly train her. So here!s the problem. I can`t get her to give her hind hoofs so I can care for them. When I brought her home we couldn`t even touch her hind quaters with out her shaking and moving to get a way. She swing her weight and kicks when we go for the hind hoofs.

Answer
Hi Virginia!

This is a great question and a fun one so solve!  You are right, your horse lacks trust and is very scared.  She feels the need to keep all four feet on the ground so she can escape and save her life.  This is how important it is to her, it is a matter of life and death, that is why she kicks at you.  

You can change this with quality.  Get going on your ground work.  Find a good rope halter with a 12' tree line lead and teach her how to disengage her hind quarters, get into a round pen and hook her on.  These are two of the best ways to start building your mare's confidence and trust in you.  If you have not seen this type of ground work, look up Buck Brannaman on the web and check out his "Ground work" DVD also find Ray Hunt and watch the "Back to the Beginning" and "Colt Starting" DVD's.  These will help you a bunch!

Next, I want you to rub her all over.  If she can not stand still for this, don't make her, allow her to move around you by disengaging her hindquarters.  If she feels the need to move let her do it in a meaningful way.  Getting her to roll over her hocks keeps her from feeling trapped and keeps her from beginning to panic.  To disengage the hindquarters the horse moves around you in a 10 meter circle with the inside hind leg reaching up and under the body, the inside shoulder needs to lift and step forward and away from you.  All four legs need to be moving evenly.  Again, take a look at the DVD's to clarify this movement.  Keep rubbing her.  Eventually her feet will come still, when this happens really make her feel good, praise and rub her.  Keep working your way toward her hindquarters.  Pat her softly, with a cupped hand and a feel that says "it is going to be okay, you can survive this".

Pay attention to your horse.  Listen to her breathing, is it smooth in and out or uneven and tense almost like she is holding her breath?  Does she grunt and tense up her muscles as you pat her?  These are all signs of major tension and this has to be taken care of before your horse will allow you to pick up her feet and hold it up for you.

Keep rubbing working your way to the hindquarters and then to the hind legs.  Use a confident hand to brush down her leg.  Stand with your body as close to her shoulder as you can, looking back toward her flanks.  Place the arm closest to her body up on her back while holding the lead rope, be ready with this hand to roll her over her hindquarters if you feel a kick coming.  With the other hand, stroke down her hind leg.  Take your hand off her leg before she takes her leg away.   This is VERY important.  You have to get out before she leaves!  You are trying to teach her that she can stay so don't drive her away by staying to long.  Se may only be able to tolerate your touch for a second or less at this point, but be patient!  Keep up this pattern until you can stroke her whole leg, both sides, without her leaving or kicking.  This will take time, so throw away your watch and your calendar.  Success depends on your feel, timing and balance.  You will make mistakes, and that is okay.  Your horse knows your heart is in the right place and horses are very forgiving.  

You will have to get your horse a little dull to your touch and then start asking for her to lift a foot.  Depending on how sensitive she is you can run your hand down her hind leg and put some pressure on the groove on the leg just above the pastern joint or scratch/rub the ergot at the back of the pastern joint.  When she picks up catch the toe of her foot...LET GO BEFORE she takes her foot away and rub her leg and praise her again.  Keep building on these steps.  At this stage, never try and hold her foot, it won't work and will only serve to scare her more.  Let go first and then keep building.

Getting this mare confident with a flag, tarps and a slicker, plastic bags, etc will really help her.  Getting control of her feet by getting her to step over ground poles, backing in circles will also make a huge change in her.

I'd like to share with you how to use a cotton foot rope so that you can teach her how to stop on a hind foot and lead by her front feet.  This will solve a multitude of issues with your mare and make picking up her feet a dream.  However, you need good qualified help with this or you can get your horse into trouble.  If you can rub her all over and rub her hind leg but you are still having some trouble...let me know and I will talk you through the foot rope.  It is something I do on all my horses for the rest of their lives, it really makes a difference.

Keep me posted on your progress, Virginia.  Have fun with this.  You are building a wonderful equine partner, how exciting!

Smiles and Miles! Denise

Hi Virginia!  Did you get this answer?   How are things going?  Let me know!  Later, Denise