shoeing

Question
i have just bought a 4 yr.old saddle mare who is with colt.  i hired a guy to shoe her , he worked very paticent with the mare an after about 3 an half hours managed to get the front shoes on her.  we just quit, afraid we might to damage to the colt , she acted like she was a cross between scared to death an mad as hell.  she is a very loving an babyed mare and kids is about the only ones that i kind find that has ever fooled with her. could it be that she has never been shoed before?   we have her spoiled rotten no longed then we have had her,.  

Answer
Hi Janis!

The most important thing to remember when you are just starting a relationship with a new horse is to not rush it.

They do not think anything special about you even though you love them immensely.  You are just another human standing in front of them....no trust or bond yet.

I would not try to do the back hooves right now and just concentrate on making picking up her hooves a positive experience.  Because she has the front shoes on, he will need to re-set her in about 8 weeks...that is almost enough time to make her calmer for the farrier.

You have to start with good solid ground manners, leading on the rope, stopping for you and backing on command.  When you want to start with her feet DO NOT tie her to anything.  Simply use a longe line with a chain over her nose and take her to a safe, enclosed area.  Not her stall, that is too small.

Drop the line and do not even hold her.  Keep her attention with your body and food.

Have a helper with a bucket of grain or her favorite treat.
Go all around her touching her and when she is calm and good, giver a treat and verbal praise.  Start slowly with the legs and asking her to pick up her feet.  Treats when she is good ~ a loud and dissapproving NO when she is bad or stubborn and just quiet soothing if you feel she is afraid.  But, always go on with the touching and lifting of the hooves.  Hold them up and even put them between your knees like the farrier would and hold it there.  All the while giving her treats and praise if she is good.

Continue doing this daily until the farrier returns and then if possible have him re-set her while you hold her and slip her treats when she is good.

She has to learn not only this but lots of other things in order to have a good, long relationship with humans.  The only thing you have to do is always introduce new things slowly and let her see that she will be fine through it and safe at the end.

Don't treat her like a big lapdog, she does need strong correction when she is stubborn but, on the other hand don't just throw something new at her like she doesn't have the ability to be afraid of the outcome.  That's all that trained horses are...they know what the outcome of an action is through repitiion and that makes them not afraid.  If they know they will be safe and sound at the end of something and that an apple is also waiting for them, they will stand through just about anything!

Good Luck and remember to aleways wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange