Let’s face it. No one wants to have to pick out a hoof or look at an injured hoof when a horse is behaving badly. Neither does your farrier. It’s hard enough to keep your own feet out of the way and not get stepped on on a good day. Imagine what your farrier has to cope with as he wrestles around with tools and nails, deals with a nervous owner, or dodges the barn dog running underfoot to grab a snack of hoof, and on top of that, your horse is bouncing around from side to side.
Your horse's safety and your farrier's safety depend of your horse's behavior. We all know that sometimes horses do misbehave, become afraid, or jump around. But if your horse chronically misbehaves while being shod, you need to work with him to resolve this issue. Daily handling of your horse and his feet is the best solution to helping your horse behave for the farrier.
Is your horse misbehaving due to pain, fear, prior mismanagement, or lack of education? The solution depends on what's bothering your horse. Here are some tips to help you determine why your horse is misbehaving.
- If that's the case, talking to the vet may be in order.
- Usually a horse that is patiently handled will gain trust in both the handler and the farrier in a short time. As long as you can determine the cause of his fear and avoid it, your horse should return to his confident self in no time. For example, maybe he's afraid because he sees or smells the smoke from a hot shoe, the sound of the grinder, having been stuck with a high nail from the last shoeing, or been scared by a running dog while on the cross ties.
- If your horse had been mismanaged during prior shoeing or trimming, he should be dealt with as a horse with fear issues. You must be patient and repeatedly build his confidence. Both you and your farrier should have a system so your horse gains confidence with each lift of the hoof.
- If you acquire a young horse or a horse that hasn't had proper handling, be sure to work with the horse before the farrier comes for the first time!
5. Sometimes your horse may behave better when you're not there. Ask your farrier what he prefers. I know from experience that when I'm present, my own mare pays more attention to me than to the farrier. That makes his job significantly harder. Instead of focusing on the farrier, she pays attention to me (usually begging for a treat). As a result, she doesn't focus on her job of picking up her feet and standing still for him. I respectfully let him shoe my mare when I'm not there, knowing that she'll behave better for him that way.
