Slightly irritated

So..i love my new boy...i really do...and yet..there is one thing about him that is wearing my patience thin at this point..whenever I pick up his front feet to clean them out he decides to throw little fits..in example...if I lift up his left front leg,he will right aways either extend it forward trying to get me to let go..OR he will lean to the opposite side,yank the foot away,cross his legs for a moment to regain his balance then move away to prevent me from havign another go at him..he does this only on his front feet..both of them..and it is beginning to annoy me...i have no choice but to let go when he leans like that..as I honestly don't want to even test him to see if he will fall over lol..bad I know..i should keep ahold of it...but I just don't want him falling...any help with this issue would be appreciated..i don't need him doing this when I bring the farrier out...can you just imagine my horse falling on him?...the mental image alone is not something I enjoy also forgot to mention..he did NOT do this when I bought him..i had the rescue owner lift his feet and clean them...for her..he stood absolutely still.

He's doing it because he knows he can get away with it with you. He wants to lean over and almost fall? Fine, let him fall. I bet you he won't want to do that again afterwards. If you keep letting go, he's going to continue doing it. Let him fall over, let him hop around, just hold on to that hoof unless it gets too dangerous for you.

thats what I originally thought..then I read up on leg sensativity and such..but then..lunging him..you can tell he's not tender at all..he moves just fine...i tried keeping ahold of him tonight while picking out his feet..and he almost fell onto my poor boyfriend ..then he reared a bit..hes just a brat I think...my farrier is going to loooove him..::sarcasm::

I think your horse has your number. Quick question, just for mental reference: Is this your first horse?

Not saying you are intentionally or knowingly doing anything wrong, but horses are generally brats because their owners don't correct their poor behaviors. Their owners either don't even try to correct the behavior (fear, which sounds like it may be your issue - you are afraid he'll fall over - or otherwise), or they *think* they are correcting it, only they aren't (either because they just aren't doing it right, or don't understand how much is too much pressure, when to let up/reward, etc). Have a trainer assist you :)

no not my first...i had a 17hh dutch warmblood before this one...and a quarter horse and a morgan before that when I was younger...i just have never had one with such a bratty streak to him lol

my one fear with him falling over..is that he has an old bow in his left front leg...hes sound...but id hate for anything to happen to irritate it...thus..why I am terrified of him falling over...just consider it "new parent syndrome" I know I need to get out of it..but its easier said than done lol

i admit..i have to relearn alot right now and that is why I joined this forum lol

I understand, but the sooner you get a handle on this behavior, the less time it will take to correct it. If you allow a horse to do something for too long without being taught otherwise, it will become a nasty (and dangerous, it sounds like) habit! I really think that, since you are babying him so much, it would be helpful for you to get a trusted trainer to come out, and work with you on some ground handling exercises - one of the best things an owner can do for their horse is ask for help. Even if you've had horses, this sounds like it is probably a new kind of issue for you to deal with (especially with the old injury variable, etc), and it would be to both your benefits for you to get a more experienced person out who can physically SHOW YOU (because trying to explain here, especially when fear is involved won't do you any good) what you should/can do, and show you how to correct the behavior safely... I think seeing someone correct your naughty horse and coach you through it will give you a new perspective. "New parent syndrome" is kind of a cop-out, lol... and YOU KNOW IT!!! Haha. I wouldn't worry about the farrier - unfortunately, many are used to horses who pull, etc... he may even be able to give you some great pointers!

Did you have a vet check before you brought him home from the rescue place? How old is this horse?
If he did not have a vet exam I'd do that now before you do anything else. At least you could eliminate pain as the reason for his actions. Also, were you able to get much in the way of history on him?