Does your horse have feet manners?

You should be blasted for a picture like that. It is totally unacceptable to do a horse in that position.

Considering her hip is fused to her spine and she CAN'T pick her leg up and hold it like a normal horse, what's my other option? Her hip is getting worse, not better and the lower you keep her foot, the better she behaves. I've only ever had her "blow up" once on me and it was because I was holding her leg too high while a farrier was talking me through her trim. I went back to my own methods and she's been fine ever since.

I'm sure there are things you do with your horses that you trust them enough to do that I would never dream of attempting with mine...I think this is just one of those things. Maybe I shouldn't be posting it for potential farriers to see, but it's what works for THIS mare. I don't do my others this way, they're perfectly capable of standing on 3 legs and letting me do my work. If my options are to fight her to trim the normal way or let her grow out, OR do it this way...I'll get her trimmed how I can.

Getting down on your knees and hooking her leg over your shoulder is never the way to do anything. You are putting yourself in harms way.
'Get a stand and place her foot on it, then bend over but never ever hook a leg over your shoulder.

Going back to the original topic... Lacey is super easy with her feet. She was pretty hard to pick out and stuff when I first started with her but after messing with her feet everyday for the last few months, she's super good. All you have to do with her is cluck to her as you run your hand down her leg and she'll pick it up. She picks up her back ones as soon as your hand touches her leg (which get's a little annoying when I'm just touching her legs, but whatever).

My farrier loves her too. The first time she came out, after she removed Lacey's shoes and trimmed her, she said that Lacey's one of the easiest horses she's had, as she put it, "the pleasure" of trimming. Haha

Also, if you're really interested in trimming/shoeing I'd suggest you look into barefoot techniques as well as shoeing. The farriers that I've seen the work of, that have only been taught shoeing methods and such, don't seem to understand how to deal with their unshod clients (since not every horse is going to need shoes). The most popular farrier around here does a "great" job with shoes but getting him to do a barefoot (not a true barefoot trim, just a pasture trim or whatever you want to call it) trim is asking for trouble. You end up with all sorts of flares, cracks and other nasties only a few weeks after the trim.

Just saying. =) I think it's great that you want to learn that stuff! I'm actually really interested in trimming myself.

Both my horses are very good with their feet. All I have to do is lean down and say "foot" and they pick up the foot closest to where I am.

Thanks all of you! I spoke with another farrier today visiting the school, and he was pleased that I was interested, and was glad I understood it is the owners/trainers responsibility to work with the horses feet, not the farriers or the vets.

RiosDad- I understand your concern, my mom tells me the same things. I still want to do to it, and probably my friends horses too.

EveningShadows- That is so awesome! I thought I was going to be the only one!

Wallaby- yes, I think all horses should be barefoot if they can. I am most interested in that aspect of it.

I'm glad so many of y'all recognize that! =] I think the problem is people are just inexperienced and scared of horses feet because they don't know how to handle them properly. But I am hoping to do a free clinic at my hometown in the arena on how to properly pick up the horses feet using CA method =]

Don't get down just because you're on the small side; I'm 5'5 and have done my own horses for nearly 10 years now...yes, it can be hard on your body, which is where good training comes into play.

I use part of Clinton's methods, and another method that is sort of my own idea (although I'm seeing it out there now, by other trainers), in which I teach them to give to a feel by putting a cotton lead around their foot, and gently put pressure on it till they shift or lift the foot, then release; It keeps me safely out of the way if he decides to jump or otherwise refuse to give to the pressure, as I can stand at his shoulder, and just move with him; my head and the rest of my body is out of the way. When he has that down, then I move on to using my hand to ask him to give his foot. My mare is learning to pick up her feet by a simple touch\light tap to her knee; she's got her front feet down, so now I am working on the rears. The yearlings I am training are also learning to give to the touch, but they have a way's to go yet. But they pick up their feet nicely, and wait patiently for me or studentst to get done picking them out, and they are pretty easy to trim.

I do my own horses feet, and I don't have a hoof stand yet, so they are all quite good. I don't let them lean on me or stomp their feet down, and to pick their feet up, all I have to do is touch their chestnuts. I make sure to teach the babies the good stuff while they're young. I owned a 3 year old once who didn't know how to pick up his feet when I got him, and I decided after working with him (16hh, 1200lbs) that no horse of mine was going to escape weanling-hood without knowing how to pick up all four feet safely and politely.

Spoken like a true barefooter with no knowledge

I'm hoping you didn't mean that as offensively as it came across... If you read what I said, I said that the most popular mainstream farrier in my area does pasture trims like that. I am not speaking from an opinion about this guy, I have seen his work with my own eyes and if you'd like I could even get some pictures for you.
I'm definitely not saying that all traditional farriers do pasture trims like that, in fact I know they don't (my brother's Boy Scout leader is one I can think of off the top of my head). I was just giving an example of what can happen when someone only uses shoes to fix issues and when they don't understand the angles and such that are needed for a hoof to be healthy.
I think knowledge of both methods would be a very helpful thing for ChevyPrincess to have as a farrier and I was sharing that. I'm sorry you have a problem with me trying to help out a friend.

Sorry for going off topic, ChevyPrincess. =/