[Ink]

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Ack don't know what happened continued below

 

[Ink]

Ok so the farrier was out at the barn yesterday and Dublin desperately needed her feet done so I met him out there during my lunch break. I told him I just wanted him to pull her shoes and trim her so we can see how she goes barefoot. So he goes to work on her. I had no idea how she'd do (her last owner didn't have her long enough to get her feet done). She tried to pull back a couple times when he was doing her front feet but nothing major. Then he got to the back feet he managed to get the right one done but she did manage to get her foot loose and kick him in the process.

When he got to that last back foot Dublin had about had enough of it. She kept jerking her foot away from him, and he was getting more and more frustrated. Then when she got him again he hauled off and kicked her as hard as could in the stomach. Then went to his trailer and pulled out a twitch. That just ****ed her off more, so he got rid of that and tried again. Then the next time she jerked away from him he took the hoof muppets and thwacked her twice hard in the haunches. At this point she about jumps out of her skin every time he comes near her, and I should have put and end to it right then and there, but I didn't. Then after a few more failed attempts he brings out a lead rope and ties it around her leg and uses it pull her leg up so she can get her kicks out without him near her. At this point I really should have said something because that made me a nervous wreck. But we were the only two people out there, and I had no idea what to do. So I'm close to tears at this point Dublin is just licking away trying to get the dang rope off leg. Finally when the rope slipped off of her pastern and onto her cannon bone I said "ok! That's enough". So the farrier took the rope off her and told me I didn't owe him anything but not to ask him to do her feet ever again.


And that's the story. So Dublin is more or less ok. Her back leg was a little puffy when checked on her last night, but luckily she doesn't act too sore on it. And of course she let me pick up all of her feet no problem so I don't know. She's normally so calm and relaxed and she picks up on new things so fast. I don't know what happened, but I could just kick myself for letting them fight it out for so long. Even now it makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. :-(
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[Speed Racer]

Why did you let the farrier fight it out with her? Why didn't you, as her owner, correct her? Especially after she kicked him the first time.

It's completely inexcusable that you stood by and just watched everything happen. I don't blame the farrier for not wanting to do your horse again, if you don't get after her yourself when she acts up.

 

[Ink]

Oh one more thing. Sorry for the ling story I just had to get it off my chest. I don't intent for this to turn into some huge debate over what is or is not appropriate punishment. I understand why he hit her, and I also think it was a excessive. Either way it's done now and irellivent whether it was ight or wrong. If, however, you would like to give me some pointers on things I can do to work with Dublin so she'll be more cooperative next time, I'd be grateful to hear them.

Ok I'm done now for real.
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[Ink]

Speed racer, I was holdig her and a did everything I could to correct her. I've never had anything like that happen before I didn't know how to handle it. I eneded up getting dragged around a bit in the process.

Edit: would really be interested to know what exactly I should have done.
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[mls]

She's normally so calm and relaxed and she picks up on new things so fast.

I don't know what happened, but I could just kick myself for letting them fight it out for so long. Even now it makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. :-(
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How long have you had her? If her previous owner didn't have her long enough to get her feet done, I would assume you'd owned her a few weeks? You have no real base for 'normal' yet.

I admire the farrier for staying with it. Getting seriously hurt doesn't make his truck payment. Our farrier would of asked for a tranq and then said the horse gets training or I am not touching it again.

 

[dee]

You might ask your next farrier about a lip rope if she gives him/her any grief. The lip rope is painless and releases endorphins that help the horse relax. Our farrier used it on daughter's colt the first time he ever got his feet done. Colt was over a year old (but his feet weren't bad, surprisingly enough), and relatively unhandled. He had been acting like a butt, but as soon as the lip rope went on, he calmed right down and stood like a champ. Been standing just fine ever since!

 

[Tianimalz]

Yeah... even though I had Indie for only a week before I got her first trim (back then she was literally about half wild) the farrier told me that if I didn't get her straightened up; to never call him again. Have you done leg lifting exercises with her?
Every horse should be expected to stand quietly while they have their feet done... it'd be advisable to get her used to it asap. Just a little bit every day will do wonders

 

[Red Gate Farm]

I'm thinking since Dublin hadn't had her feet done for awhile, she was sore! Poor mare. Maybe a tranquilizer or at least some pain medication before the farrier tried to pry off her shoes.

That may be why she was acting up so much. Kudos to the farrier for putting up with it until the job was done.

When working with my farrier, I hold the horse's lead rope and stay on the same side as the farrier. He knows if the horse acts up, I will pull her head towards me and her hind end away from him. That is one way to help.

Do you have a good working relationship with this farrier or was this the first time you used him? Maybe having a chat with him and asking him how he's like to proceed, apologizing for the bad session and asking how to fix it. That's what I would do. Well, if you like his work and want to use him again.:wink:

Another thing I do with my horses is keep their focus on me if they start to act antsy. I'll lightly play with their muzzle, working on the same principle as the twitch but without a twitch. I'll lay a hand on their neck to assure them. If they do act up, I will be the one to discipline them, I apologize to the farrier and ask where he would like them so we can continue.

I hope this helps you a bit.

 

[mls]

You might ask your next farrier about a lip rope if she gives him/her any grief. The lip rope is painless and releases endorphins that help the horse relax. Our farrier used it on daughter's colt the first time he ever got his feet done. Colt was over a year old (but his feet weren't bad, surprisingly enough), and relatively unhandled. He had been acting like a butt, but as soon as the lip rope went on, he calmed right down and stood like a champ. Been standing just fine ever since!

The twitch and lip rope work on the same area. With a small percentage of horses, the procedure increases the anxiety instead of detracting from it. A neck twitch might help - different area of the body.

 

[Ink]

MLS - yes I've only had her a few weeks. Perhaps normal isn't the best word more like up till now. She's just taken every new thing we've thrown at her so well I didn't expect to have issues. Plus she had a full set of shoes on. I'm wondering how that happened now :-/

Dee - twitch and lip rope are the same thing. Unfortunately it didn't do anything but make her even more mad. I think that might have been because he twisted it REALLY tight before he handed it off to me. They were both beyond frustrated by the time he brought it out.
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[Ink]

I'm thinking since Dublin hadn't had her feet done for awhile, she was sore! Poor mare. Maybe a tranquilizer or at least some pain medication before the farrier tried to pry off her shoes.

That may be why she was acting up so much. Kudos to the farrier for putting up with it until the job was done.

Yes I think that might have been part of the problem. It seemed like she got progressively worse after he did each foot. I've not had a lick of trouble with her feet so far. She always picks them up fine for me, and even after he called I quits I made sure I was able to pick them all up before I turned her out just to make sure we didn't end on a bad note. She did fine for me, but then again I had her in the arena then off of the concrete and I let her keep her feet pretty close to the ground when I pick them up. He had her leg jacked up pretty high when he was trying to work on her.
Thanks for the tips. Luckily there's another farrier that does some of the other boarders out there so I'm gonna try him and see if they get along better.

A neck twitch might help - different area of the body.

Haha I actually tried this too after we took the twitch off. I remember it worked for some of the school horses when they'd get antsy standing for the farrier or the clippers. Alas, didn't really do anything for her. But like I said I've never in my life had one act up as bad as she did.

 

[dee]

I'll have to take your word that the twitch and the lip rope are one and the same. The lip rope my farrier used didn't twist at all - it just ran through the halter, into his mouth and rested tightly up against his gums. It could be adjusted just by lengthening or shortening the rope where it ran back up through the halter.

The only lip twitches I've seen actually clamped on the lip itself. Maybe lip rope is a misnomer?

 

[Ink]

Dee, you're right that is not the same thing as a twitch. My bad!
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[Saskia]

They need to jack the legs up pretty high and a horse has to get used to it.

Picking up feet to be cleaned, and having to hold them up for a farrier can be quite a different thing. If I were you I'd put some time into it everyday. Pick up the feet and hold them there for a while. When you do the back feet practice pulling them forward and holding them there like the farrier requires.

 

[Poseidon]

Honestly, I would have asked for her to be tranqed if the farrier hadn't suggested it himself. I don't blame him for not wanting to do her feet again.

I held a mare for the farrier last weekend and she was being all kinds of jiggy. He told me that she's usually fine, but sometimes she just has those days. She was dancing around and tried a couple little warning hops. He got two feet done and said "Nope. I'm not dealing with her today." And tranqed her.

 

[LetAGrlShowU]

He was doing what any boss horse would do. Matter of fact, YOU should have been the one to put some fear in her. I had the farrier out on Saturday and my boy pulled his leg from her twice. The first time I yanked on the lead and gave him a big "uh uh!" but the second time, i warned her, if he did it again she needs to back up because he's gunna get it. I would have grabbed the lead rope and whacked the horse a good couple times until she thought you were going to kill her. Because, ultimately, she could have killed him.

 

[wild_spot]

I have always been taught to let the farrier handle any disobedience. Of course I have my horses as well trained as possible beforehand - but my carriers have always preferred to deal with it themselves. What if you yank the lead and the horse shies into the farrier? What if you hit the horse and it cow kicks the farrier?

Only one of mine acts up, and when she gets antsy my farrier takes the rope off me and works her then goes back to trimming.
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[kitten_Val]

Twitch doesn't work for every horse (from my experience) - with some indeed the situation may get much worse. Now, I personally correct horses myself (yes, a good smack is in place for my qh when she misbehaves), but because my farrier doesn't like to do it with customer's horses. I'd have no problem if he'd correct my horse when needed (and I told him so several times). Farrier job is one heck of dangerous, so I'm trying my best to keep him safe.

As for your horse, Ink, sounds like you didn't have him for long. I'd suggest starting working with him every day, may be even twice/day, picking his back hoofs and cleaning, brushing, knocking on bottom with some tool, pulling in different positions farrier needs to pull into.

 

[Joe4d]

You do the same thing you would do to correct anything else. Make what you want easy, what they want hard. If a horse pulls back more than a couple times, ask farrier to move, then back back back, then circle circle, walk back let stand and farrier resume. The horse figures out real quick standing still on three legs is easier than running backwards and going in circles. Kicking and hitting them isnt that helpful.