How To Handle A Difficult Horse With A Farrier
This gets a bit harder since there’s a third party involved. You can handle a horse on your own and stroke them all over and down their legs and ask them to lift their feet regularly . This may help greatly as they’re getting used to their legs being handled.
But, no offence to farriers, as I have met some beautiful good natured ones but also some aggressive ones. Time is money and some people have a short wick and will become angry with a horse quickly. Don’t ever feel bad about swapping or trying a new farrier if your not happy. It’s your safety and your horses that may be jeopardized if an aggressive person in handling your horse, whether it be a farrier, dentist, vet etc.
I had a farrier once that held my horse’s legs out to the side too far and the horses became unbalanced very quickly but if they dared react he’d become aggressive. It‘s a hard situation to be in as you don‘t want to offend someone but at the same time you need to explain they‘re not handling your horses correctly. I swapped farriers and had no more problems with any my horses standing still. Funny that!
My first horse who I still have is fine to handle if she remains relaxed but in the early days the second she started to feel uncomfortable, like leading her away from her friends or tugging on her lead rope etc she’d become a wild child! She’d kick, rear, pull backwards and do just about anything else to get away. I had a farrier once who said he wouldn’t handle her again, yet I could pick her hooves up and handle her all I liked and so could the next farrier I used. Why? Aggression.
The first farrier expected her to keep her leg up no matter what. It didn’t occur to him that she may be becoming unbalanced or sore and may need a moment on all fours to rebalance etc. He reacted by growling and grabbing at her lead rope. This upset her to no end and it became a vicious circle. He reacted, she reacted, he reacted, she reacted and on it went. So pretty much at the same time as he was telling me he wouldn’t handle her again, I was telling him not to bother.
The next farrier I used was a very pleasant and relaxed person. He’d put her leg down and give her a rest. He’d keep his cool and not react if she did. For years he did all of my horses feet with no problems or fights.
We have since moved and I’ve been lucky enough to find another good natured farrier who is very calm and respectful with the horses.
As mentioned above most farriers are professionals and will be very good at handling horses. But, as with us humans, sometimes personalities clash. So if your horse is repeatedly bad for the farrier please consider changing farriers, even just once to see the difference. Horses deserve to be treated with respect and kindness even if time and tempers are short.
It is also very important that you remain calm as the horse will quickly pick up on your vibes as well as the farriers. For safety you should stand to the side of the shoulder the same side as the farrier. Then if the horse was to react one side is clear for them to move to. Also having your arm out straight with your hand on their neck or shoulder ready to push the horse away if they react is a good idea.
Cheers Elizabeth
I AM A FARRIER FROM SOUTH AFRICA,IN THE POLICE FORCE.I ALSO GOT A LOT MORE OUT OF THE HORSES AND MORE PLEASURE OUT OF MY WORK,BY THINKING OF THE HORSE FIRST.THERE HAS BEEN A HORSE THAT I COULD NOT SHOE,BUT I THINK THAT WAS A PROBLEM ON THE HORSES SIDE.MOST PROBLEMS WHERE THE OWNERS.
Hi Brandon,
Thanks alot for you comment. There are the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to people handling horses!
As a farrier,what can people do to make your job easier and the experience better for the horse?
Thanks again Elizabeth
I am a farrier’s girlfirend who goes out with him while he does his job. I often have to hold the leads for him. I have seen how some horses react and it is pretty scary but like you said you have to not show the horse any of that. The more you do the more the horse reacts. I think as the owners you should handle your horses legs a bit more. Kinda trace from the shoulder all the way to the hoof. It makes it easier since most Farriers who handle your horse for the first will kinda do that to get a feel of the horse. I have seen this done over and over for 5 years now. It seems to work great. Having a better place for the farrier to work at is great also. The more space the better. It just gives all of them space in case the horse happens to get out of control. One thing Farriers hate is for you to tell him what you think is wrong or happened with the Horses’ hoof. They know what it is before you tell them. And if you dont feel comfortable with his verdict then talk to your vet. You have to understand sometimes horses lean all their weight on the farriers back for support while they are shoeing them. So understandably it is a hard thing to do for them to remain unreactive. I dont know if this gave you any insight but I see it all day long and being tugged by the horse isnt easy either.
Hi Keleigh,
Thanks for your comments. I agree farriers do have a pretty tough job having to hold up horses legs all day long with all that weight behind them. But this is a very un-natural thing for a horse. Going back to their origins, wild brumbies would have their hooves naturally trimmed by going over rough ground or unfortunately go lame. Leaning to compensate being off balance is a natural thing and a farrier makes a good resting post!
As owners we can place our hand or arm on the horse’s neck or shoulder to try and alleviate some of the weight off the farrier. Also small, tugs on the lead rope to keep the horse alert and their weight even may help. As owners I agree we should definitely handle our horses to get them used to having their legs lifted etc but I also think a professional horse person, such as a farrier, should have the patience and knowledge to handle different situations with horses.
Working in stables for years I got to see a lot of different people work with a lot of different horses, some brilliant and some not. I think some people have a natural report with animals and some don’t. And I think horses pick up very quickly as to a person’s nature.
I got a little stale myself after a few years having to deal with young, immature horses that you hardly had time to get to know before hopping on and holding on for your life! So I got out and am happy to have horses now as my hobby and not my job.
Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth
I have shod horses and mules for 42 years and had to retire because of a very bad back and right hip. Two back operations and a total right hip replacement. To many farriers are in a hurry and they end up fighting with a horse.The easier the horse stands the faster you can work.Now as for pushing on the horses neck or shoulder the more you push the MORE he will lean. A horse will go against weight. Just try to push on his hip to make him move over,he will lean and push back—Right? Ok shake the lead line a little get his get his head up. This helps a lot if the farrier does not pull his leg to high or out to far. But remember some horses will lean and put all their weight on you they know what they are doing Deal with it it is part of the job. But try different things. I had a few horses that a little jab in the gut and they stand up. I said a LITTLE jab.I take my hammer handle and touch them. I also had one who would kick you through the wall if you did that. trial and error.
Hi Larry,
Thankyou very much for sharing your experience with horses with us. Wow mules, what are they like to handle? Does the old saying “As stubborn as a mule” ring true? Haha!
I guess there are some lazy horses out there that will lean but as a general rule a horse should move away from pressure. The aids when we ride are to place your weight and pressure on to the side of the horse you want them to move a way from. Eg: If you want to side step to the left, you slightly move your weight through your seat bone to the right, put a little pressure with your right heel just behind the right girth and pull the left rein out to the side a little so the horse feels pressure from the right side of the mouth and in turn the horse should move to the left away from the pressure.
Your right though, different things for different horses. I’ve got a horse that if you dare put her in a yard she will endeavour to find a way out, broken yard or not! Where as a normal horse would probably neigh for a while and then settle down.
Hope your hip and back don’t give you too much grief,
Thanks again,
Elizabeth