Teaching Your Horse to Stand Quietly for the Farrier Author: Willy Lamm
Your horse will have to have his feet handled, trimmed and/or shod all his life. He needs to stand calmly for the farrier. There is no excuse for horses who pull their feet away from the farrier or push the farrier around. Aside from the nuisance factor and wasted time, such antics can result in injury to the horse or farrier. Plus, this is a problem which can easily be corrected.
Materials Needed You will need an open area in which to work, a hand tied "horseman’s" rope training halter, a 12 ft. 3/4 inch kernmantle braid horse handling rope and a "wand". (A wand is a usually a light colored crop or longe whip which has the tassle taped to the body so that it doesn’t fly. Dark crops or whips are suitable for this exercise since the horse won’t be "following" the wand while moving.)
Setting Up the Exercise Your horse has to be able to longe capably on a lead. The logic of this training is that when he pulls or shoves on the farrier, he will be cued to longe a minimum of two and a maximum of 4 laps. The horse will not learn the behavior modification if you also have to teach him how to longe at the same time you are trying to alleviate the bad behavior. He has to associate cooperating with the farrier with relaxation and pulling away or shoving on the farrier with work.
Furthermore, when longing, the horse is expected to move properly and we would handle him as we would with any longe lesson, so the time spent circling is not wasted. Also, you need to call for at least two circles so that the horse’s mind settles into the work, but generally not more than four so that he doesn’t lose the association with the behavior being modified.
Work out arrangements with your farrier in advance. He needs to lay out his equipment so that you can cue the horse to longe the instant he pulls or pushes and the farrier gives the order. Your circle shouldn’t end up going over tools and stands, and if necessary you can take a couple of steps back when you start the circle so the arc is clear of equipment and obstructions.
Executing the Exercise The subjects here are 3-year old Missy and farrier Ron Moritz. Ron previously attempted to trim Missy by himself. Ron is a vary capable farrier who handles horses well, however the precocious Missy was a handful to work with. This time Sharon is handling Missy and they have set up a "learn-learn" behavior modification session. Missy can pull and lean if she wants to, but every time she does, she will be sent out on a longe lesson which we call "taking two". Please note that this is a longe lesson, not mindless circling, so this work may include working in "ovals" or setting up a chain of reverses if Missy really needs to get focused.
Sharon takes Missy’s head and leaves enough slack in the rope so that Missy has some freedom to move around. She has the rope folded so that if she sends Missy out into the circle, she can easily pay out the needed rope so that the tranisition from standing for the farrier to longing at a working trot is immediate.
Sharon also uses the wand to stroke Missy’s legs and body just prior to starting the farriery work and also rubs Missy lightly with the wand while she is standing. Sharon and Ron have discussed how Ron will communicate when he wants Sharon to send Missy off so there will be no confusion or delay. Ron approaches Missy as he would any "veteran" horse.
With the distraction of Sharon’s presence, it took Missy a little bit longer to get fussy about her feet being worked on, but eventually she did try to pull away and she was sent into the circle.
Getting results was really just this simple. Missy understood the association and out of free choice decided to "hang out" with Ron rather than work in the circle. The entire remainder of the foot work, including "bringing her forward" onto the stand to rasp off the toes, went without a hitch.
Some Thoughts on Shoeing the Endurance Horse Author: Keith Swann
Over the years countless suggestions as to how endurance horses should be shod have been put forward. Some of these suggestions have been quite radical, some innovative and many quite impractical. Many "new" methods are tried, often with less than satisfactory results. This has led to much confusion among competitors, farriers and also veterinarians.
An endurance horse obviously covers a greater distance in both training and actual performance than horses involved in other disciplines. Does this mean that the endurance horse needs to be shod in a different manner to other horses? The answer is NO and YES.
"No" because the principles of hoof care and shoeing as laid down by the laws of nature and nurtured and fostered by thinking horse persons over several centuries, apply to all horses irrespective of their breed or the discipline they have been required to follow. "Yes" because of the long distances travelled over varying terrain and surfaces, extra protection from wear and concussion may be necessary.
Earliest writings on selection of the horse, and trimming of the foot, indicate that the dorsal aspect of the three digits (ie PI PII and PIII) should lie in line. It is also agreed that the hoof wall should be straight from the hairline to the ground, ie not flared, dished or shaped like a parrot's beak. The foot should also be balanced medio-laterally and land flat. It has always been considered that, if these principles are adhered to, the horse will perform to the best of its ability, why then, is so much said and written about corrective shoeing and the dozens of different types of shoes, pads, wedges and other devices designed to attempt to correct and improve gait and lameness problems. Too often emphasis is placed on treating the problem rather than addressing the cause.
Modern trimming and shoeing techniques are based on the way a foot grows, develops and wears under natural conditions. These techniques have been adapted for domestic horses after studying the feet of wild horses still running in more or less their natural environment. Domestic horses are mostly ridden or driven in harness and are living in a totally different environment to wild horses. Therefore they need ongoing regular trimming and/or shoeing to maintain their feet in a suitable shape and state.
Of the horses presented with lameness problems in any practice, there are three major contributing factors:
* imbalanced feet * feet that have been overdressed and are too short at the toe * shoes which are too light for the task the horse is required to undertake.
All these inadequacies lead to soft tissue damage which, if addressed early enough can be resolved with correct shoeing with normal shoes.
The following principles are mandatory for good trimming or shoeing outcomes:
* The foot should be level and mediolaterally balanced * The hoof wall and pastern axis should be the same * The plantar surface of the foot should be as symmetrical as possible
When hoof balance cannot be achieved by trimming, the shoe should be placed where the foot should be. This will allow for better weight distribution over the hoof capsule and unless there are serious conformation faults the hoof will eventually assume a better shape.
Many horses with varying degrees of conformation faults can perform satisfactorily if correctly shod to balance the foot. When trimming all flares should be removed and any other distortion of the hoof capsule addressed. Excess horn is removed from the plantar surface and heels trimmed to the widest part of the frog. The shoe is then fitted to this point. This gives the hoof adequate support at the heels and affords protection for the bulbs of the heels.
Because of the distances travelled and the varying terrain covered in endurance riding it is common, and desirable, to fit a plastic pad between the shoe and the sole. Some form of packing between the sole and pad is required to exclude stones and dirt etc. Equthane sole pack (soft) is an excellent product as it sets up very quickly. Silicone roof and gutter sealant is also satisfactory but takes longer to set up. It is necessary to wrap the foot with tape while it is setting.
The theory that the lightest shoe available is best for endurance horses has been seriously questioned with the result that most riders now opt for steel shoes of reasonable weight. An excellent product is the Kerkhart PB classic which is of 20 x 10 section concave. This shoe offers stability and some traction. Some favour wide alumina shoes which are light but not as supportive as steel and tend to allow the horse to slip on many surfaces.
Aytec and Natural Balance shoes have been used by some riders but in most cases do not appear to give sufficient support in that the flexor tendons are unloaded and too much strain is put on the extensor tendons. A school of thought has emerged of late which condemns all shoeing as evil and favours all horses being left unshod. This may be a nice concept but is quite impractical.
Discussions with leading endurance riders and veterinarians heavily involved with endurance riding competitors confirm my belief that the majority of successful endurance horses are shod according to the principles discussed in this paper. Experience has proved that uncomplicated interpretation of these principles ensures the best results and the soundest horses.
What Clients Expect from their Farriers.. ..What the Farriers Expect from their Clients A guide to good working relationships between farrier and client.
What the farrier expects from the client and the horse:
* Horse to be yarded, stabled or caught by owner before farrier's arrival. * A safe shaded or covered area with flat level ground on which to shoe or trim horse. * If owner can't hold horse, it must be able to be tied up safely, with provision to do so in shoeing area. * If shoeing the horse, tell the farrier what work the horse performs so he or she can choose a suitable shoe. * Horse or pony should be educated to lift and hold feet up for trimming and shoeing, it is not the responsibility of the farrier to educate the horse for this procedure on his arrival.
When selecting a farrier for the first time here are a few tips:
* Talk to other horse owners - word of mouth through horse owners is usually the best guide to finding a qualified farrier. * Check their qualifications, as it is an unregulated industry where some people are qualified tradespersons and others have no qualifications. * There will be a variation in the price for shoeing between farriers, always remember you get what you pay for. * Check whether the farrier is a member of an association - being a member of a recognised association gives the farrier the opportunity to attend regular clinics and seminars to keep abreast of the latest issues within the industry.
What the client should expect from the farrier:
* Return calls or messages received. * Punctuality for appointments, if not possible call in advance to advise clients. * That he be well mannered toward client and horse. * Be able to be given an estimated cost of shoeing or trimming. * Provide back up service for pulled shoes, lame horses, etc.
Reasons for shoes being pulled off:
* Horse overreaching with hind feet. * Unsuitable paddock conditions, e.g. horses watering in dams or creeks, or living in boggy grounds. * Shoe stepped on by opposite foot. * Pawing in fences or gates. * Unsuitable fences e.g. netting fences. * Unsuitable shoes e.g. too light a section for horse.
