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How do you pick a horses back hooves2007-11-24 21:16:02

I can pick the front hooves, but lifting the back hooves is very akward. Should I stand facing the horse's behind or the horse's front?

Even though my horse (well the one I ride) would never kick someone, you can never be too careful around horses!

I know it's hard to explain in writing, but will you please explain to me how you do it?

Answers:

You stand beside the horse facing his behind. Run your hand down his rear leg, leaning into him just a little with your shoulder at his hip. Helps him shift weight to the other leg. Grab his leg near the pastern and lift. The horse should bend its knee enough so that the hoof fits cradled on your knee that is closest to the horse. For trimming, I hold the hoof between both my knees.

If it's an unfamiliar horse, just be sure you stay more towards the front of the horse than his hoof. Often when I trim a horse's rear hoof, and they start to pull away, when they pull, they lift the hoof up and forward, which lifts it sort of into my stomach, and they can't really pull away or kick. As long as you're close to the side of the horse, the only way it can kick you is to "cow kick", which is reaching forward and swiping at you with its rear hoof, rather than kicking straight out behind it like horses normally do. Just don't position yourself behind the horse at all. Work always from its side.

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face the opposite way the horse is facing. Stand to the side of the leg you want to work with. pick a foot up and hold the "ankle" in between your legs, right above your knees. This way it's really hard to get kicked, and it's easy to hold onto that hoof until you're done.

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Okay always face with your body in the opposite direction of the horse. Walk from the front hoove to the back rubbing the horse and talking to them, (this makes them commutable) Run your hand from the hock down the leg gradually squeezing tighter on you way down. Before you get to the fetlock lean into the horse, squeeze firmly and pull the hoof out towards you, then support the hoove with your hand right across the cornet band. I hope you can understand this.

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stand next to the horses hip of the foot you want picked facing facing backwards to the horse, If it is the horses right hind leg that you want lifted your right shoulder is next to his right hip. put your right hand along the top of his hind leg starting at the stifle...and keeping you hand on the horse while following the leg down on its inside till you get to the ankle, and then sort of cup the hoof with your right hand as you sort of swoop the hoof up, (you may need both hands here if the horse is not really co operative.) once you get his hoof up let the horse take its time to stretch as you pull the leg back slowly so that you can rest it on your right upper thigh.