Watched a young horse go from refusing to pick up a back foot to standing square in 3 sessions. Here is what changed.

Had a 3 year old coming in last month that would nearly fall over when you touched his hind legs. First visit took me 45 minutes just to get him to lift that back foot for a second. I focused on positive reinforcement with a carrot after each time he let me hold the foot. By the third session he was standing square and letting me clean and trim without a fight. The owner was shocked but it was just taking my time and rewarding small steps. Has anyone else had luck with this approach on a nervous horse?

2 comments

2 Comments

robert27521d ago

Honestly, is this really that deep? I mean sure, it's nice that you got the horse to stand still but it's a 3 year old, not some wild mustang. A lot of them are just awkward and need a minute to figure out what you're asking. I've seen way too many people act like they discovered a new method when it's just basic patience with a carrot. Tbh I think a lot of this "nervous horse" stuff gets overblown online. If you can't get a young horse to pick up a foot in three sessions maybe you're overthinking it. Ngl I just tell people to quit babying them and be consistent.

janaf9121d ago

I've been working with OTTBs for about 8 years now and honestly, I see this all the time. A horse that's been handled every day for months still needs you to read that specific horse not some generic timeline. Three sessions might work for a laid back warmblood but a sensitive TB just shuts down if you push harder instead of waiting ten seconds for the lightbulb to click. The real trick I've found is asking once and then absolutely not moving my hand until the horse even thinks about picking up the foot. That quiet waiting is what makes the difference, not just being firm or being soft. One of my young ones needed almost a full minute his first time and now he's the easiest horse to trim because I never made him feel rushed or frustrated.