Posted by Meg Oliver on October 18, 2002 at 12:58:16:
In Reply to: Re: Leaning into/falling on you posted by Phil Armitage on June 24, 2002 at 23:38:08:
: : : Hi,
: : : I am not a farrier, just an officer of a horse rescue org. We try to make life easier for our farriers and dealing with our foster homes with horses that have been abused/neglected/lack of training - what can we do to get some of our horses to comfortably lift their feet without falling over on YOU our farriers? A little help at home so to speak and helpful hints:):)
: : : Regina Anderson, Treasurer
: : : Lone Star Equine Rescue
: : : http://www.lser.org
: : Regina, if you will ask a horse to just pick his feet up and then hold them up so that they can learn to balance themselves. Lifting too high makes a horse a leaner because he's off balance. Using a hoofpick daily is the Smartest thing and the most neglected thing horse owners do. Daily maybe even twice aday and the animals except it a whole lot easier than every 6weeks when the farrier comes! Good Luck!
: Regina I agree with Gary, another thing to watch for is that other parts of your body (hips) are not making contact with the horses body, this tends to make the horse push into you. The daily training by picking out there feet is great, add a little more time each time to get them use to keeping there feet up for at least a few minutes at a time, also bang on there feet to get them use to hammers. Just some thoughts
: Phil
It depends on the horse and reason for leaning. Those leaners do so for different reasons. As you said, many horses who are neglected or untrained lean. The solution then is in the question....pay attention to them, pick up their feet lots and lots, and teach them to balance. If leaning is a habit, you can poke em in the ribs with just a finger or thumb and verbally correct them not to lean on you. The poking is not to hurt them but to annoy them...and works better with something small like a thumb than an elbow (try it on yourself and see). Also, lots of horses lean cuz they are just too fat. Jenny Craig, HELP! Some lean because of arthritis or an old injury. In those cases joint supplements help, or holding the foot differently or lower can help. As I said initially, it depends on the individual horse. Hope this helps.
Meg