# Horse will NOT pick up his feet for picking.



## creepalurkin (Oct 8, 2008)

Okay, here's the scoop. I have a 4 year old QH gelding named Kiwi. When I first got him he would pick up his feet fine so I know this is my fault because before I moved him to a closer stable (last week), I was not giving him the attention and training he needed... so he basically has no ground manners. Plus I was a student doing about 60-hour weeks and the place I had him at was 30 minutes down the interstate. (The new place is about 2 minutes from my house)

Anyways, he picks up his back feet just fine; but he absolutely will not pick up his front ones. I have literally tried everything! 
-Gently leaning on him, lightly rubbing my hand down his leg.
-Stepping on his toe.
-Pinching his chestnuts.
-More aggressively trying to pick up his leg.
-Pushing on him to move him so I could snatch up his leg as soon as he lifted it.

I don't know what else to do. No, he doesn't "sense" that I'm getting frustrated because I'm usually very calm about it. He'll usually pick them up for other people. It's a pain in the butt and I don't know what else to do. Any pointers? :???:


----------



## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

try gently but firmly tapping his heel with the hoof pick while doing your normal routine of trying to pick up his foot. 

what are chestnuts?? cuz it sounds like something that made me giggle lol


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Put a lead rope around the leg (just above the hoof) and pull it up. I found it's easier to pick up that way. Do NOT clean it after that, but just keep doing it, say 10-15 times every day and each time try to hold it in air longer. That's how I started my horses. Personally I think you are lucky he's like that with FRONT and not back feet. :wink:


----------



## sempre_cantando (May 9, 2008)

I agree with the tapping - tap softly and slowly to start with and get harder and faster until he picks it up. He is guaranteed to because he won't like being tapped. When he picks it up, stop tapping immediately so he gets a reward. Don't pick up his hoof to hold, until he gets good with the tapping thing.


----------



## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Chestnuts are the dark callous growths on the inside of a horse's legs up by their knees. They are there to cushion a horse's legs while they are squeezed together during birth


----------



## creepalurkin (Oct 8, 2008)

I've also tried the tapping before...

When he actually does pick his feet up (which is a miracle) he'll hold them there fine for me to pick, he doesn't struggle. I think he's just stubborn.


----------



## Gingerrrrr (Feb 12, 2008)

put pressure down his leg. like squeeze his leg with your fingers so it will get annoying to him. thats how i got my stubborn horses to pick there feet up.


----------



## sempre_cantando (May 9, 2008)

If you've tried tapping and it didn't work, you need to tap harder. Do it on his cannon bone because this will hurt him if you do it hard enough. ONLY do it hard if you've first tapped lightly and given him a chance to respond when you've asked nicely. Can I ask what you are tapping with? If its your hand, it won't be very effective lol


----------



## appylover31803 (Sep 18, 2007)

Have you checked to see if there's any heat on his front hooves? Has he ever had any lameness or founder issues?

My one gelding was almost impossible to pick up his front feet. It was always a hassle. But when he would finally pick up his feet it wouldn't be for long.
When we moved him and my other horse back in June, i started to pick up his feet and reward him (with either a treat or a rub) anytime he tried (at first, shifting weight, then picking it up a little bit, etc etc until I was able to pick it up and hold it there for a while.)

On his one leg, that has caused him the most pain (he has arthritis), i would take the end of the hook pick and press into his leg. I'm not sure on the exact location. I can point it out, but not describe it (but I will look it up in a second). It made it uncomfortable and he would lift his hoof. After just a few sessions of doing it, I can now pick it up fine.

This will take a lot of time and patience, but if you're determined, and the horse is healthy and sound there shouldn't be a problem.


----------



## creepalurkin (Oct 8, 2008)

He's perfectly healthy. He's gotten a little better about the left one but is still just as stubborn with the right. I've been tapping with the rounded part of my hoof pick. That's what seemed to do the trick today, but tried the same for the right and he wouldn't do it, I even tried the lead rope thing. I tried tapping all over his leg lol. Hard and soft and kept doing it and doing it. Whenever he picks up his leg I reward him with a treat or some pets. And when I'm holding it up, he's fine. He doesn't try to get it out of my hand.


----------



## creepalurkin (Oct 8, 2008)

Well guys, I've tried it all. The tapping definately seems to work for the left one, but NOTHING works for the right. Oh well, just gotta keep working with him I guess.


----------



## TwendeHaraka (Oct 5, 2008)

creepalurkin said:


> Well guys, I've tried it all. The tapping definately seems to work for the left one, but NOTHING works for the right. Oh well, just gotta keep working with him I guess.


I had the same problem with my horse, only it was the right front.

Have you tried pushing your elbow into the back of his knee? It didn't work for me until a while after I got him picking it up a different way, but whenever he's being like that now, it does work.

OR maybe forcing him to take a step back, and when he does, grab his foot before he has a chance to put it back down?

I'm trying to remember the way I forced him to pick up his right front when he didn't want to, but I'm drawing a blank. I'll edit this if I remember...


----------



## my2geldings (Feb 18, 2008)

So your horse knows how to do it, the key now is to get him to start behaving and lift his feet. There are a lot of options available to get him to start doing it again. Be persistent and repeat, repeat repeat.


----------



## creepalurkin (Oct 8, 2008)

Oh yeah, he knows how to do it. He's just being a jerk about it. Yes, I have tried elbowing him in the knee. And if I try to grab it when he's moving it, that's when he'll usually slam it back down before I get a good grip on it. :roll:


----------



## Horse Poor (Aug 20, 2008)

Pinch hard and TWIST those chestnuts...like you were trying to remove a stuck lid. If that won't do it, pinch the back tendon using the sharp hook part of your hoof pick (instead of your fingers) against your thumb.


----------



## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

I'm just consistent with the tapping of the hoof pick. If you aren't doing it to where he'll lift. You aren't tapping hard enough. You should be able to hear the thunk, thunk, thunk. Keep doing it in the same place until he lifts. Think " chinese water touture" lol... Tap tap tap in the same spot consistently harder, he'll pick up the hoof. If he puts it back down before you can pick it up....Tap some more. He'll get tired of it and give in. Just stay focused on the same spot.

He KNOWS what you want. He sounds like he's testing you...Like he's trying to win one of the "little battles" :roll: Sorry fella...You lose, pick up that darn hoof!!!


----------



## dustytrailzz (May 25, 2008)

The chestnuts are actually a result of evolution. So are ergots which are the growths on the back of a horse's fetlocks. Horses used to have 4 toes. One evolved into the toe they walk on (or the hoof) and two have evolved into chestnuts and ergots. The fourth toe has since disappeared. Just some interesting info.

Keep trying and getting tougher with your horse, it sounds as though he just would rather not pick up his feet for you. Good luck.


----------



## ArabianAmor (Aug 20, 2008)

iridehorses said:


> Chestnuts are the dark callous growths on the inside of a horse's legs up by their knees. They are there to cushion a horse's legs while they are squeezed together during birth


I knew what they were but I never knew why!! Learn something new everyday! Thanks!


----------



## horsey*kisses (May 12, 2008)

my horse has the same issue only with his back feet today i pushed him over with my whole body and grabbed his foot, he almost fell over i felt kind of bad but hes stubborn! on his front feet all i have to do is bend over and he lifts his foot for me then i catch it and pick it out then move on, with his back feet its a neverending battle!


----------

