[smallholder in the city]

I posted earlier this week about my new 3 year old shetland mare Bonnie who arrived on Saturday.Since then she's been settling in but very reluctant to pick her hooves up for me.

I did get a bit anxious and started catastrophising after looking at pics of neglected hooves online. But then I remembered my instructors advice to think like the horse and decided she was probably not quite trusting me yet so patience was key.

I've spent each night just spending some time with her, going for a little walk up the track between the paddocks, practising standing still when tied up and lifting hooves.

Tonight success !!! she was ever so good stood perfectly still and let me lift each hoof and hold it before putting it back down.

She still messes about a bit when we return to the paddock from a walk basically refusing to go in and trying to push me around. I just stand firm and wait then eventually she goes in and gets lots of praise when she does. This does feel like she's testing me a bit so hopefully she'll soon learn.

Anyway just stupidly happy that she's happy for me to pick her hooves up so wanted to share   

[SallyintNorth]

Well done!  Sounds like you are doing all the right things - lucky Bonnie to have come to a home like yours.

[Roxy]

Well done!!  We have a pony who has issues with having their feet picked up, due to a too impatient farrier, so any progress is so pleasing when they begin to trust again.

[princesspiggy]

we are using clicker training with some of ours and it does work if it suits their temperment and your objectives.
uv done well, good luck

[Rosemary]

Good for you!

I've been working on trailer loading with Smokey. He'll now walk into the trailer (I stay at the bottom of the ramp) and today, I followed him in and Jane (our foot trimmer) closed the gates (it's a livestock trailer). Smokey backed up a bit, felt the gates with his bum and went back to his hay. What he's not keen on is me leaving him in the trailer, so we'll keep working on it. I don't care how long it takes so long as he's confident and happy.

Sounds like Bonnie is going to have a good life with you.

[smallholder in the city]

Being a psychiatrist I can confidently say that horse psychology seems similar to humans in a lot of ways; especially when dealing with fears and anxieties. Build up to it step by step not moving on until you're completely comfortablewith each step.

[SallyintNorth]

I've been working on trailer loading with Smokey. He'll now walk into the trailer (I stay at the bottom of the ramp) and today, I followed him in and Jane (our foot trimmer) closed the gates (it's a livestock trailer). Smokey backed up a bit, felt the gates with his bum and went back to his hay. What he's not keen on is me leaving him in the trailer, so we'll keep working on it. I don't care how long it takes so long as he's confident and happy.

Oh, well done Rosemary!     And Smokey! 

[mab]

Good for you!

Curiously I've had a very similar experience with my new Pony Rosie - IMHO It's quite a learning curve getting your first horse! 

mab

[ellisr]

My horse took a good 6-8 months to trust me fully.

We backed off with all the riding and just spent time with him as a horse and he now is the most trusting animal I have ever known he even tries protecting me from my over enthusiastic whether 'Cutlet'.

He follows me around like a lap dog even if I walk down the lane he is right behind me. He is part of our strange family and a huge part at that.

His problems were he didn't like his face or ears touched so we worked on that and now I can wash his face like you would a baby and I can handle his ears no problem at all it was just slow and gentle.

I think now the problem is he is a bit too helpful when I'm clearing the fields he tries to push the wheel barrow to me and it nearly always topples

[sabrina]

I always tell people to take a year to build up a good trusting relationship with a new horse or pony. Little steps are better than rushing in and expecting everything to be perfect. You are doing a grand job.

[white-blazes]

Good on you   My 10 year old shetland gelding (we've had him 8 years) is the easiest pony in the world, if only they made them about 14 hands - he's first in the trailer (drags you up the ramp) and he is totally bombproof, nothing phazes (sp?) him.  He never used to have his feet trimmed as they always wore down naturally as we took him for walks.  Sometimes my daughter would lead him whilst riding her cob mare, of course it helps that they are best buddies.  He gets regular trims now though as he's started with laminitis since last summer so we have to restrict his grass from time to time.  Farrier is brilliant though, despite having a broken back trying to bend down so low

[ellisr]

I have the opposite problem my boy is so big you need a ladder to do anything. I need to put him on a hot wash to shrink him down a bit