dorisday - we should compare notes! Grace has it all worked out.
Have you seen her blog? An embarrassingly true story of how a rescue trains her human on how to handle her properly.
So far so good.
I don't know where you are standing Flicka - but she may be more comfy for trimming if you can put her on rubber, or something conformable.
Grace found standing on three legs on concrete very challenging at first until her feet healed. She is very good at telling me which foot really needs to be done first. I am not so good at understanding, but we are making progress.
Clicker training was really helpful, even though I wouldn't normally use it, it was perfect for Grace.
Grace found standing on three legs on concrete very challenging at first until her feet healed.
Was always a problem for me with Link - he was always better shod on grass - an old farrier called him a shiverer but I'm not sure that is the right term.
At Bob Bowker's seminar in Aberdeen I had an epiphany about it - and started trimming him on a slice of camping mat and he so was much better. Today he is pretty much fine and we don't need to use the camping mat any more. Pony's hooves aren't so far down the road of improvement and he appreciates the soft surface to stand on.
But if you try standing for more than a fre minutes on a hard floor on one leg then you start to get a feeling for what it must be like for them - I tried it and it was on the edge of really painful! _________________ http://www.4hooves.co.uk http://4hoovesblog.spaces.live.com/default.aspx
And Grace is very particular about all her joints being perfectly aligned and her hoof being tilted 'just so'. I find if I indicate (by pointing) that I want her to lift her foot, she puts it where it is comfy, when I support it for trimming I just have to stick to the comfort zone. If I err she wiggles it back into place. No aggression or narkiness, just a bit of mutual co-operation.
I am afraid I find it very interesting - the 'dialogue'. So long as I listen we get along great. The job gets done and we are both safe and happy.
But my vet doesn't approve - it would appear that he would rather get into a fight about it. Can't see the point myself.
Ahem. Well, so much for photos. And Sedalin! Despite a double dose, poor Sarah had her hands full of wriggly and slamming hoofs, I had hands full of wriggly headbutting pone, and that was despite sleepy eyes! Plainly the adrenalin was still pumping!
Fronts got trimmed and rasped - first one fine-ish, second one a bit of a struggle to say the least - only minimal rasping achieved despite a sterling effort from Sarah, so we decided the best plan was to end on a good note (as in, try and get the hoof up and in hand, treat and put hoof down). Hinds, forget it - didn't even go there - she was too wound up.
The whole experience for Flicka was obviously stressful and Sarah made a very valid comment that previous farrier trips in all likelihood were horrid for her - no doubt bullied, shouted at, probably thumped, and tied up really short - all which could also explain the minimal hoof attention she's obviously had.
So, the plan is that I keep working on it slowly but surely; next trim for the herd is 4 weeks away so I've got 28-ish mornings to work on getting feet in hand with softness and willingness. Horsesfirst - do I ever read your blog - I'm addicted to it! Just love Grace's story. Please explain step-by-step guide as to how you train pone to lift hoof when you point at it - incredible!!! And Horsesfirst, Stormybracken and Brucea, really valid comments about 'comfort' in where I do stuff - we noticed this afternoon when we brought Flicka out of her stable for her trim, that she was mincing a bit on the yard surface (old victorian cobbles - lovely, but a pain to sweep and probably not great to stand on with uncomfy unbalanced long crooked hoof walls). So Sarah suggested putting her on the grass. She was instantly more relaxed, stood straighter and didn't wriggle so much - whether that was the sedative or not, who knows - yet after one hoof she started to get stressed with the whole process.
So, we'll keep the sedative to hand and if need be we'll give her a double double dose. Meanwhile, I'll try and enrol a third pair of hands for photos!
If you read that post and its not clear let me know and I will have another go. I have of course had to 'edit' it and its almost impossible to explain the 'dialogue' we have. But observation of the whole horse body language is very important to my relationship with Grace. I struggled at first because Grace whispered. She would go from the vaguest of ear wags or slight nose wrinkle to full out panic attack in a nanosecond. Now she has a much longer and 'louder' communication path which I think is tailored to my rather slow uptake
Horsesfirst - thanks so much for the instructions. Off to get a clicker tomorrow and start with baby steps. I gave her the morning off feet today as I reckoned she had an overdose of foot attention yesterday - and after the Sedalin yesterday I kept her in overnight and she trashed her box in protest, which I'm saving for a big clear out tomorrow when I have a husband to help! So minimal fuss today, just the Sudocreme slather which she was much more relaxed about, the rugging which she again didn't mind, a ton of flyspray, cuddles, treats and out. After one day, though, she already knows where treat pocket is already, and today she purposely wandered up to me twice in the field from afar, so you never know, maybe I'm making some sort of impression on her - probably carrot flavoured though!
I deeply distrust Sedalin I'm afraid. Link was a real monster being shod when I first got him and we tried Sedalin.
I think it is a bit like when you take one of these drowsy cough medicines or antihistamines - you go in and out and you come to with starts. I never found it effective - just made for a jumpy horse who was drifting off and coming to suddenly. Seems to make them more dangerous to you and to themselves is my observation. _________________ http://www.4hooves.co.uk http://4hoovesblog.spaces.live.com/default.aspx
Dyou know Bruce, I think you have a point. I've used it in the past for other pone - when we first got her 4yrs ago she was a Flicka, no handling at all despite massive lies from previous owner to acquire large sum of dosh from gullible me, so we started from scratch with her, then came the first clip, so got Sedalin. Two whole tubes later - still no sedation. Got half a neck off and one very stressed pone who's reaction to fear was to go up on hind legs. Now we do annual jabs/dental/clip in one hit with vet and needle in neck for knock out job - the only way as she won't do dental either. Also my connie who's just a big crybaby and pouts bigtime, hates the clip, and Sedalin did naff all for him either. So we hold a leg up, give him a big trough of never-ending grub, and give the clippers to someone braver than me who stands clear of those cow-kicking hinds. Bless his cotton socks . . . Thank gawd our big softie cob is a clipping joy - makes up for crybaby.
Sorry Bruce, veered off the subject with all too current clip nightmares - so back to Link - how did you overcome shoeing issues - was it perfect practice and patience makes perfect? All suggestions gratefully received . . .
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