Appreciation post: Giving a spooky gelding extra time made all the difference

Last month, I worked with a gelding who was really jumpy about his feet being handled. The owner wanted it done fast, but I set aside a full day just for introduction. I let him check out my apron and stand near the anvil without pressure. We only did the front feet that first visit, and I came back two days later for the hinds. Now he stands quiet and even seems to enjoy the routine. That experience showed me that some jobs just need space on the calendar. Pushing for speed would have set us back months in trust.

2 comments

2 Comments

ninam862d ago

My old trainer insisted on fast hoof work to avoid spoiling the horse. I used to follow that advice without question, thinking speed worked better. But seeing results like yours, where taking a full day built real trust, has completely changed my mind. Now I see that rushing can actually create more problems down the line. Do you think starting with just the front feet is a good rule for most spooky horses?

charlie_stone722d ago

The barn I volunteer at has a rule for first-time trims: always do the front feet first. But I've seen times when that went wrong. One gelding was more scared of his back feet being touched, so we started there instead. Forcing the front feet rule would have made him run. Now, I check what each horse is afraid of, not just follow a set plan. Sometimes the back feet are the real problem, and you have to change your method.