Rusty's previous owner told me that he was ok for trims as long as the farrier didn't use a trimming stand. They also told me he needed to be tranquilized to be shod! I didn't plan on having shoes on him, so I was ok with that. Out of coincidence, the previous owner's farrier trimmed a friend's horses and I had the chance to witness his "work". Let's just say I quickly figured out two things - 1)why Rusty was afraid and 2) why my friends horses would come in the barn sound and leave lame after a trim.
The past two farriers I used were willing to trim without the stand, so we were able to avoid the problem altogether. Rusty stands well, as long as that stand is nowhere in sight. The latest farrier wasn't working out, so the other boarder and I switched to someone new. He was recommended by a friend and our vet, so the odds were good. I spoke to him on the phone and told him about Rusty's issues. He said that he often trains horses as well as doing farrier work, so if I wanted he would work with him before the trim, if required.
He trimmed my friends horse first and was happy to answer questions and explain what he was doing. (This mare has been lame for a while - he is working on correcting alot of things. Wish I had taken pictures - lots of neat stuff with the bars) He even had a real coffin bone in his pocket and he explained how everything connected and affected the other parts of the hoof. Very interesting!
When it was Rusty's turn, my nerves were high. He haltered Rusty and we took him out in the sand ring. He wanted to get a sense of what he was up against in a nice open space. He did some groundwork to test Rusty - leading, backing, circling, etc. He complimented me that Rusty was good about respecting personal space and was being responsive. I started to relax a bit and settled in to watch and learn. He slowly picked up each foot and if Rusty pulled his foot away, he put him to work - backing and circling mostly. Rusty caught on fast and even started correcting himself if he pulled his hoof back a bit too soon...!
Long story short, it took him about 30 minutes of training and then he was able to trim all 4 hooves using the stand!!! Turns out Rusty's feet aren't in too bad of shape - the other farrier left alot of flare and he is working at fixing that first.
I probably could have made some progress towards this with Rusty myself, but it would have taken me ages... I'm not 100% confident when doing training like that, but I learned so much today that I'm willing to start trying. The farrier gave me some "homework" to work on, so I'm happy about that too! Again, I wish I had taken some pictures, but I was too busy trying to learn to have been worrying about a camera as well. I'm sure with a couple more training sessions, I will no longer be "that" owner! It's a win-win for me, because I don't like seeing horses stressed out and afraid when there are ways to train them to relax. So many people resort to heavy-handed techniques to do things with horses and it just doesn't work...
I totally had to resist giving this guy a big hug before he left (and I'm not the hugging type!! lol) so I just made do with a "thanks soooo much for your time" comment. I'll be looking forward to my next farrier visit, instead of worrying...! That is a nice change for me!
13 comments:
Isn't that the best feeling?! It's great when the horses are relaxed and comfortable with their farrier. My farrier has helped me so much. I always tip him generously.
That's wonderful that you have a farrier who's willing to work with you and Rusty to make sure things are successful - very good!
this guy sounds like a great find! i love a farrier who takes the time to assess the horse and his hooves before working on them. congratulations this farrier seems like a keeper.
Congrats on finding a good farrier. I don't know about your area but around here they're hard to come by.
(mine actually comes to Saskatchewan but is from Alberta!)
That is great! So happy to hear that you found a great farrier, and one that is willing to take the time to help you out and work with Rusty. I am glad he did so well.
My farrier doesn't use a hoof stand for trims, only for shoeing. I suppose they are all different! :)
Good boy Rusty! And good luck with your continued hoof trimming training!
What a find: you better hang onto that farrier! Sounds like he's a decent trainer as well as farrier.
A good farrier is a blessing. I like farriers who are so interested in their work that they are eager to help and educate their clients. And he must really be into his job if he carries a coffin bone in his pocket! This is the first one I've heard of that goes the extra mile and helps with ground work. He's a gem!
That sounds like a great farrier...and a keeper too!
It sounds like I could have used your farrier when we had Taz. Taz and the barn farrier were a bad combo. Taz tried to cartoon horse jump into my arms. Not so funny to be the one a tall, gangly 3 yr old arab tries to crawl in the lap of!
Our farrier now is the assistant trainer at Tasha's place, where Casey is now. As the farrier supply place is here locally (an hour from where Tasha's is), Kerry will continue to be our farrier and come to our farm. That, to me, is the greatest blessing! I don't have to find a new farrier. And Kerry's already done so much for Casey between training and feet!
we have here an awesome farrier.. who's become more like a brother... He's helped me diagnose more stuff with my horses than any 3 vets i know
good farriers are a true blessing
gp
Absolutely fantastic!! I'm so glad to hear that Rusty relaxed and now trusts his new farrier. I'm even happier to hear that you've relaxed and are learning some new tools to use. Thank you for visiting my blog and for leaving such a nice comment. I always enjoy meeting new blog pals, and it's especially nice when they are Appaloosa lovers!! Rusty's adorable!!
great post, thank you for explaining how he worked, it was fascinating.
he's a smartie, your Rusty.
~lytha
Great news, I'm so happy for you! It sounds like that guy is my kind of trainer, he thinks like a horse. Makes the horse think it was HIS idea to stand still, lol!
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