Few things are more frustrating for farrier and owner than a horse that keeps moving, prancing, or pawing when the farrier needs him to stand still. If your horse won’t stand for the farrier, you as the owner need to consistently work with your horse in between farrier visits so when the farrier comes, his work will seem more familiar to the horse.
Ask your farrier to show you how he lifts and holds hoofs, so you can practice lifting on holding your horse hoof the way the farrier does while your horse stands still. Depending on what your horse dislikes most about farrier visits, practice having your horse stand calmly while you lift and hold hooves. when your horse stands quietly as his hooves are handled, ask your farrier if they have any dull rasps- to you can teach your horse to stand quietly as you run the dull rasp over their hoof. Finally, if you plan to have hose shoes put on your horse by your farrier, you may want to practice having your horse stand still while you tap their hoof lightly with a small hammer.
These three exercises you can do on a regular basis without your farrier will help your horse learn how to calmly stand for the farrier.
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