| |
| |
|
Pets Information |
|
|
|
Picking Up A Horses Hoof
The idea of picking up a horse's hooves can intimidate some owners since a well-placed horse kick would really hurt! Such caution is good, but in reality if you pick up a horse's hoof properly you provide him with no leverage or ability to kick you. This is a situation where a person's worst fears can cause him to imagine an incident that is highly unlikely to occur with careful handling. Here's how to safely pick up a horse's hoof: Starting with the front hoof, approach your horse diagonally from his front so that he clearly knows you are there - you don't want to surprise him. Place yourself even with his shoulder and make sure to face his rear; you will both be facing opposite directions during the hoof picking process. Making sure that your feet aren't too close to the horse's hoof, start running the hand parallel to him down his shoulder and along the length of his leg, finally stopping just above his ankle. Gently grasp the ankle portion and click (or otherwise verbally cue him) to ask him to raise his leg. If he's well trained, that small cue will be more than enough and he'll do just what you requested. You're now free to begin picking his hoof. If your horse is being a bit stubborn or hasn't learned how to pick up his legs yet try leaning into his shoulder as you run your hand down the back of his cannon bone. You can also gently squeeze/pinch the tendons to further cue him to what you would like. As you perform these physical cues make sure you provide a verbal one also (I make a clicking sound) so the horse later associates your sound with the requested response. Increase the weight you push against his shoulder until he finally lifts his leg as requested. When picking a horse's hoof you want to remove all debris from the hoof clefts as well as the rim and frog. Be careful around the frog because it can sometimes be a bit sensitive, particularly if the horse has thrush. Once you have finished cleaning the front hoof carefully guide it back to the floor; you don't want to allow the horse to slam it, potentially hitting your foot in the process. Praise your horse and pat him on the front shoulder a bit so he understands that you are pleased with his cooperation, then run your hand along his back to his rear leg. Place yourself in the same position as you did with his front leg and do the process over again. There is a slight difference between lifting a rear foot and front foot, even though your basic positioning and actions are nearly identical. When you lift your horse's rear foot he will probably give a little jerk that you might misinterpret as a kick. This is a common reflex reaction among horses and nothing for you to worry about. Secondly, when you raise your horse's rear leg you'll want to step into him a bit so that your hip is underneath his leg. Rest his leg on your thigh, grab his hoof and gently flex it upwards. By doing this you lend him some support and more importantly the position of his leg and his flexed hoof will prevent him from being able to kick you. Clean the hoof, lower it cautiously as you did the first and praise him. Congratulations - you're halfway done! The opposite side will be done exactly the same way, but try to return to his front and start the opposite side rather than move around his rear. It's bad practice to approach or circle all but the most trusted horses via the rear in such close quarters since a horse would be within range to strike. When lifting any hoof try to make sure your horse is properly squared (balanced evenly on all four legs) so that when you lift one hoof he can easily balance on his remaining three. At no time should the horse actually lean his weight on you! Even when you rest his rear leg on your thigh you're not allowing him to use you as a crutch. Once you have picked your horse's hooves a few times it will probably become very simple and take less than 5 minutes to clear all hooves. Most trained horses will raise their hoof for you the moment they feel your leg run down their leg. It is a very good idea to control your horse's head while you are picking his hooves. This can be done by attaching his halter to crossties or asking a partner hold your horse's head. By controlling his head you ensure your horse can't move away from you while you're trying to pick his hooves, or worse? turn around and take a bite at your rear! Jeffrey Rolo, owner of AlphaHorse and an experienced horse trainer and breeder, is the author of the above article. You will find many other informational articles dealing with horse training and care as well as games and other horse fun on his website: http://www.alphahorse.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
pets - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Herbs For Your Dog Herbology, basically, is the use of herbs in the treatment of many types of illness. Herein the emphasis of treatment is based strongly on the specific use of herbal roots, flowers and leaves to stimulate the healing process. Dealing With your Pets Allergies It is Winter time again, a time of the year when pets and humans are very vulnerable to each other. As this is obviously the chilliest time of the year, animals are much more likely to be cooped up inside the house with us. Get Educated Before Buying Your Pomeranian From A Dog Breeder Buying a purebred dog is not something that should be taken lightly and not all breeders are equal. To make sure that you get a good quality dog that will be healthy and happy, you need to do some research and shop around. Why Exotic Pets Should Not Be Banned We all know how special interest groups can blow things out of proportion - like the nonexistent "Exotic Pet Crisis." If you listened to some animal rights groups, you'd think keeping exotic pets is cruel, dangerous, and even bordering on treason! Before you buy that agenda, consider that a junior high student once made a convincing case for banning dihydrogen monoxide: colorless, odorless, and tasteless, it kills thousands of people every year. Dog Anxiety - Fear of Thunderstorms, and Other Dog Fears How to Deal With Anxiety in Your DogAnxiety in dogs can be caused by any number of things - illness, travel, thunderstorms, death in the family, separation, or they may develop unexplained phobic or neurotic behaviour, or barking or other antisocial behaviour.If you can identify the cause of the anxiety, then the best solution to the problem is to remove the cause. Attacking the Pit Bull Problem in Los Angeles-MuttShack Animal Rescue Launches Grassroots Campaign Twenty-six percent of the dogs at the six Los Angeles Animal Services shelters are "Pit Bulls". American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, and Staffordshire Bull are various names used to describe the breed and any mix thereof. Fat and Obese Dogs Live Shorter Lives Obesity is one of the most important health concerns facing dogs. If you love your dog, you should do something about it. Orthopedic Dog Beds Many people consider their dog to be part of their family, and want to ensure his happiness and comfort. As dogs get older, they experience the same problems in their canine bodies as humans do. Is There Taurine In Your Dogs Food? Taurine, a water-soluble amino acid, has recently become the topic of conversation when referring to the nutritional composition that makes up the human and animal physical structure. Once thought of as an unimportant A. How To Choose A Dog - There Is A Lot To Consider, But A Lot Of Help Too Choosing a dog is a fun adventure. The search for a new familial addition is exciting, but it can also be a little overwhelming. Worms in Your Dog... Gross! Of all the parasites a dog can catch, worms take home first prize for Most Disgusting. Nobody wants to imagine little worms crawling around in their dog's digestive system, but it's a fairly common ailment that's easily passed from dog to dog. Breeding Your Goldfish If you are keen on breeding Goldfish, you should know that it's not an easy task. It will take a lot of patience, a lot of space in the tank and quite a bit of money too. Down On The Farm As I listen on my long drive to my grandpa's farm, I begin to hit that little corner that always takes me back in time. I now live in town or the city, but my roots run deep, back in time I go to that little community I once lived in, where I grew up, where I was raised. How to Deal With a Noisy Dog - Curing Uwanted and Excessive Barking Contributed with the help of Karen L Overall of the Centre for Neurobiology and Behaviour, Psychiatry Department, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.There are many causes for this behaviour. You Must Train Your Dog From A Young Age The best thing to do is to start training your new puppy as soon as you get him home. You need to teach your puppy your rules, and how you expect him to behave starting from a very early age. West Highland WhiteTerrier Grooming - Key Considerations Whether you intend to show your Westie, or keep him for a household pet, the first key to West Highland Terrier grooming is to start while he is a puppy.Take your Westie to his first groomer appointment after he has had all of his shots, at approximately 14 weeks. Westies Puppies - How to Prepare for Your Westie Puppy Just like when you bring home a new baby, you will need to prepare before you bring home your westie puppy. The needs of westies puppies are not tremendous, but there are a few things that you must have in place to give your westie a safe, happy transition into your life. 5 Things You Must Do If You Want To Create a First Aid Kit For Your Family 1. Accidents and medical emergencies in the home happen frequently. Correcting a Dog Behavior Problem - Jumping The first thing to realize when you are training a dog is that he only does things that work. Therefore, when you are dealing with a dog behavior problem, the first thing you need to address is, "What is he getting out of it?"With jumping, your dog is trying to get some attention-any attention. Pet Doors: Giving Your Pet Freedom to Come and Go as They Please Helps Solve Behavior Problems Pet DoorsAre you considering installing a pet door for your pet? If so, you are in luck. Pet doors are becoming more common and more available.
|
| Article List | Index | Site Map |
|
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved. |
