If sitting on him and
making clucking or kissing noises while you squeeze with your legs or tap with
your heels does not work, you can throw him off balance to make him take a
step. For the first several sessions, keep it at a walk-eventually you are
going to want to move faster, but as long as he is showing reluctance to even
walk, work only at the walk.
For a horse to lift
its feet, it must be taught how. As cleaning hooves is an essential part of
horse care, you need to teach your horse how to willingly lift its feet when
asked.
Learning the right
timingis essential if you want to teach your horse to pick up their feet easily
when asked.
You can choose any
sound you want to prompt the foot being picked up as long as that sound does
not startle the horse. You need to consider your safety and your horse's
happiness when caring for your horse's feet. Below are some steps so you can
care for your horse's feet effectively, safely as well as stress free for both
you and your horse.
Walk towards your
horse in its line of sight and talk to your horse while approaching. Position
yourself beside your horse's shoulder about two feet out. While talking, pet
your horse's neck and slide your hand down from its shoulder to its leg. The
horse will immediately comply if it's used to lifting its feet upon your
command.
In time, your horse
will lift its foot up himself when you tell it.
1. Move a bit closer
and be careful not to move your feet under your horse's feet.
2. As you're
holding the foot of your horse with your one hand, use your other hand to use the hoof pick. Put your horse's foot down and transfer the hoof pick in your
pocket or somewhere easily accessible.
3. Next would be to
work on your horse's hind legs. If your horse does not respond right away,
reinforce your message by pulling the ankle forward and up toward the front of
the horse.
The heat not only
affects us but it affects our horses (and all our other animals).
Here are some simple
ways to keep your horse happy and healthy during a heat wave.
Water - Always make
sure you have plenty of water available for your horse at all times.
Electrolytes - Horses lose electrolytes while they sweat. Baths - Bathe your
horse! Coat Care - Keep your horse's mane and tail trimmed. There are shampoos
available with UV protection added to help protect your horse's coat. Horses
can get sunburn too. Horses can suffer from heat stroke just like any human
can.
The side-pass should
be very easy however many people have trouble with side passing their horse.
Just pushing on a
horse's side or squeezing with your leg won't get some horses to move. I
personally like to teach a horse to move off my leg by waving my leg
rhythmically against the horse's side. The moment my horse is side passing I am
keeping my reins against his neck. Your seat is very important and if you are
not on the correct side of the horse (meaning your weight) this can confuse the
horse. When executing the maneuver left you want to lean to the right side of
the horse.
