Trouble with the farrier

[smalley]

Has anyone ever had a similar situation to this? We've owned my horse for 2 years now, she's 7 this time. She came over from Holland as a 4 year old, and she's awful with the farrier. She's really spooky, snorting and standing in the corner of the stable and hates him touching her, but she's always been fine when her feet have been picked up and he actually starts doing them. However she seems to be getting worse not better, our farrier's great with them and she's never had a bad experience, but last time she was done someone else did her as our farrier had broken his arm (he still supervised) and she moved, causing him to jump out of the way - she's about 17.2 so fair enough!! Today she was done again with the usual farrier and when he did her back leg she kicked out, something she never usually does, so she's definitely getting worse.

It seems like a genuine fear as she's the same with any farrier - she was even wary of my friend's dad who'd been putting in studs, and a female vet who'd just been to treat gravel so must have smelt of feet - we imagine she didn't have a very good experience as a youngster. She's normally very loving and gentle, we can pick up her feet fine, put studs in etc. Even when the others are getting done she snorts and hides away at the back of her stable.

Has anyone else had the same problem, or have ideas on what to do?

[farrellperdi]

We had a Welsh D X who was petrified of the farrier & strangly just the farrier (again no bad experience and our farrier was loverly)

Ultimatly upon vets recomendation she has sedaline every time the farrier came & each time she had a little less, till after a year she stands by herself to be stod with no issues.
Maybe something thats worth speaking to your vet about?

But its a horribke exeperience & I got to the point I felt like I wasputting farrier in danger asking him to do her!

[ilovenatives]

We have a riding pony mare who has to be sedated to have her feet done . She has always been like it but unfortunately instead of this being worked on when she was younger she was hobbled in a trailer to be done . We have tried  sedaline but it has no effect on her . She is better in some ways now( we have had her four years ) as you couldn't even brush her tail when we got her but now you can . But she will always have to be sedated to have a trim . It's a shame as she is wasted here but most people don't want a kids pony who doesn't like their back feet touched so we haven't tried to sell her . She would probably end up being passed around so will stay here unless a kind understanding home comes up .

[brindlerainbow]

Definitely give her sedalin. I've had 3 in the past that were nervous although not to the extent of your horse but safer for all concerned if sedated as obviously farrier doesn't want to get injured either!!

[Giddie]

i know this may be obvious but it might just be the smell of your farrier, having said that we bought a Welsh A mare who was terrified you could get near her feet she would be in a drip sweat and hyperventilate, our farrier was brilliant and patient but she was terrified and never really accepted him. We also used sedaline but she never really accepted him. We moved and our new farrier who l have to say is also brilliant (yes lucky to find a second one as good as the first) was able to do what he wanted with her. I thought she had just accepted that that was the way it was going to be but we only used sedaline twice. Just to say l have heard about the smell thing before, just a thought and l hope you get it sorted

[Philippa]

Jan 6, 2015 1:37:50 GMT Giddie said:

i know this may be obvious but it might just be the smell of your farrier, having said that we bought a Welsh A mare who was terrified you could get near her feet she would be in a drip sweat and hyperventilate, our farrier was brilliant and patient but she was terrified and never really accepted him. We also used sedaline but she never really accepted him. We moved and our new farrier who l have to say is also brilliant (yes lucky to find a second one as good as the first) was able to do what he wanted with her. I thought she had just accepted that that was the way it was going to be but we only used sedaline twice. Just to say l have heard about the smell thing before, just a thought and l hope you get it sorted

I was going to say exactly the same. Mine are all excellent to do but the smell of other horses and burning hoof lingering on the clothing makes them all blow a little!!
Maybe try a little Vicks up her nostrils, try it at various times other than when the blacksmith comes so she doesn't start to associate it with the farrier visit.
You never know. Good luck.

[gillwales]

Ask your Farrier to do her first on his list wearing clean overals, this can overcome the "smell" factor, esp the burning smell; has she been branded as the burnng smell could remind her of that. I would sedate her, I purchased a mare that was difficult and my ex ( a farrier ) did a lot of work with her, we ended up shoeing her outside of a stable, not normally the best idea but it worked with her. We put her head in a bucket, again not normally ideal, and every evening he would place an old shoe against her hoof and hit it with a hammer, a good tip for people with youngsters prior to first set of shoes. We got this mare to accept her feet being done, on the other hand I have a RP brrodmare that you would pick up her hind feet only if on a death wish, not nasty but terrified , you could only do her feet if completely knocked out.

Patience and kindness , oh and try a radio being on while shoeing to distract and cover up the noise. Good luck

[ilovenatives]

That is what our riding pony is like , terrified rather than just playing up a bit . When we got her you couldn't touch her tail either so I guess she has had it pulled roughly at some point . She wouldn't even let me use a tail rake to tidy her tail as she would tremble with fear . She is much better these days and will let you brush her tail and most of her back legs but still has to be sedated to have her feet done .

[sarahp]

Interesting. My farrier almost invariably comes to me first call anyway and I'd never thought of the smell thing, although I can't remember any it might have applied to. Problems, which have been few, have come in two ways - previous farrier hit daughter's C on the bum once and not surprisingly he was a bit funny about that foot from then on, and likewise a bought in D again of daughter's, was funny about one foot after having had an accident and got it stuck in a gate. Both understandable and resolved over time with sympathetic farrier. The other category is unbroken mature ponies either bought in or loaned who have obviously never been required to submit to having their feet trimmed. Ds that are determined to damage my farrier are just left I'm afraid, especially if on loan - I value him too much! We can usually manage to get them to have their fronts done but often hinds are a different matter. The one A that this refers to is very nervous of people altogether, you can't touch her in the field and she'd much rather you didn't in a box either - she gets driven in, and only for farrier and worming (in feed). She wouldn't dream of hurting anyone, and over the years we have taught her to have her feet trimmed. Sedated the first time, and fronts only. Not sedated and all round the next time. The main problem she hated was having anything on her head we discovered, and the farrier now does her, all four feet, loose in the box. Very quietly done with her up against the wall and easier with another body to "balance " her so that she doesn't try to go forwards or backwards. Farrier's idea, he has another he does like this.

I only have breeding and growing stock here now, so nothing is shod, just trimmed. I find that XS horn does break off naturally in the field, not that I recommend this method as a general rule!

[brindlerainbow]

You might also find that some horses don't like being hot shod because of the smell and the noise although I don't know many farriers that do cold shoeing.