 |
|
|
Some horse owners might not think that it is important to keep their farrier safe and happy. These are usually the same horse owners who are always looking for a farrier and wondering why they won’t come back to work on their horses. It is important for your horse to have a qualified, well educated farrier working on their feet on a regular basis to promote and provide consistency with their hoof care. This is important for every horse, especially lame horses and horses with hoof problems, due to conformation and or injury. So if you already have a well educated farrier, here are some things that you can do to help keep them happily coming back. If you do not have a knowledgeable farrier, find one, and do the following to help you receive a permanent spot in their calendar. To get the best possible results from trimming and shoeing, the farrier and the client need to work together in a cooperative effort and share mutual respect. Make and keep appointments on a regular schedule, dependent on the growth pattern of your horse’s feet. Follow the recommendation from your farrier on this. Scheduled maintenance trimming and shoeing will be cheaper in the long run, and the bonus will be hooves in the best shape that they can be in. Poor working conditions will compromise the farriers ability to provide proper hoof care. With the following conditions met, the farrier can do their job to the best of their ability. Which in turn will benefit you and your horse.
The area in which your farrier is to work should be flat. Not only where the horse stands but also where the farrier and handler stand too. The work area should be well lit, clean, dry and uncluttered. It needs to be out of bad weather, rain, hot sun, mud, snow, cold wind, and ice. The area should be free of loose animals, dogs, and other horses. Foals should be tied or held by another person while the mare is being trimmed. Small children should have someone else, other than the horse handler, to keep them safely out of the way.
Your horse needs to be well behaved and easily manageable if trouble should arise. The horse will need to stand quietly on three legs for extended periods of time, while having his feet worked on. This needs to be taught to your horse before you call the farrier to come out to work on your horse’s feet. Sometimes horses will have a ”bad hair day” But they will have to learn that they must stand still and behave when they are around humans. No excuses. Kicking, biting, leaning, pulling the leg away while being worked on, are not playful movements. These behaviors require immediate discipline, to the point that the behavior will not be repeated. You need to keep on top of this and stay focused. Do not feed treats to a horse that is misbehaving, this only teaches the horse that bad behavior is rewarded. Proper- quick- consistent- stern discipline will benefit the horse, your horse will not need to guess what is expected of him. Do not discipline your horse while the farrier is working under him! If discipline is done properly, the horse will know the rules and won’t always be testing you, and others that need to work with him. On the other hand if you are inconsistent and do not discipline your horse when needed, you will create a horse that no one will want to work on, without being sedated. It is much easier and cheaper to nip bad behavior in the bud, than to have to correct it. If your horse has already gotten out of control, get help from someone who works with behavior problems. A few farriers will teach your horse to stand for a fee above his normal rate. The job of the farrier is to trim and shoe your horse, not train them to stand for trimming and shoeing.
The horse handler should, at the very least have basic horsemanship skills. The horse handler should be able to keep the horse calm and quiet and be able to read the body language of the horse, to head off any possible bad behavior. The horse handler should try to keep the head of the horse as still as possible. For example not allowing your horse to bob his head up and down or from side to side. This can be felt by the farrier working on the leg. When the farrier is working on the front end of the horse, the handler should be on the opposite side so that, if something happens, the farrier has a clear path to escape. When the farrier is working on the hind end of the horse, the handler should be on the same side. So that if something should happen, you will be able to pull the hind quarters away from your farrier safely. The handler should be focused on the task at hand and not preoccupied or distracted with other things going on around them. Some farriers prefer to have the horse tied to a safe area to be worked on. You should have your horse trained to stand tied.
Have your horse ready for the farrier. Put him in a small pen or stall, so that he is easy to catch. Have your horse reasonably clean and dry. Wet legs are hard to hold on to. Keep in mind that your farrier probably has other appointments after you, and would like to stay somewhat clean and dry himself. And also on time. Clean and pick out the feet. Sand, rocks, and mud are hard on the farrier’s tools.
Some farriers will bring their own. This is what I personally prefer, as I get sick by the end of the day if I work on horses all day that are sprayed with the strong store-bought spray. So I make my own and bring it to apply. Have a full bottle of your normal spray on hand and offer it. If using your own spray, apply it as needed throughout the trimming and shoeing process. If the bugs are coming back then re-apply. Don’t forget to spray the belly. That hind foot comes pretty close to the farrier’s head when the horse is trying to get that fly that is biting his under carriage.
If you have any sick horses that may be contagious at your place, call your farrier and let them know in advance. Then they can make the choice to still come out or reschedule.
Pay your farrier in full when services are rendered. Most accept cash, checks, and some now are accepting credit cards.
One bad move from an unruly horse, can put a farrier out of business for awhile if not permanently. This is a tough and dangerous job, even when everything is going well. Trimming and shoeing an unruly horse is like, changing a tire while your vehicle is moving. A well behaved horse is truly a pleasure to be around and work with. An unruly horse is a liability to everyone it comes in contact with.
|