Horse-man-ship Mentality - Farrier and Horse Relationship
From the farrier, Dennis Cappel and his book "Horse Trimming Made Simple."
The relationship between the farrier and the horse is deserving of attention in much detail. However, for this course, I will talk about it as it relates to safely dealing with the horse's legs.
Horses express their emotional state of mind through their body posture and by moving their feet or not moving them depending on how they are feeling at any given moment.
Therefore, attempting to work with their feet without taking into consideration the horse's emotional state of being is not a wise choice for the handler. It usually results in a battle where the horse has the advantage of strength and size. It is a far better choice for the handler/farrier to work at getting their horse comfortable and relaxed before ever attempting to pick up the feet.
Since the instinct of the horse is to run away when it feels threatened in any way, attempting to hold the horse still will only produce anxiety and fear in our horse and will cause its posture to become rigid in self-defense, making it very difficult to work with their feet. So tying the horse up to work on its feet is usually not the best approach.
For a horse to get comfortable with you, it will need to have the opportunity to freely express its emotions. Since the horse does this by moving its feet, it makes sense to allow and even encourage the horse to move those feet. The most effective movement is to get the horse to move its hind feet around the front ones, disengaging the hindquarters, which will give you the advantage and allow your horse an opportunity to express itself.
Note: This is a short insert from the "horse handling" session which is unique to Cappel's book and farrier classes.
Interested in learning how to become a more responsible horse owner, preparing your horse for the farrier or actually understanding how important the "trim" is for your horse's soundness and longevity?
Horse Trimming Made Simple book is an excellent resource that is available on Amazon or through www.cappeltrainingandshoeing.com.
To increase your knowledge to ensure your horse is trimmed for his best support, or to DIY hands-on, the next barefoot trim class is Saturday, April 6th.
Note: The class comes with access to the online barefoot trim course for your ongoing resource.
No foot - No horse!
Mindful Riding,
Dennis Cappel - Master Horseman
Cappel Training and Shoeing
D/C
Be empowered with:
Events Coming Up:
Pre-Spring Clinic March 9-10th
Barefoot Trim Class
April 6th
April 20th
Comments