Your horse's kick-out reaction is based on fear. Under natural conditions, horses are prey animals. Your horse's survival would depend on his ability to
protect himself against attack by predators-and his first line of defense is to "take flight". That means swiftly removing himself from the front lines by out-maneuvering his attackers, and by "hot
hoofin'it" across the open plains. So, when you ask your horse to passively hold up a hind foot, you put him at odds with his instincts. In this position, he's instantly vulnerable, because it's impossible for him
to make a quick escape. If your horse can't take flight, his next best natural defense is to kick at an attacker. And because his life could depend on his quickness, he'll often kick out in self-defense first, then stop
to assess the situation. If you're the "predator" approaching his hind leg, your horse's act-first-think-later programming puts you in an extremely dangerous position. So how can you overcome this hind foot
behavior problem? By overcoming your horse's natural fear. If you approach him with understanding, and focus on making him feel secure, your horse will develop trust in you. When that happens, he'll be willing to
put his life, or his foot, in your hands.
Is picking up your horse's feet a "touchy" subject? John Lyons will tell you how to stop that kick.
PRODUCED BY BARB CRABBE, DVM
If your horse kicks out when
you try to handle his hind feet, he's not only difficult to work with, but also downright dangerous. Routine management, such as picking out his feet or having him shod, can put both you and your farrier at risk
for injury.
To teach you how to correct your horse's dangerous habit, I'm going to explain why he's kicking out, and how to recognize body-language signals that'll tell you a hoof projectile is imminent.
I'll then take you through the step-by-step training sequence I recommend for rehabing your kicker. (You can use this same technique to teach a young horse to pick up his feet for handling.) Use my program,
and you'll establish a safe "handle" on your horse's hind legs.
THE FIX
See "Why Does Your Horse Kick Out?" below, to learn why your horse kicks out when you handle his hind feet.
Once you understand the psychology behind his actions, you'll be ready to work on the "fix". The basis for this training method is simple: You'll apply a step-by-step desensitization plan that
rewards nonkicking behavior. With each session, you'll build your horse's trust in you, while easing his fear of hind-foot handling.
You'll do so by gently stroking your horse's body with a whip, as it'll
allow you to touch his hindquarters, without putting your body within range of his kicking gear. (You'll work one side at a time, desensitizing his entire left side first, before moving to his right side.)
You'll start by stroking his neck and shoulders, slowly progress across his back and along his sides to his hindquarters, and finish with his hind legs. If he gets uneasy at any time (I'll tell you what to watch
for in a minute), you'll move back into his last "comfort zone" (an area he's comfortable having touched), allow him to relax, then proceed more slowly, or more gently, than before.
When your horse will
stand calmly while you stroke his body, from the top of his neck to the bottom of his hind leg, you'll progress to stroking him with your hand. Next, you'll teach him to shift his weight off the hind leg you wish
to pick up making the leg easier for you to lift than when it's planted, in response to a specific cue. Finally, you'll begin handling his hind legs in such a way that he'll remain relaxed and unafraid.
Because kicking can cause serious injury, I can't overemphasize the importance of the following precautions:
* Remember our basic safety credo: You must not get hurt; your horse must not get hurt; and
your horse must be calmer when the training session is over than he was before it began.
* Always keep your body close to your horse's shoulder (where you're less likely to get kicked), even when you're
working on his hindquarters.
* Constantly monitor your horse's body language, so you'll recognize when he's getting uneasy well before he reaches the kicking-out stage. (You'll find body-language
clues in Step 1.) Whenever you're working around his hindquarters, this information will tell you when your horse has just about reached his tolerance limit and might let you have it.
* Don't work on
solving any type of behavior problem when you're alone at the barn. Always be sure someone is close by to help, should you get hurt.
I'm going to assume your horse knows how to stop, back, and
step forward on a lead line, in response to your body-language cues, and that he'll stand still for general handling. If this is beyond his level of training, refer to the previous training session
("Charge!"), and teach him these basics before you begin this desensitization exercise. Only when you've achieved standstill ground control, are you ready to begin focusing on your horse's hind foot
problem.
For this training session, you'll need: a halter and lead rope; a 48-inch dressage, or "buggy" whip (for desensitization, not punishment); a small, safe enclosure (a 60-foot round pen is
ideal); and plenty of time and patience.
1. Learn how to read your horse's body language, so you'll recognize these surefire warning signs of apprehension: Your horse assumes a head-up, ears-back
tenseness; he swishes his tail; and/or he swings his hind end toward you. The next thing you know, your horse will swiftly bring his hind leg up and out, to deliver a message that says, "Out of bounds-danger
zone".
2. Lead your horse to the safe, small enclosure, (Don't attempt to desensitize your horse in his stall. The confined space will put you at risk of being thrown into, or pinned
against, a wall should your horse kick at you, or swing his hind end toward you.)
Lay the lead rope over your horse's neck, so he won't accidentally step on it. Stand facing your horse's left shoulder-this
will be your "safety zone" - holding the lead in your left hand, approximately 8 to 10 inches from the halter and the whip in your right pointed toward the ground behind you.
Slowly raise the whip
and begin gently stroking your horse's neck and shoulder with it. If he steps away, move with him continuing to stroke him with the whip, and reassuring him with your voice. As soon as he stops and stands
still, reward him by lowering the whip and praising him with your voice or a rub on the head or neck.
If your horse jumps away, or refuses to stand still at all, chances are you're moving too aggressively with
the whip. Walk him forward, stop, and ask him to back, to re-establish your standstill ground control. Then, when you return to the desensitization process begin with the whip again; this time raising it to
his shoulder more slowly than you did the first time, so as not to frighten him.
When your horse stands quietly, with his head lowered to its natural, at-ease position (meaning he's accepted the whip's touch on
his neck and shoulder), gradually begin to work your way rearward, across the top of his back, along his side, and over his hindquarters. Lower the whip occasionally, and reward your horse with a rub and a word of
praise for standing still.
3. If your horse will remain calm and quietly stand while you touch the top of his hindquarters with the whip, he's ready for you to gradually work the whip down his left hind
leg. Softly stroke his leg for several seconds, then stop and reward him with a rub. Continue in this manner, stroke, reward, stroke, reward until you can stop and start again, without your horse batting an
eye.
In the beginning of this on-again-off-again process, your horse may resist the whip's touch by lifting his leg. If he does, stop stroking, and softly hold the whip against his leg reassuring him with
your voice until he puts his foot back on the ground. Then, immediately remove the whip and reward him. (If you were to remove the whip when he lifted his leg, you'd be reinforcing the behavior you're trying
to eliminate.)
If you meet with major resistance, such as kicking, or walking in circles, you're probably trying to progress too quickly. Lower the whip, regain your stand-still ground control, then start
over at your horse's shoulder and neck, proceeding more slowly than before.
Be patient throughout this stage, closely monitoring your horse's reactions. If you notice any signs of apprehension, it's time to
back up to a comfort zone, and wait for head-down relaxation, before progressing or quitting for the day. It may take several hours, or even several training sessions before your horse will stand still and accept
the whip's touch on his hind legs. When he will, you're ready to...
4. ...put the whip aside and begin gently stroking your horse with your hand. For the step, stand left shoulder to left
shoulder with your horse (you'll be facing his rear), holding the lead in your right hand, about 8 to 10 inches from the halter. Begin stroking your horse's neck and shoulder with your left hand. As you did
with the whip, gradually work your way rearward, applying the same standstill rules as before. (To keep your face as far away from danger as possible when you reach for your horse's hind leg,
you'll need to rotate your back toward your horse). Stop frequently and reward your horse for standing still.
5. Now that you've desensitized your horse to both the whip and to your hand, it's time to
teach him a cue to shift his weight onto his right hind leg, so you can easily pick up his left hind foot. Your goal is to have your horse slightly lift his left foot, just until his toe rests on the ground in a
cocked position-and hold it there in response to halter pressure.
Standing in your shoulder-to-shoulder starting position, switch the lead rope back into your left hand grasping it about 2 to 3 inches from the
snap. From this position, you can easily apply the halter pressure that'll eventually become his cock-a-hind-leg cue.
Focus your attention and your eyes on your horse's left hind leg. Then, apply just
enough toward you pressure on the halter to slightly turn your horse's head leftward, encouraging him to take a sideways step to the left with his left front foot. As his front end moves toward you, his hind end
automatically will move away from you.
The minute he begins to step away with his hindquarters-and his left hind leg is cocked-release your pressure on the halter and praise him. Then, using the same cues,
ask him for another step, and reward him by letting him stand still the minute he cocks his left hind leg. Don't expect him to maintain the cocked-leg position for long-2 to 5 seconds is more than enough
time. His willingness to shift his weight and cock his foot in response to halter pressure will make it easy for you to lift it with your hand.
6. Now, all you need to do to make the transition to
lifting your horse's hind leg with your hand, is to give yourself enough slack in the lead rope to reach your horse's hind foot with your right hand. Again, apply just enough halter pressure to turn your horse's
head toward you, automatically transferring his weight onto his opposite leg. Gradually work your right hand down his hind leg, grasping it just above and behind the fetlock.
7. The first few times
you handle your horse's hind leg don't actually lift it off the ground. Instead, gently roll it forward onto the toe, holding it there for only 1 to 2 seconds before releasing your grasp, and rewarding your
horse. By leaving his toe on the ground, you'll increase your horse's confidence in the early stages of his hind-leg handling.
Take it slow, because the higher you lift your horse's leg, the more insecure
he'll become-and the more likely he'll object. Even if he seems to be handling all this quite calmly, don't lift his foot more than 12 inches off the ground during your first training session; and, be prepared to
spend several days gradually working toward a higher position.
(Note: As you work with your horse's hind leg, take care never to pull it out to the side, as this will cause him discomfort. Instead, always
bring the limb straight up, and slightly forward or back.)
As your horse's training progresses, gradually lift his foot higher, and hold it up for longer periods. As you did with the preceding steps,
monitor your horse's reactions, letting his responses determine when you ask for more. If you notice any signs of apprehension or irritation, or if your horse tries to snatch his foot away from you, you're
probably holding his foot up too high, or for too long. Go back to your previous step, then slowly proceed.
With time and patience, you'll gain your horse's confidence, and his "hurl'em through the
air" hind-leg action will soon be a thing of the past.
Bob Sagely:
The method doesn't employ the usual approach of 'pinching', 'holding', 'picking up', grabbing or otherwise stimulating the pastern joint in any way. In fact, you do not bend over nearly that far and you do not 'pick up' the horse's foot at all - you ask the horse to lift it. All horses are quite capable, though not always willing at first, of this simple task. Greater success is to be achieved by asking rather than demanding - as is the case in all facets of horse work. If there is a problem, the position of the handler keeps them aware of the horse's motion and in a safe position to react or respond. When you teach the horse this method, you do not tie him - just leave the lead rope looped over a hitching rail or the crook of your forearm. You can also work with his head free in a stall or in a round pen.
For the purposes of explanation, we'll ask the horse to pick up his left side front and back feet (At different times, of course). You simply reverse the procedure for the other side.
Front foot:
Stand beside the horse facing his tail, a fraction back from his foreleg. With your left hand you reach down, and with index finger and thumb find the tendons that run behind his knee joint. Give them a little tickle, it is like a 'funny bone' shot to him, but not severe and not painful. If you find the nerves that run behind the knee, he will 'give' with his knee a little or maybe even lift his leg. If this doesn't happen, you've either missed the spot or you need to 'tickle' a little harder. Just be patient and feel around the area to establish the right position and pressure. When he does lift his leg, cup your hand around the cannon bone from the inside, with your fingertips to the outside of the leg. The closer to the pastern joint you hold the leg, the more leverage you have. Resist the temptation to reach down and grab or tickle his fetlock or pastern and lift. Let him lift his leg because you are asking, and keep working the nerves to the extent that you need. After a while the horse will learn to lift his leg for you when you get to his knee with your hand. The advantage in this is you don't have to bend over so far as you do when stimulating the pastern - you can keep your head up and watch his rear leg. This means you are in a much better position to move out of the way if you need to - and sometimes, with some horses, this is necessary!
Hind foot:
This is a little more complicated than the front feet, but still easily learned. Stand approximately even with the horse's hip, close to his body, facing him - if you are too far forward, you are in a position to be cowkicked. Remember you are standing close, so be aware of his feet. Place your left hand on his hipbone - you will use this to push away if the horse moves suddenly, or kicks out. Having your hand there also helps you to feel what the horse is likely to do - whether he is relaxed or tensing his muscles getting ready to move.
With your right hand, starting high on the buttocks, work your hand down to the back of the hock. Again there are nerves and tendons on the inside of the hock that you can stimulate with your fingers. When you find them, he will lift the leg and you will slide your hand on under his cannon bone, fingers of the right hand to the inside or underside of the horse, cradling the leg.
Now you swing your left leg under him and slowly shuffle out behind the horse to stretch his leg out. Your shoulders are square to him and you are looking the same direction his tail points. Then you can reach down with your left hand and cup your fingers around the end of his toe. Keeping his fetlock flexed until you are in a position to rest his leg across your left hip in between your legs will help to control his leg.
You should keep the horse's hips level by squatting with your knees (don't bend over at the waist as this causes stress and strain on your back), and you should have his leg positioned out straight behind him. This is a safe position to work from, because if he pulls his leg back from this position, he will actually shoot you out from under him to safety. If you pull his leg out to the side and he wants it back, he will pull you back underneath him. A helper I had once didn't believe this and learned his lesson the hard way from a stout horse tap-dancing on his ribs! Be sure to get the horse's hips level across the top, because if you hold his leg too high he will tire and want to put it down. If you hold a horse's leg properly, at the right height, he can stand a very long time, quite comfortably, on one hind leg.
