Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

As a shoer, I've discovered that a lot of horses resent having their hind legs "jacked up" or pulled away from the body.  If the mare will pick up the hinds and allow them to be handled, but objects when the leg is brought into the shoeing position, then a hoof cradle is in order.  Sometimes it can be hard to tell if this is the problem, as the horse learns to associate the farrier with the pain of having the leg pulled away or jacked up, and as a result, they won't do anything for the farrier behind.  If this is the case, your friend should try putting the leg in the shoeing position (across the lap for the hinds, not between the legs), and see if this is the point at which she objects.