How can I get my pony to let me pick up his back feet?

cricketwhistler: How can I get my pony to let me pick up his back feet?
We recently bought a pony for the kids to ride, he is very sweet natured. He will allow you to pick up his front legs for cleaning but will not whatsoever let anyone pick up his hind legs. When I touch his leg he kicks. Our farrier couldn’t get his hind hooves done…..how can I break him of being so sensitive to his hind legs? He does not appear to have any injuries.

Answers and Views:

Answer by Ajierene
It sounds like something made him scared or protective of that area.

work with him slowly. Touch his back, step away and praise him. Move your hand towards his tail, petting and or brushing. Touch him a moment and step away and praise him when he doesn’t kick. Start inching your hand down his leg. Touch for a moment, then step away and praise him. Take breaks while you are working with him to give him a treat and pet his head and neck – someplace away from his scary place. If you are moving your hand and he kicks out or starts to pick his leg up to warn, don’t yell at him, just leave your hand where it is until he calms down, then step away and praise.

Have a goal for the day, a small goal – like today I am going to touch his hock. Once you do this without kicking or raising the leg, be done for the day. Put him away and come back later or tomorrow. What you are doing is showing him that you mean no harm in touching his back feet and that being calm will be rewarded.

Answer by whitney r
He may have had a traumatic event when he was a baby (injury, bad owners,etc.) try getting him used to strange things near his legs. (bags, sticks, tarps,) it may get him more comfortable with you touching his back feet.

Answer by clyff12
wrap his legs, ply with them. Take thing and rub them from a safe distance with hem. like brooms, towels, hoola-hoops etc. De-sensitize him.

Answer by threewishes2008
U can start by tying him up in his stall or some where U can reach him easily. get you a broom and start by reaching back and rubbing it up and down his leg. It really helps if U have some one to help as U want to stay up by his head so that he can’t whirl and kick U. This will take several times and then U can proceed to rubbing his back with your hands or brush and ease your way toward the rear end. slowly each time ease a little farther down the back of his leg. This bad habit isn’t going to change over night and U didn’t say how old he was. U can get drugs from the vet that will help to sedate him also. patience is the key. good luck

Answer by everhorsegal
Try using a Carrot stick (Parelli) or broom and just rub his legs. So he gets the idea that you are just going to pet him. Then do something fun. Then come back to it and rub him again. (You use a carrot stick or broom handle so you can rub him without getting kicked) do this for a day or two. just rub him, don’t try to pick up his feet.
Then once he is Comfortable with this and does not kick or react, switch to using your hand. Do this until he is comfortable.
Then try to pick up his foot and rub it. Do this until he is comfortable. Do not pick it yet, you want him to have the idea that it is nice to have his foot picked up.
Once he is fine with this try picking his hoof just once and then put it down and rub him. Do this until he is fine. Then Hopefully you should be able to pick his hoof without trouble!
Once he is fine with with his hooves make sure you always rotate between petting and picking.

Good Luck!!! Hope this helps!!!

Answer by Brittany
You might want to try using a stick or something and brushing his leg down with it. Then once he realizes that the branch isnt hurting him, try using ur ffot. Get right up next to his hip, and use ur inner leg to rub his leg. If he kicks outward, ur too close for him to get u. So it is ok. (WE DID THIS WITH MY HORSE WHEN WE FIRST GOT HER TOO) now i can lift her feet whenever i want. Just try not to do so much while he is eating. Make sure his attention is on u! Have fun with ur pony..

Answer by Judith E
If you have to get this pony trimmed behind, then co-ordinate your vet and farrier but you need to delve into WHY this pony refuses to pick up her hind feet.

Some farriers are very rough, and a young horse badly handled by a rough farrier can be difficult to shoe/ trim thereafter. So he has been taught FEAR.

Many horses are blamed for being naughty, poorly behaved or just simply ‘bad’ when the real problem is that they have PAIN somewhere.

If this pony has any age on him, he is not going to be as supple and flexible as a very young animal. Many conditions make it very painful for any horse to bear weight on its front feet; therefore he does not want to pick up the hinds due to pain ie ponies are notorious for having been previously foundered. If the vet has ruled out the above, then you need to retrain from scratch but it’s going to take time.

You’re going to need to work on two things: your horse’s body and your horse’s mind. The only way you’re going to be able to convince him that having his back legs and feet handled doesn’t hurt, is if you can make that statement true.

Get some help and start teaching your pony that having his hind legs handled isn’t the end of the world. With one person at his head to feed him treats, and one person picking up his feet, beginning with the front legs. Like most early training, this is going to be a matter of advance-and-retreat. Touch him on the rump, then run your hand down the leg, then move away and pause for a moment. Keep repeating this until he no longer jerks or flinches, then prolong the moment with your hand near his foot. When he is reasonable about this, put him away. The next time you take him out, do it all again, until it’s boring for him and for you.

When you begin to lift his hind feet, lift each foot just barely off the ground, and stay very close to his body — don’t try to pull the leg away from his body. Tell him “foot” when you pick up the foot, and ” down” when you place the foot carefully back on the ground (never drop the foot). Again, do this until it’s boring. It may take an hour, or a couple of hours over a few days, or it may take a couple of weeks.

When he’s learned to relax and “give” his leg, you’ll be able to move the feet around, shift them higher and lower, etc. Do all of it slowly and gently. If someone is at his head to praise him and feed him something small at the moment that he’s doing what you want him to do, he’ll learn very, very quickly because he’ll understand just what he’s being praised FOR.

Have your farrier work with him the same way.

Sorry this is so long but it is a difficult answer to write without going into depth.

Answer by little stink pot
All I can say is keep trying. You might be able to coax him with a apple or something. Keep him busy while you do it.

Answer by Adrianne L
First of all I think you need to discover why he is so sensitive about it. Has he been hurt there? Does something hurt there now? If you think he isn’t hurting, he may have developed this habit as a trick.
Try desensitization. I’ve found a lead rope works well, because when the horse is ready, you can actually use the lead line to pick up the leg (without much danger of being kicked). Try not to give up as soon as he kicks because this will just teach him that kicking makes you stop what you’re doing.
If your pony really freaks out and seems afraid, try the “approach and retreat” method with a carrot stick, lead line, or whatever you like. Just be careful not to push his fear threshold into panic. You want to desensitize, not tramatize.
If you think he is just being silly, squeeze the hock untill he picks up his leg. Remember to release the pressure as soon as he gives you his hoof.
Practice makes perfect! Keep trying.