01/12/2025
**Horse owners and barn managers!!**
Great pointers from Alicia!
Hoofcare Manners
Some of my clients know that I’ve been having some trouble lately, especially with pain in my elbows and collarbone area. I always thought I was young and strong and able to do barn work and hoofcare without any issues; I guess it’s catching up to me!
Having pain when working has really pointed out to me things that occur that likely led to these issues. I look forward to the barns and horses where they allow me to hold up their feet, they stand quietly and let me work without too much trouble. On the flip side, having these aches and pains highlights the horses that fuss, yank, or struggle to hold up a foot while I work.
A small tug of a horse’s leg while I am working can contribute to whatever repetitive strain issues I have going on, and the more this happens, the more I worry I won’t be able to trim at this capacity long term. And I love this job, and want to be able to do it as long as possible.
Now I know in many of these cases, the horse’s pain is playing a role. If it hurts to hold up a hoof, they’re going to communicate in a way they know how to- by asking for their leg back with a shift in bodyweight or a pull. I understand that, and don’t blame them.
On behalf of all hoofcare pros out there- if you have a horse struggling with pain, making it hard for them to stand to get their feet done, ask your vet about options for pain management before the appointment. This will make it easier not only on us, but also on your horse.
Some horses also benefit from standing on gym mats, Sure Foot pads, or softer surfaces when working too.
While I truly believe that horses do not want to be difficult for no reason, and I always default to ruling out pain, there are other situations that can cause a horse to struggle with hoofcare appointments.
-Is it feeding time, and they see the hoofcare pro as an obstacle to their meals?
-Are their friends outside and they’re in alone, and they’re feeling unsafe or herdbound?
-Are they being worked on in an area they don’t usually go to, and they’re feeling insecure or uncertain?
Many of these things are preventable as well, with adjusting when the appointment is or when feeding time is, having an equine friend available to keep the horse company, or working to train your horse to feel comfortable where we need to work on them.
And side note- I do have a handful of clients who will feed hay or treats while I work. I say this is about 50/50 of how successful it is (and my owners and I work out which horses this helps). Some horses just see me as “in the way” of their treats and become more distressed or fussier if fed while I work. Some do great and stand quietly. I am not against food while working if the horse truly is happier and calmer with it.
As I’m taking stock of ways I can prolong my career and keep my body healthy, I notice that how horses stand truly is a HUGE part of that. I genuinely look forward to appointments where the horse is happy to allow me to work (within their comfortable range of motion and being considerate of how I am working, too). I also know that many of us will dread appointments where we feel we have to brace our bodies, tense our muscles, and feel like we are fighting to hold up the weight of a half ton animal.
If your hoofcare pro is mentioning that your horse has trouble standing to be worked on, consider investigating a bit to make the appointment easier not only for us, but for your horse as well. A happy hoofcare pro is a consistent and reliable and healthy hoofcare pro ☺️
Picture of sweet Gus, who used to plow through (literally) holding up a hoof and didn’t want his foot up for more than a few seconds at a time. Some patience and great care and work from the owner on being comfortable holding up his feet, and now he is quite the gentleman.
