08/25/2025
Let's talk about the "Very first trim".
** I will preface this with the fact that there are a million ways to accomplish anything with horses. This is just how I like to start mine out and its worked for me. It is not the "End All Be All" of training a c**t to stand. **
***TLDR, apply desensitization methods to the very first trim, don't have high expectations, start and end on good notes***
I say this can apply to any horse, c**t, filly, mustang, etc. Prep work is always your friend. Your green horse should be able to pick their feet up for cleaning before the farrier ever comes. People get new horses who are practically feral and instead of focusing on preparing the horse mentally for a trim, they want to dive into getting it trimmed asap at risk to the farrier, the horse, and potentially the horse's mental ability to ever stand well for the farrier. Rule of thumb, if they waited this long, what's one more week of ground work?
The very first time you trim this horse will set the foundation for future work. In my experience, a horse refers to the first thing that happened and the last thing (so we always start on a good note and end on a good note). Most normal desensitization for new things usually starts with introducing the new thing to an extent that comes close to, but does not breach the horse's "threshold" for pressure. Doing our best to prevent the blow up for this first time. It's hard to end badly this way.
The first trim, I call it my "c**t trim". This trimming method is in the maneuvering vs the trim itself. I NEVER HARDTIE THE HORSE FOR THIS. Someone holds the horse or its loose tied. Their ability to move away from the pressure without hitting a hard stop can prevent outright panic.
To start, I normally touch/draw from the horse's eye to the foot I wanna work on, pick that foot out, put it down, step back, wait a sec for those signs of thought or relaxation. Then do the same thing again, but put the hoof between my legs, depending on the horse's threshold level, I may put it down again, pet them, step back, and repeat. Then we nip, then put down, then nip longer, than put the foot down. Repeating this over and over a little longer each time, with frequent "mental breaks" for the c**t. then introduce the rasp, repeat as necessary. If the horse is fairly accepting, you can intro the front stand, and do even more during the first session. It is absolutely ok to end it early if it means ending on a good note.
We want to prevent a blow up If possible as it keeps this first experience a good one. And the next is even better. The first trim for me is just a removal of excess and getting the horse going through the motions.
If the horse has a negative panic reaction DO NOT REACT! Petting and cooing can affirm a horse's fear, and reacting negatively does the same. Stay neutral. Neutrality is a positive reaction from the horse's "leader" as it says to the horse that you as the leader, didnt care about the scary thing so it shouldnt either. Regain stability, put the horse back in the "spot" and start again. (The "spot" is another discussion)
This trim can take longer, sometimes its even shorter, and it can be more expensive if you're having a professional conduct it. But it's your foundation. It will usually stay with the horse and it beats having to retrain a disaster.
Now, sedation...... I'm not against it. If it protects everyone involved and it is a necessity I won't tell a professional not to protect themselves. Or the horse is injured, etc.
However....... for my personal horses, I will avoid it like the plague. Not because it's "bad", but because my trainees will never learn how to stand and accept the situation if they're sedated. They're not thinking with a clear lens. Over time, overly sedated horses can even become "dull" to the sedation and usually require more and more each appointment. We jokingly call them "addicts".
You're not setting your horse up for success if you're sedating it every time you trim it. You're not setting them up for success if you're shooting for show horse quality out of a first trim. You're not setting them up for success if you don't work with them between farrier appointments. You're also draining your wallet. If you got this far, great!
I am very willing to show anyone how to start helping their horse and breaking down the process. Just contact me. I do plan on having a clinic to tackle this very scenario in the future.
Pics are of Shane handling Doug, my horse.
