In the buckaroo way, each session with a foal or a horse should be pleasant and increase the strength of the horse-human relationship. To achieve this outcome, it is important to always keep in mind your goal for each session, and then allow the situation to unfold as it will, responding appropriately at each step.
Training a foal to stand still and accept hoof trimming is no different. Foals need to feel confident around humans and relate to them with respect before you attempt to trim their hooves. The balance between confidence and respect means that the foal feels comfortable around humans, yet keeps a respectful distance.
Hoof Trimming for Foals: Training the Buckaroo Way
In the buckaroo way, trimming a foal's hooves is not an immediate goal. Instead, it is the end result of a series of training sessions. While it may seem natural to simply grab a hoof and start trimming, this can lead to a dangerous situation. Remember that horses, especially foals, can panic when their feet are trapped, such as when you pick up a hoof to trim it. Thus the goal is to train the foal to offer up his foot willingly, rather than to use force to hold the hoof against his will.
To train a foal to be a willing partner in the hoof trimming process, I take the following steps before I attempt to trim his hooves:
1. During halter training, I teach the foal to pick up his hooves one at a time. This teaches him to stand balanced on three feet, and to allow me to handle his hooves.
2. Once I can easily pick up each of his feet, I concentrate on holding each hoof for at least 30 seconds. My goal is to put the hoof down before he takes it away from me. In other words, I strive to release the hoof while the horse is offering no resistance. If I release the hoof only when the horse starts resisting, then I am teaching him to yank his hoof away from me. By putting the foot down before I sense resistance, I allow the horse to feel at ease, and he never feels "trapped."
3. Once the foal is comfortable with me holding and handling his feet, the next step is to hold his hoof and tap my hoof pick on the bottom. This action starts to mimic the feel and sound of hoof trimming. Now that the foal is more accustomed to having his feet handled, I am quick to release his hoof if I sense resistance, but I also will hold his foot if I sense that he is simply testing my resolve rather then feeling fear.
Hoof Trimming: The Steps According to the Buckaroo Way
Once the three above steps are complete, I can commence with the actual hoof-trimming process. To actually trim the young horse's hooves, I usually enlist a helper to hold the lead rope. The helper does not try to restrain the horse, but simply helps direct him as I trim. To perform the trim, I do the following:
1. I pick up the first hoof, say the front left hoof. I don't try to trap his hoof between my knees in the typical farrier pose, but simply hold the hoof in one hand while I make one nip with the hoof nippers with the other hand. I immediately set the hoof down as a reward. Because of my previous work with the hoof pick, the noise of the nippers does not scare the horse.
2. Next, I pick up the same hoof, and this time I nip twice before setting the foot down. If the foal shows any sign of imbalance, I immediately put the hoof down so he can rest. Finishing with a few more nips, I am now ready to use the hoof rasp.
3. After a short break, I use the rasp to level out the bottom of the hoof. At this point, if the horse becomes impatient, I take the lead from my helper and lead the horse around. This releases pressure and allows the horse to relax. The foal may even show his relief by licking and chewing.
4. I repeat the nipping and rasping process on the right front hoof. At this point, most young horses are impatient and fidgety. I usually end the hoof trimming session at this point, saving the back feet for another session. It is better to have a shorter session that is pleasant for the foal than a longer session that puts the horse in a bad frame of mind.
Later in the day, I catch the foal again and repeat the process above on the back hooves. Breaking the trimming into at least two sessions helps the horse stay relaxed. Equine babies are like other babies: they have short attention spans. In the buckaroo way, we remain aware of this and honor the horse's frame of mind. The goal is to keep the sessions comfortable while adding a bit more challenge each time. For foals, adding one or two new items per session is plenty, and won't overload their young minds.
After I complete all four hooves, I turn the foal loose. The hoof trimming goals have been met: not only have all four feet been trimmed, but the foal is now set to be a willing partner in future hoof trimming sessions. He will always remember that I did not hurt him, and will thus never be afraid.
Hopefully this breakdown of the steps for training foals for hoof trimming using the buckaroo way helps you gain insight into a foal's frame of mind, should you need to trim your foal for the first time!
Jeannie Choate's training is in the Buckaroo Way and she offers consultation services to those who believe in partnership of horse and rider. Visit her blog at http://www.buckarootexan.com for coaching for all aspects of horsemanship-riding, fitness, health, grooming, competition, selection, and horse care.
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