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Once the horse is quiet about having his feet lifted and held with the
rope, he needs to have his feet handled before we reach down with the hoof
knife and nippers. He needs to be touched, tapped and rubbed along his
lower leg and hoof. He may flail around with his hoof at first but at some point he should
realize that things are the easiest if he stays quiet. Someone positioned
at the head to reassure the horse and give positive feedback for good behavior
is of benefit.
Typically the horse will need some support using one hand and/or holding the
hoof against one leg for the work to begin. It is important that we position
ourselves so that if the horse does suddenly swing his foot, we don't get clipped
or pinched between the horse and the side rail or posts.
Once the horse is used to having his feet worked on (which often only takes
a few minutes), we can start getting more aggressive with the trim and get some
work done.
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Positioning the front foot
Standing on the rope allows
both hands on the nippers
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