Getting Max trimmed was real high on our list of priorities. He had significant overgrowth and we didn't want to be exercising him on his long toes. We were going to be doing some significant nipping so we needed him really solid with having his feet handled and worked on. Max is also very short coupled and has somewhat of an impulse to cow kick when anxious about things going on down below. He doesn't seem to want to strike; it's more like a "please keep away" gesture. Regardless, with his short back even an unintentional swipe could hurt you while lifting or holding a front foot. (And, yes, he can take a swipe with a hind while a front foot is in the air.) The first order of business was to desensitize him to being touched around his front legs and armpits and to turn off his cow kick reflex. Of the various approaches we experimented with, none worked nearly as well as getting Max focused on a target while I touched those scary places. Within a couple of minutes he could tolerate being touched while I was standing, then afterwards he could tolerate being touched while I crouched down (a much scarier encounter.) When he would start to tense up, I would focus him back on the target before he felt the need to evade the touch or go to his cow kick reflex.	With his attention on the target he no longer hits "stress threshold" and has to bolt away or cow kick Please note that I was very careful when determining my position so that he could not accidentally cuff or kick me
The next step was to start lifting those legs. The safest way was by using a piece of 3/4" yacht rope. Since Max wasn't used to having ropes around his legs, I simply passed the rope around like a "U" and held onto both ends. We started out by doing leg tugs. Sharon held onto the lead while I tugged on the foot. We asked Max to move forward and he responded nicely. (Since Sharon was working, she couldn't film this however you can go to a page which specifically discusses leg tugs.) The secret when working with two people on a wild horse is for the person tugging on the leg to first pull the horse's leg forward. Next the halter lead person asks the horse to walk forward and as soon as he shifts his weight forward, the leg tugger releases just enough pressure so that the horse can put his foot down while maintaining his forward momentum and walk on it. (If you blow it, just let go of one end of the rope, let the horse get free of it, then regroup and start over.) Once Max got used to having his leg tugged and actually walking into the pressure to relieve it, I was able to stand to the side and lift his leg. In each case I would give a verbal cue "Pick up!" to prepare him for the movement. (You can use whatever term you like so long as you are consistent. We don't expect the horse to understand English, but he will start to recognize the tone and cadence of this simple command.) After a few lifts he was relaxed enough for me to run a hand down his leg and eventually hold his hoof with one hand while relaxing pressure on the rope.	View of a simple lift Running my hand down his leg Holding the end of his hoof
Once Max was good with that, we would do simple lifts using my hand instead of a rope. Again, since he did cow kick, I concentrated on lifting from the front of the horse until I was sure he was OK with this. After a couple of lifts it was time to hold the foot up. Sharon was in the pen and when not taking photos, was reinforcing good behaviors with clicks. At this point we no longer needed the target. Eventually I lifted Max' leg by wrapping my arm around it. This way I could control its movement in any direction. I wasn't so much trying to confine his leg, but rather let Max accept the feel of some resistance all around his leg and get him to understand that it was OK to let me position his leg wherever I wanted so long as it wasn't an uncomfortable position. With this grip I was able to safely and securely move his leg back into a "working" position for trimming.	Lifting forward at first "Cradling" his leg in my arm
Within a few minutes I could fairly easily pick up Max' front feet and lift them virtually as high as they were capable of going. This success was a result of a logical process of desensitizing Max' touchy areas, engaging his mind with targeting and other activities so he wouldn't generate his own "worry stress," and starting the lifts from a safe position and gradually (over a few minutes' time) shaping the lifts to our desired working position. We will repeat this entire session to reinforce the behavior and based on Max' response we will decide whether to trim then or desensitize him further. The next day I got held over at the fire dept. so I didn't have much time the following day. I walked in, Max greeted me and I brushed him down with no halter on. Then I brushed down both front legs and picked up both front feet several times, eventually tapping them with tools. Several times I had to provide some "click assurance," especially when I brought out the tools. He had to leave a couple of times, but he let me right back in there to pick up a foot and all in all he handled things very well, especially considering that he had no restraint at all.	Lifting straight to the working position Lifting as high as practical
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