Caroline, You are one of the few trainers around that really "get" how important your relationship with your horse is ! THANK YOU FOR THAT. It makes everything so much better. I have a Hot little Arab from the Morafic line and I have spent the last 2 years (since I bought him) Doing ground work ,helping him learn to trust me , and how to be calm. He has come SO far with love, kindness, and good feed and hay. I can do everything I do to him without a halter or anything on him. I do not give him food treats as a reward , but love and hugs. I am firm when needed but not harsh or mean. . Professional horse people who have watched him , can't believe how much he has changed. He is truly a joy and seems to know how much he is loved. I have finally started riding him bareback and bitless and am teaching him how to be relaxed when being ridden. Thanks again for all your videos! God bless you. PS: I am 76 years young and still riding!
HI Mary and Welcome! Thank you for your blessing, God Bless You too! 76 years young you are! Fantastic to hear! You would be a wonderful candidate for my spiritual horse-human developmental program called MasteryMembership Riding Foundation. Please click here for details and to join www.taoofhorsemanship.com/masterymembership/. I also have a video library should you want to learn monthly www.taoofhorsemanship.com/video-library.
My mare, Pernod is very good at anticipating which foot you need to pick up next, especially for the farrier. I have also taught her "up" as she is also trained to a voice cue as I am arthritic. In this way she helps me as much as she can, and the farrier too.
This absolutely works. My mare use to be good about lifting her feet for me or the farrier. Somewhere along the line she started fighting us. We would pick her feet up and she would kick out. So I found this video. I have been doing exactly as she teaches and it has only been a week and I am able to pick up and hold her feet for short times. It is an ongoing process, but I have roughly 5 more weeks before I have to call the farrier back out. I am working with my mare every day twice a day. Yea
So that looks really good for a horse that is super chill about having their feet picked up. When you're working with a horse that has had a very bad history, what are some great steps for getting them calmer with their back feet when they've had a history of being abused. He is super chill on most everything now based on the work we have been doing with connecting up and bonding. But his backend is Still an issue I would love in these videos to see examples of an end result as well as a horse that has the issues and watching them work through it
Hi Maximus and Welcome! Yes, this video is not a how-to for challenging horses, rather a how-to for horses that are trusting and will stand quietly. The back end of the horse is predominantly the defensive side while the shoulder/front end is the more assertive, aggressive/dominant side. If your horse is uneasy with their hind end, or threathening to kick, they are being defensive. This means they need more trust building and confidence with you and others, behind them. I have a complete training program, curriculum, where I work with both trained and untrained horses, including teaching them how to stand quietly and pick up their feet. My program is about starting, and re-starting horses, from ground to riding and is a comprehensive guide to developing the safest horse, both on the ground and when riding. It shows you how to work with trauma too and how to rehabilitate. It's called my MasteryMembership Online Training Program for People and Horses. Please click here for details www.taoacademy-horse-training-courses.com/mastery-membership-regular
thank you so much for this! this is really helpful! I always struggle getting my gelding’s hooves up he’s kind of a nerd about giving his back feet, but i think a lot of it was I didn’t know how to REALLY ask. i’m still learning too! ❤️ I got them easily after watching this!
Can you make a video on the different movements of riding? Such as a trot, canter, and gallop. I’m new to riding and I don’t know the difference between a canter and a gallop.
I have a 19 year old trail horse and he’s never been trained to lift up his hoof before. I want to start cleaning out his hooves since he rarely ever gets them done by a farrier. He gets very confused when I touch his legs and doesn’t seem to get the hint that I’m trying to clean out his hooves. I’m going to go see him this weekend and hope these tips help!!! I’m starting from scratch so hopefully after this I can call myself a horse trainer haha.
Hi Laura and Welcome! Congrats on your new equine partner! YES! My big program works for all horses and horse owners and is designed to teach you how to develop (train) your horse and guide you every step of the way, from relationship, ground to riding, starting and re-starting to performance. Please click here for details and to join www.taoofhorsemanship.com/masterymembership and email me with any questions Caroline@taoofhorsemanship.com.
I really hope this works for my horse. She used to lift up her feet easily but when my dad had her at a furrier he did something she didn't like and now she won't do it.
Hi Emmaly54 and Welcome! Thank you for sharing. I know exactly what you have experienced, and I promise you Caroline can help you. Please join us for our weekly Q&A live radio show, Everything Horses & More! hosted every Wednesday at 12pm EST on facebook.com/TaoofHorsemanship/ If not, you can find the recording on our Tao of Horsemanship Facebook page. Thanks again and I hope to see you on our show! XO, Sabrina
I do all of the things you suggest but my horse still won’t lift his feet. So how do you get them to respond when he is refusing to acknowledge my request?
Hi Deb and Welcome! This video show the technique, mechanics and breaks it down into several parts. However, if you want to teach your horse to connect with and partner (offer vs make) with you, that's an entirely different approach and one that takes time to train the person first how to attune to and connect with their horse. I teach all about this in my big mastery relationship, ground and riding program www.taoofhorsemanship.com/masterymembership.
Question: I'm fostering an abuse case QH mare. An ex-rodeo horse sold off when the cowboy ran out of luck and money following the rodeo circuit. She's 20+ yrs old and has had at least 5 owners so she changes hands every 3+ yrs. She is fear reactive and always on guard. In the 10 months I've worked with her she has calmed quite a bit and allows me to ride, brush, comb her mane and tail (with extreme caution). However, a recent kick event sent me to the hospital because her owner made a sudden grab for her left fore and as I was coming around to assist in applying a poultice on her sole the mare lashed out and rolled me. Thankfully no harm was done, just a deep tissue bruise. I have described this mare as a bomb with a smoldering lit short fuse because of her past abuse. Farrier work is out of the question as if you reach for her hinds she detonates and hooves fly in every direction. The owner related that the mare was once hog tied and thrown by a farrier to do her hinds which left a severe negative impression. In the 10 months I've worked with the mare I have tease out the sweetness that she hides. Recently I began the tentative step of trying to get her to give me her fronts with some success. By striking the tendons gently she HAS lifted her fronts and allowed me to pick, spritz the soles with turpentine to harden up the soles, then after setting them down I can rasp and shape knocking off the flared edges. When finished I paint them with T3 oil and reward her with a treat for being so patient. In the 10 months I've worked with her the transformation of " I'll kill you if you come near me " to some semblance of civility is amazing and the people, including the barn owner and the current owner of the mare, has been noticed and commented on. The mare's a mess but I'm seeing results if my love and kindness. My task us to somehow get her trust to give me her hinds. I can't afford a Tony Stark MK46 suit at the moment. Suggestions?
Hi Cliff and Welcome! BLESS you for saving this mare and giving her the life she deserves!!! PLEASE don't let anyone work with her or touch her, esp someone from her past. It will only trigger her. The gray mare in this video attacked everyone and was going to be put down and the tender age of 3 because of damage from people. The rescue called me and I came to get her. She is the most amazing horse. I learned how to listen, respect her, ask for respect in kind and work with her nature while helping her let go of her trauma. She still has PTSD and she's 22 but she trusts me and I'm aware so it all works out. I bring all of this up because there is hope and you have already made huge changes and there is so much more you can do. The front end of the horse is the aggressive side, dominant side and the hind end is the defensive, protective side. If she is striking with the front, she is claiming her space and if she is kicking with the back, she is being defensive. It's important to know this so you know how to work with her and help her trust you all over. The biggest setbacks, like getting kicked, will happen when you're not paying attention to what she needs and how she feels about what you are doing. You also need the skills to help her work through and adopt new, healthier behaviors. I can help with this and totally transform your mare. My MasteryMembership Riding Foundation Program is designed to re-start/rehabilitate and rebuild, build the foundation - all in one massive and comprehensive program that begins on the ground and leads to riding like a pro. Please click here for details and to join: www.taoacademy-horse-training-courses.com/courses. I also offer phone and video coaching www.taoofhorsemanship.com/coaching-instruction-1. Bless you and happy new year!
Thank you for your encouragement. At the moment this mare doesn't belong to me. She is promised to me when the owner relocates taking her other 2 horses and cats with her. I'll believe it when she hands me a chit giving me ownership. As I mentioned before this mare is a mess, yet responds well to me. It's amazing what love and a kind hand can do. Her current owner is on pain pills with a beer chaser so you can imagine what she's like when lit. She lives in a trailer the barn manager has provided given she's homeless. Last Friday I gave the mare a spa day and spent 20 minutes directly behind her teasing out the snarls in her tail AND in full range of her hinds if she was so inclined to send me to the moon which she didn't. At the end of the session I rewarded her and then clipped on a long lead and hand grazed her about an hour.
I believe another problem is her joints as she creaks, pops, and cracks and sometimes reacts in pain in her shoulders and hooves. Given her rough time as a rodeo I'm not surprised.
thank you i am trying to teach my horse how to pick up his feet. he will only pick up one of his front ones so i am trying to get him to pick up the others.
Hi mercie, welcome! If you would like to receive help form Caroline, please visit our website www.taoofhorsemanship.com/ or you can always email us at Sabrina@taoofhorsemanship.com. Thank You Sabrina
I have taught all three of mine to give their hoof when I say "foot!" and a light touch on the chestnut, yet my current farrier always pulls awkwardly on their cannon bone to try get them to pick it up? They dont understand that cue, so I dont get why he does it. I've never seen another farrier struggle so much to pick up a foot. It's so weird, like he wants to make it hard or something. I swear a lot of farriers actually hate their jobs and are just looking for an excuse to take out their frustration on the horse.
HI Rhythm and Blues and Welcome! I make it a point to show my farriers how to ask my horses to pick up their feet. If they don't want to listen, or work with me, they aren't worth keeping. In the end, we are in charge of our horses well fare and we pay our farriers. I'm not going to pay someone that doesn't respect me or my horse.
@TaoofHorsemanship Yeah, I have been finding it really hard to find a decent, reliable farrier since my old trimmer stopped travelling to our area. Over the past year I've had four different farriers ! One of whom whacked my horse in the gut with his rasp because he was anxious and moved, I honestly thought we were past that kind of thing, but nope. Needless to say that one was sacked. I'm beginning to think this current one needs to go too, he did a great job the first two trims but the last two have been hit and miss. And you're right, there's no respect there. The feeling I got from the start was that he kind of thinks I'm an idiot and tbh I dread our appointments 😓 You're also right in that I could show him how to I've trained mine to pick up their feet, that is just a lack of self-confidence on my part. I tend to fall into thinking, "They're a vet/farrier/instructor/trainer, they must know better than me." Which is not always the case when it comes to your own horses.
@@rhythmandblues_alibi I hear you and went through many farriers until I found the one we have now. Good for you not putting up with abussive behavior such as hitting your horse. In regards to not feeling confident enough to speak your mind around your farrier, your not alone. Seems many get offended too easily and take it out on our horses (bad energy, bad trims). Keep the faith, be classy (courteous) and take your power back.
Hi James! That is a loaded question! She could be slamming her foot for many reasons...flies...impatience, irritation, defense. Sorry to disappoint but I don't offer quick solutions esp not for teaching a horse to pick up their hoof and hold it for you. There is a lot that goes into creating that level of partnership, at least there should be.
Caroline, You are one of the few trainers around that really "get" how important your relationship with your horse is ! THANK YOU FOR THAT. It makes everything so much better. I have a Hot little Arab from the Morafic line and I have spent the last 2 years (since I bought him) Doing ground work ,helping him learn to trust me , and how to be calm. He has come SO far with love, kindness, and good feed and hay. I can do everything I do to him without a halter or anything on him. I do not give him food treats as a reward , but love and hugs. I am firm when needed but not harsh or mean. . Professional horse people who have watched him , can't believe how much he has changed. He is truly a joy and seems to know how much he is loved. I have finally started riding him bareback and bitless and am teaching him how to be relaxed when being ridden. Thanks again for all your videos! God bless you. PS: I am 76 years young and still riding!
HI Mary and Welcome! Thank you for your blessing, God Bless You too! 76 years young you are! Fantastic to hear! You would be a wonderful candidate for my spiritual horse-human developmental program called MasteryMembership Riding Foundation. Please click here for details and to join www.taoofhorsemanship.com/masterymembership/. I also have a video library should you want to learn monthly www.taoofhorsemanship.com/video-library.
My mare, Pernod is very good at anticipating which foot you need to pick up next, especially for the farrier. I have also taught her "up" as she is also trained to a voice cue as I am arthritic. In this way she helps me as much as she can, and the farrier too.
This absolutely works. My mare use to be good about lifting her feet for me or the farrier. Somewhere along the line she started fighting us. We would pick her feet up and she would kick out. So I found this video. I have been doing exactly as she teaches and it has only been a week and I am able to pick up and hold her feet for short times. It is an ongoing process, but I have roughly 5 more weeks before I have to call the farrier back out. I am working with my mare every day twice a day. Yea
Awww beautiful Union. Adorable mare. She’s like my gorgeous girl. Ty so much 🤍🤍
Just gorgeous, what a beautiful explanation and shown with such ease, gratitude - truly lovely to watch. thank you so much.
Hi Vicki and Welcome! Thank you so much!
So that looks really good for a horse that is super chill about having their feet picked up. When you're working with a horse that has had a very bad history, what are some great steps for getting them calmer with their back feet when they've had a history of being abused. He is super chill on most everything now based on the work we have been doing with connecting up and bonding. But his backend is Still an issue
I would love in these videos to see examples of an end result as well as a horse that has the issues and watching them work through it
Hi Maximus and Welcome! Yes, this video is not a how-to for challenging horses, rather a how-to for horses that are trusting and will stand quietly. The back end of the horse is predominantly the defensive side while the shoulder/front end is the more assertive, aggressive/dominant side. If your horse is uneasy with their hind end, or threathening to kick, they are being defensive. This means they need more trust building and confidence with you and others, behind them. I have a complete training program, curriculum, where I work with both trained and untrained horses, including teaching them how to stand quietly and pick up their feet. My program is about starting, and re-starting horses, from ground to riding and is a comprehensive guide to developing the safest horse, both on the ground and when riding. It shows you how to work with trauma too and how to rehabilitate. It's called my MasteryMembership Online Training Program for People and Horses. Please click here for details www.taoacademy-horse-training-courses.com/mastery-membership-regular
thank you, i’m trying to teach my 3 year old ex racer to pick up his feet without stomping on the ground and this is really helping
Thank you, I don’t want to know how to lift up there feet I already know that I want to teach my green horse how to because she really hates it
thank you so much for this! this is really helpful! I always struggle getting my gelding’s hooves up he’s kind of a nerd about giving his back feet, but i think a lot of it was I didn’t know how to REALLY ask. i’m still learning too! ❤️ I got them easily after watching this!
Happy to help!
Amazing it worked like a charm
Caroline, my little Arabian (see comment below) was a RESCUE! He was very thin and who knows how he was treated. He is a fat and very happy boy now.
So good. Thank you!
You are so welcome, Lisa!
Can you make a video on the different movements of riding? Such as a trot, canter, and gallop. I’m new to riding and I don’t know the difference between a canter and a gallop.
I have a 19 year old trail horse and he’s never been trained to lift up his hoof before. I want to start cleaning out his hooves since he rarely ever gets them done by a farrier. He gets very confused when I touch his legs and doesn’t seem to get the hint that I’m trying to clean out his hooves. I’m going to go see him this weekend and hope these tips help!!! I’m starting from scratch so hopefully after this I can call myself a horse trainer haha.
👍good idea👌
Thank you
You're very welcome!
I just bought a Green-broke horse and need to begin work with him to be able to put up his feet. Will you method work for him too?
Hi Laura and Welcome! Congrats on your new equine partner! YES! My big program works for all horses and horse owners and is designed to teach you how to develop (train) your horse and guide you every step of the way, from relationship, ground to riding, starting and re-starting to performance. Please click here for details and to join www.taoofhorsemanship.com/masterymembership and email me with any questions Caroline@taoofhorsemanship.com.
I really hope this works for my horse. She used to lift up her feet easily but when my dad had her at a furrier he did something she didn't like and now she won't do it.
Hi Emmaly54 and Welcome! Thank you for sharing. I know exactly what you have experienced, and I promise you Caroline can help you.
Please join us for our weekly Q&A live radio show, Everything Horses & More! hosted every Wednesday at 12pm EST on facebook.com/TaoofHorsemanship/
If not, you can find the recording on our Tao of Horsemanship Facebook page. Thanks again and I hope to see you on our show!
XO, Sabrina
I do all of the things you suggest but my horse still won’t lift his feet. So how do you get them to respond when he is refusing to acknowledge my request?
Hi Deb and Welcome! This video show the technique, mechanics and breaks it down into several parts. However, if you want to teach your horse to connect with and partner (offer vs make) with you, that's an entirely different approach and one that takes time to train the person first how to attune to and connect with their horse. I teach all about this in my big mastery relationship, ground and riding program www.taoofhorsemanship.com/masterymembership.
Question:
I'm fostering an abuse case QH mare. An ex-rodeo horse sold off when the cowboy ran out of luck and money following the rodeo circuit. She's 20+ yrs old and has had at least 5 owners so she changes hands every 3+ yrs. She is fear reactive and always on guard. In the 10 months I've worked with her she has calmed quite a bit and allows me to ride, brush, comb her mane and tail (with extreme caution). However, a recent kick event sent me to the hospital because her owner made a sudden grab for her left fore and as I was coming around to assist in applying a poultice on her sole the mare lashed out and rolled me. Thankfully no harm was done, just a deep tissue bruise. I have described this mare as a bomb with a smoldering lit short fuse because of her past abuse. Farrier work is out of the question as if you reach for her hinds she detonates and hooves fly in every direction. The owner related that the mare was once hog tied and thrown by a farrier to do her hinds which left a severe negative impression. In the 10 months I've worked with the mare I have tease out the sweetness that she hides. Recently I began the tentative step of trying to get her to give me her fronts with some success. By striking the tendons gently she HAS lifted her fronts and allowed me to pick, spritz the soles with turpentine to harden up the soles, then after setting them down I can rasp and shape knocking off the flared edges. When finished I paint them with T3 oil and reward her with a treat for being so patient. In the 10 months I've worked with her the transformation of " I'll kill you if you come near me " to some semblance of civility is amazing and the people, including the barn owner and the current owner of the mare, has been noticed and commented on. The mare's a mess but I'm seeing results if my love and kindness. My task us to somehow get her trust to give me her hinds. I can't afford a Tony Stark
MK46 suit at the moment.
Suggestions?
Not " striking " but "stroking "
Hi Cliff and Welcome! BLESS you for saving this mare and giving her the life she deserves!!! PLEASE don't let anyone work with her or touch her, esp someone from her past. It will only trigger her. The gray mare in this video attacked everyone and was going to be put down and the tender age of 3 because of damage from people. The rescue called me and I came to get her. She is the most amazing horse. I learned how to listen, respect her, ask for respect in kind and work with her nature while helping her let go of her trauma. She still has PTSD and she's 22 but she trusts me and I'm aware so it all works out. I bring all of this up because there is hope and you have already made huge changes and there is so much more you can do. The front end of the horse is the aggressive side, dominant side and the hind end is the defensive, protective side. If she is striking with the front, she is claiming her space and if she is kicking with the back, she is being defensive. It's important to know this so you know how to work with her and help her trust you all over. The biggest setbacks, like getting kicked, will happen when you're not paying attention to what she needs and how she feels about what you are doing. You also need the skills to help her work through and adopt new, healthier behaviors. I can help with this and totally transform your mare. My MasteryMembership Riding Foundation Program is designed to re-start/rehabilitate and rebuild, build the foundation - all in one massive and comprehensive program that begins on the ground and leads to riding like a pro. Please click here for details and to join: www.taoacademy-horse-training-courses.com/courses. I also offer phone and video coaching www.taoofhorsemanship.com/coaching-instruction-1. Bless you and happy new year!
Thank you for your encouragement. At the moment this mare doesn't belong to me. She is promised to me when the owner relocates taking her other 2 horses and cats with her. I'll believe it when she hands me a chit giving me ownership. As I mentioned before this mare is a mess, yet responds well to me. It's amazing what love and a kind hand can do. Her current owner is on pain pills with a beer chaser so you can imagine what she's like when lit. She lives in a trailer the barn manager has provided given she's homeless. Last Friday I gave the mare a spa day and spent 20 minutes directly behind her teasing out the snarls in her tail AND in full range of her hinds if she was so inclined to send me to the moon which she didn't. At the end of the session I rewarded her and then clipped on a long lead and hand grazed her about an hour.
I believe another problem is her joints as she creaks, pops, and cracks and sometimes reacts in pain in her shoulders and hooves. Given her rough time as a rodeo I'm not surprised.
thank you i am trying to teach my horse how to pick up his feet. he will only pick up one of his front ones so i am trying to get him to pick up the others.
Hi mercie, welcome! If you would like to receive help form Caroline, please visit our website www.taoofhorsemanship.com/ or you can always email us at Sabrina@taoofhorsemanship.com.
Thank You
Sabrina
I have taught all three of mine to give their hoof when I say "foot!" and a light touch on the chestnut, yet my current farrier always pulls awkwardly on their cannon bone to try get them to pick it up? They dont understand that cue, so I dont get why he does it. I've never seen another farrier struggle so much to pick up a foot. It's so weird, like he wants to make it hard or something. I swear a lot of farriers actually hate their jobs and are just looking for an excuse to take out their frustration on the horse.
HI Rhythm and Blues and Welcome! I make it a point to show my farriers how to ask my horses to pick up their feet. If they don't want to listen, or work with me, they aren't worth keeping. In the end, we are in charge of our horses well fare and we pay our farriers. I'm not going to pay someone that doesn't respect me or my horse.
@TaoofHorsemanship Yeah, I have been finding it really hard to find a decent, reliable farrier since my old trimmer stopped travelling to our area. Over the past year I've had four different farriers ! One of whom whacked my horse in the gut with his rasp because he was anxious and moved, I honestly thought we were past that kind of thing, but nope. Needless to say that one was sacked. I'm beginning to think this current one needs to go too, he did a great job the first two trims but the last two have been hit and miss. And you're right, there's no respect there. The feeling I got from the start was that he kind of thinks I'm an idiot and tbh I dread our appointments 😓 You're also right in that I could show him how to I've trained mine to pick up their feet, that is just a lack of self-confidence on my part. I tend to fall into thinking, "They're a vet/farrier/instructor/trainer, they must know better than me." Which is not always the case when it comes to your own horses.
@@rhythmandblues_alibi I hear you and went through many farriers until I found the one we have now. Good for you not putting up with abussive behavior such as hitting your horse. In regards to not feeling confident enough to speak your mind around your farrier, your not alone. Seems many get offended too easily and take it out on our horses (bad energy, bad trims). Keep the faith, be classy (courteous) and take your power back.
I need to know how to keep my horse from slamming her foot down after she picks them up.
Hi James! That is a loaded question! She could be slamming her foot for many reasons...flies...impatience, irritation, defense. Sorry to disappoint but I don't offer quick solutions esp not for teaching a horse to pick up their hoof and hold it for you. There is a lot that goes into creating that level of partnership, at least there should be.
Rebetition 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️