Do any of you have suggestions for teaching a horse to hobble?  My farrier was just here and I'm  having issues w/ one of the young horses.  He's about 5, I got him almost 2 yrs ago.  he was green broke, not handled much, wouldn't load or tie or pick up his feet w/ out a fight.  anyway,  now he's doing very well  overall. he jumps right in the trailer with the rope over his neck, we've been trail riding a lot and started training level dressage. 

He's been fine for trims, and I clean his feet nearly every day and he'll just pick them up for me when he's eating, out in the pasture or whatever, is very calm, will let me hold them for as long as I like.  BUT-  this is the 3rd time he's had shoes and he's getting worse.  When the farrier starts nailing  he pulls back, or tries to fall down.  I could barely hold him and we ended up putting a chain over his upper lip which did seem to distract him but he still wasn't good.  My farrier was very patient- I admit I was the one getting pissed!

He says it's a respect issue and this horse needs to learn when he's asked to pick up a foot he needs to keep it up for as long as it's being asked.  period.  I don't think it's a physical problem so reluctantly have to agree w/ my farrier. 

he suggested teaching him to hobble in a round pen.  we don't have a round pen.  the top part of the property is about an acre w/ no climb fence and 6" board on top making it about 5' high on the outside.  Is this something I can learn to do myself or should I get a trainer and do you think this will help with the shoeing behavior? 

thanks!

I had a gelding that would stand for me, but would practically lay down with our current farrier.  I finally got so upset with him that when he started putting weight on the farrier I would lunge him (at a fast trot) for a minute and then let the farrier try again.  Every time he pulled away or started leaning he would be sent in circles.  He finally decided that it was better to stand (even thought he had his ears back the whole time) than to be lunged.  When it was his turn to be trimmed we used the longe line instead of a lead rope and I had the lunge whip in my hand.  It didn't take him long to catch on.

     With this guy it was a respect/personality problem.  He didn't like the farrier and the farrier was more passive than I thought he should be.  When the gelding would lean on me he got an elbow to the stomach to make him get off me and he quit leaning on me.  The farrier refused to do that and after the second trim it became a habbit for him to lean on the guy. 

I agree with Teri.

You need to teach him to give his feet, And do it before the farrier comes. It's your job as the owner, not the farriers.

Put a lounge line on him, Have somebody hold it and you pick up his feet, Daily if need be.  At first just pick them up and put them down.  Next hold them for longer and longer periods, Start  cleaning them with a hoof pick, Then tap them with a hammer/rock/something to simulate nailing.  Anytime the horse pulls away, lounge him a few circles.  when he is nice and stands and gives his foot, he can rest.  If he pulls away he works. If you do this when the farrier is NOT there, you don't have to worry about the horse running off with a shoe half pulled off or nails sticking out of a new shoe.

As far as hobbles,  Put him in a controlled area, Someplace where he is content to stay ( not a 50 acre pasture with his buddies on the far end) Put the hobbles on and ask him to move a little.  I usually keep a lead rope on them and ask for a give and diengagement.  Just make him move. If he gets real exicted, disengage him and calm him.  But he has to move to learn how to use the hobbles. Don't let him just stand.

The first few steps they hop, stumble, trip, totally out of control.  So stand clear, you don't want a horse stepping on you or knocking you down. Once they have learned to move a few steps, Leave them to graze witht the hobbles on.  It has never taken my horses very long to learn how to move with hobbles. And in the mountains, they can run faster in hobbles than I can run after them.

I don't teach the hobble to mine, I've seen too many wrecks and injuries from it.

I'd do some roundpen work with a hammer and a small strip of metal.  Once the horse is in learning mode call them inside and ask for a foot.  Once they give the foot to you and you rub it down take the hammer and start tapping, if he leaves make him work until he realizes it's easier to let you tap the hammer on his foot than run around that big 'ol pen.  It may take several sessions to teach him to stand calmly while you place the metal strip on his hoof and tap with the hammer.  You may find it easier to work him in the roundpen and then have your shoer shoe him in the roundpen next time.

Remember this issue belongs solely to your horse, it's your job to make him deal with his issues and get over them.

Fear is not cured with hobbles.

Go behind the barn and chat.  That's an interesting way to put it!

As I said above, Hobbles are not the way to teach a horse to give his foot for the farrier.

In the mountains, we often hobble and turn the horses loose graze. I've done it a lot and it's a common practice among packers. 

You can't haul enough feed in with in with you to last for a week. Horses have to graze on natural feed. It's not my purpose when in the mountains to wander around holding a lead rope while my horses graze for 3 hours every day. We hobble them and turn them loose. We generally keep them in eyesight while they graze. Like I said, my horses can move faster with hobbles than I can run. So if they want too,  they can still beat me back to the truck. And it's no fun to hike 10 miles back to the truck to retrieve a horse. Especially when you have to ride it back to camp bareback since that's where you left the saddle.

Just be careful what hobbles you choose.  Use a soft or padded hobble the first time on a new horse.

I do not know about the hobbies but here is what are we doing.  We have a horse with feet issues and since the farrier is a guy the horse gets scared when it comes to shoeing him.  When we just got him we had to sadate him for the farrier.  We lift up his back leg and then have a guy friend touch it, tap it and let the animal understand he will not hurt him.  Again and again we have done this with some success.  Some days are bad, some are good.  The lunging should also works - great idea.  Our farrier is very understanding and knows his history, so we all work together on this.  Good Luck!

OK.  I agree with all of you who said it's the owner's job to teach the horse to stand- not the farriers.  I've believed - and practiced- that for years.    I really appreciate all your suggestions and stories. 

 Merlin had his first hobbleing lesson today.  she only put them on his front feet- he really didn't panic much.  I'd expected much more of a reaction.  he hopped a bit, sniffed them, rolled, kinda fell a little getting up but righted himself and then hopped some more, we left them on for about 2 hrs.   then  the trainer picked up his hind feet while the front was hobbled, he just stood there and she pounded on his shoes w/ a hammer.   we took the hobbles off, walked him around the pen, then did the same thing w/ the hind feet and he was VERY good.  I"m so relieved he didn't flip out or do anything stupid!  the trainer lent me her hobbles and our homework is to put them on him every day for a while for at least the next month.  it will be hard during the week while working 12+ hr. days but I'm determined teach him this!

Yea!  That is a great start.  Most horses are really smart about hobbles.  Mine does not move much at all while hobbled.  The thing is, if your horse learns to stand patiently with hobbles while having his feet done, it is logical to think that eventually you can remove the hobbles and he will still cooperate.  I recall my trainer saying a horse needs your reassurance while he's learning about hobbles, ie, lots of positive strokes for doing the right thing.

http://nedrafthorseshoeing.com/

Click on his DVD option...

It is titled...Training Your Draft or Horse to Stand Quietly for the Farrier or Vet by Bruce Matthews

He has dealt with my my cranky Percheron...Independence Stone Mountain...