Hi Janelle,
I often have the same problem with a neighbours pony:)
She almost can quite steady herself on 3 legs!I always have to be super fast at picking out her hooves because if I take longer than 10 seconds she almost fallls on top of me! It is kind of funny and she doesnt hurt herself but it could potentially be a bit dangerous! I dont really know what to do about it but your not alone!
EquiAbi

Hi Nelliebell,maybe it`s because he has pain on the opposite leg.

Hi Nelliebell - I think this maybe just related to his young age and inexperience with having his hooves picked up. Tricka, my young mare, was awkward initially and would tend to fall on me especially when I was picking up her off front hoof but now that she is older and experienced with it she is fine. Hopefully it is the same with your beautiful brumby. Remember that he is still so very young and totally inexperienced with so many things that we take for granted in our horses that have been handled since birth.

Thanks Maggie, i think you are right there. I have never owned such a young horse so i don't realy know what the expectations are! I have been in touch with the rescue place i got him from and they suggested just going back to basics and pick his feet up only for a couple of seconds and put them down before he starts to wobble then build up from there. Is this what you did? He is also a very solid build for a 2 year old so that might beplaying a part aswell. He is doing so well with everything else and really does try hard to please so i want to get this vital part right! And yes we take for granted our horses who have been handled so extensively!
Janelle

Yes - I only picked Tricka's hooves up for very short periods at first and then slowly built up the time I held her hoof. Just get Buster used to picking up his hooves briefly at first - you may not even be able to hold them long enough to pick them out. Just make sure that it is you that puts the hoof down and not Buster. Try to vary the time you hold it a little so he doesn't anticipate the
release. It will take some time until he learns to stand effectively on three legs. Good luck with it.

Hi Janelle

I am a novice horse woman, (having taken on 3 rescue ponies)and wrote about them (or rather one in particular)in a separate post called 'striking out'.

Long story short, I got in a trainer to help and I have to say he helped so much that I am able to pick up my Filly's feet when before she wouldn't co-operate.

Being such a novice, I feel rather a fraud writing back and giving 'advice' but here goes ... this is how I managed to move on.

The trainer said to me that apparently the front feet are the hardest for a horse to lift - it places them in a vulnerable position and means they can't 'flee' so they struggle with allowing them to be lifted at the beginning. Add to that, their front feet are the ones they use for balance the most, so take one away and they find it difficult.

We practised picking her feet up for very short periods of time (I think previous people above have advised that too) and rather than letting her feet drop on their own, made sure we supported her feet and then gently put them down. we used the dually to school - if she snatched her feet away when they were picked up she was backed up - not in an aggressive or assertive way like you might back up a horse who is kicking off but in a calm, measured way without too much energy, just so she knew there was a consequence to not co-operating and also it meant she had to move her feet.

The other thing that was done (and in many ways was the most important thing we did) was to look at her standing on all four feet and become aware of how her weight was distributed in any given position - it was then easier to select a foot to lift that looked like it was resting (rather than being used for a balance point). It took some time to 'see' how she was positioned but made such a difference. In other words we didn't select a foot to pick up that looked like she was using to put most of her weight on.

The last thing he taught me (and I'd say was as important as looking at her weight distribution) was to get her to 'help' me lift her foot. By that, I mean to move her so she understood how to co-operate. This is what he taught me ... say for example, having looked at her weight distrubution and worked out that her left front foot was not taking all her weight and therefore would be the best foot to lift, I was instructed to make a fist and then with my knuckes, apply short constant bursts of light pressure on her left shoulder/upper part of leg. She instinctively would move away from that pressure and slightly lift or move her leg which I was then able to lift up. It was a brilliant technique and I hope I've explained it well enough for you to try.

Once you've got your horse used to having his legs picked up without him snatching them away you can then progress onto tapping the sides of his hooves (when his leg is lifted) and get used to the sensation of movement on his feet. After all that is achieved, you can use the hoof pick - just a few scraps at a time until he's used to that and finally you'll be able to pick out the entire hoof.

I really hope that my description of how the horse whisperer helped me will help you. He was trained by Kelly Marks and Monty Roberts so I had complete confidence in him and we were able to pick my Filly's hooves out by the end of the session. This actually only took about an hour to achieve from start to finish would you believe?!

The other thing I forgot to say, and this is really important too - he told me to walk my horse after each hoof I picked out - apparently it can be uncomfortable for them to hold a 'foot up' postion for too long - walking them round moves their legs and stretches them out and keeps the blood flowing and therefore circulation.

As I say, I really hope that this helps you with your gelding. Let us know how you get on?

With best regards, Lizzie

Hi Janelle
I think you've been given some good advice here, and Lizzie has made excellent points about the weight distribution and moving the horse around after each foot .. I think as well as the physical effort involved, it's reassuring for them to know they're going to be given their feet back, and even just walking a circle gives them a chance to get rid of tension and nervous energy.
Hope it goes well with Buster,
Warmest wishes
Gillian
ps And by the way Lizzie, you deserve big congratulations for all the learning you've taken on to help your horses - thank you for sharing what you've learned ... that's not being a fraud - it's being generous!!!

Thank you all for your great suggestions! I feel much more confident to tackle this now. Lizzie your advice has made so much sense and i can't wait to get out there and try it! You are definately not a fraud, we are ALL learning! Whether we have owned horses for years, months, or weeks, we all can learn from noe another :-)
Maggie, good idea with the release point :-) They are smart animals!...got to stay one step ahead!

Janelle

Great detailed and well explained information for all of us Lizzie. Thanks for passing it on.

Thank you all for your kind and complimentary comments.

I'm so glad that my recent experience may help you Janelle -I know I've been so grateful to everyone for all their advice since I joined the online Uni so it's such a nice feeling to be able to make a worthwhile contribution to your current challenge with Buster.

I've said it before elsewhere, but I have never known such big hearted and generous people since I took on my rescue horses - from all of you on the online Uni to the trainer I met - it has been an amazing start of what I hope will be a long and happy journey with my 3 ponies and I hope it will be the same with Buster.

Don't forget to write back and tell us how it goes?!

Best regards to you all, Lizzie