Hi Sophie,
What you can do is make an "artificial arm", with a "thumb" on it, so you can pick up the horse's backfeet and hold them even though he kicks. Keep the arm's hand in place as long as the horse kicks, as soon as he stops kicking, take it away. Repeat this procedure several times, until the horse is at ease with the artificial arm picking up his hindfeet. Do this procedure on both sides, as horses need to learn both brainhalves seperately, ther is only 20% of information passing from one half to the other.
Now that he accepts his feet picked up with the artificial arm, you can start with your own hand asking to lift the hindfeet. Don't forget to wear a helmet all the time, wear solid shoes, good gloves and keep your head in the safest position.
What the artificial arm looks like, you can find in Monty's book "From My Hands to Yours".
Stay safe, let us know how you're doing!
Miriam

Hi Sophie,
How I started with my little wild thing is I first got her use to the feel of rope around her feet on the ground.
I have a very long whip, I use for this. I gently lay the whip on the ground around her feet, then gently wrap it around her fetlock area and gradually allow her to get use to the feel of something around her leg area.
I have been using whips for years and can control them within an inch. Practise on something before you go near any horse with one, and never use it on a horse for anything other than what I am suggesting, OK?
I graduate to a light rope very gently, throw the rope on the ground, fetlock, etc...
Next the artifical arm and then a cane, with a deep round handle. The round headed cane gives you the ability to hold the foot comfortably for both you and the horse for longer periods of time.
By doing it gradually, in stages, each day, she now allows me to hold her leg for long periods of time.
Her ferrier says she's the easiest horse he has.
When you have a super sensitive horse graduation is important and super safety is of the utmost.
Two people are great in doing this, one to hold the horse and the other to work with the feet.
This way you can get away quickly if you need to.
Be safe,
Ronda

My advice would be similar to Ronda's but only because I didn't know about the artificial arm before becoming a student of Monty's last year. On the young horses I have trained I have always got them used to a lead rope and then my hands running all over their body first which includes down their legs. I have not tried to lift their legs up until I am confident they accept the rope and my hands all over them. Then with some I have started to gently lift their legs with my hands as Janelle is doing with Buster. Front legs first and then progress to back legs. With others I have also looped a lead rope or lunge rope behind their hocks and slowly pulled until they have lifted each of their hooves forward off the ground and then slowly place them down again with the aid of the rope. Front hooves first. The rope is probably the safest option but they need to be very relaxed with the rope first. The rope would not work if your horse has any fear of ropes around its legs.

Add on - use your dually to try to correct the kicking behaviour and make your mare stand still Every time she kicks or goes to kick discipline with the dually as Monty does in "Join up with the Farrier". Watch that video first - its great. Make her stand still - that is one of the most important things for her to learn!

Thank you so much for your advice i will start today gradually and keep you up dated !!!!
THANK YOU !!!!!!

oh by the way how do you make an artificial arm ???? would there be a photo of it ??? thank you

If you have experience with the clicker training this would be a good thing to add, timing is essential and you must be in two persons. Whatever way you are going to do you should go forward in small steps ("shaping") and slowly.
Rudi

Hi again Sophie - I just watched Monty's lessons in "Access all Areas". In part 2 of that series he has a horse called Arthur who kicks like mad if anyone tries to touch his back legs. Monty is unable to solve the problem in the short span time he has with the horse but gives the owner useful instructions. Most important thing is the artificial arm. Stroke your horse with it over the back and hindquarters and down the back legs. Hold the arm in place while your horse is kicking out but as soon as she allows you to rest it there without her kicking reward her by removing it. For the demonstration Monty just uses something that looks like a wooden walking stick so don't be too fussed about making an artificial arm but it looks as if it is easy enough. Just a stuffed glove on a metre long, 3cm diameter round woooden rod would do the trick. Do watch that video as I am sure it will help you. It is a great series.

Sophie
Everyone has given you some great tips on solving your horses dislike of having it's feet picked up. On more thing you need to do and that is make sure you are wearing a helmet and if you have a protective vest that would be good as well. Horse can kick straight back or they can kick sideways (cow kick) so make sure you stay out of the kick zone and stay closer to the loin area. One more thing to be aware of is that it may be painful for your horse to pick up his feet. Does he always stand square or does he favor one side more than the other? Does he kick regardless of which foot is picked up? If he stands square and it does not matter which foot is picked up then there is a possibility that he was injured by someone when they picked up his feet. I have found that the front feet are easy to get picked up but you need to be slow and steady when handling the rear feet horse feel vulnerable when their rear feet are handled so moving slow and stead lets them have time to relax. I have seen farrier as well as owners just reach down and pick up the rear leg, walk to the side with it and the horse is trying to get his balance and fighting the handler and they just keep going!

Good luck
Cheers

Hi Sophie,
Remember that the horse has 60% of its bodyweight on the frontlegs, so picking up a frontleg needs more balancing out than with the hindlegs. This doesn't mean it's easier, because the hindlegs can really kick out! You can find an artificial arm in "From my hands to yours", a drawing. The "thumb" helps a lot, you can lever the leg and hold it. I've just desensitzed a weanling, that didn't want his feet picked up by the farrier. We did one session with plastic on a stick, then one with the artificial arm and since then he's absolutely OK with having his feet picked up and cut. Ask your horse to relax his shoulder- or hip-joint, once you hold the leg, by making little clockwise circles, holding the tip of the hoof. He'll learn that it doesn't hurt and he can let go of his tension.
Use a good breathing technique, breathing out, when you hold the foot, this relaxes the horse, too!
Let us know how you're doing,
Miriam

hello!!!!
thank you for all your advices.
I was finally able to pick her back feet!!
Each time her feet were done she had a twicth on with her previous owner !!! It's horrible how people can do that !!!!
i will work her again today!! and tomorrow we'll just take our time !!

Time for me to go and work with my stallion he's 5 years old and is 19 hands we are going to work for the first time with the dually holter !!!! will keep you intouch !!!!
sophie

Success is sweet isn't it! Great news, Sophie. Twitches can do so much damage but hopefully she will now start to trust you. Hope the dually session with your stallion went well. What a big fellow he is. Do hope he has a placid nature and takes care of you. It is an amazing halter so I hope he appreciated it!