Getting Horses to Pick Up Their Feet.

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

My horses have seemed to be a bit sluggish in their trot. They are all sound and show fit (well, except for Jazzy, it wouldnt hurt him to lose some weight LOL), but they are just getting lazy. AND I KNOW ITS WINTER, but, my horses get a little bratty when they are not worked. they arent in a show excersise program anymore, but I have been putting trotting poles in the round pen, hoping to get them to build some muscle!

This has REALLY worked for my driving horse Bentley, he isnt just getting better in the round pen, he really steps it up in the pasture when he is playing too. I also elevate the poles just enough to where they pick their feet up higher, kind of like a hackney show pony, but not enough to where he thinks he has to jump them. Bentley right now can do 10 trotting poles in a row, on the ground and elevated.

As for Jazzy, he is still getting the hang of it. I had to work with him on focusing on the poles and looking at where hes going LOL, but I elevated some of them this weekend and he is doing well. He can do 10 in a row on the ground and 5 elevated.

For Devil, trotting isnt really his thang LOL!!! He still needs to work on just trotting period. He likes to run like the wind, you cant hardly ever slow him down!! He cant do any poles succesfully at the moment

Of course, we dont work on this everyday, I can only work the horses over the weekend due to school, homework and finals are coming up soon

So, we only do this once or twice a week.

I guess my question is, is there another way to "train" a horse to pick up his feet besides poles?

 

[Lil Eowyn]

My horse was so fat and lazy and when spring came around I was able to help her lose weight (she got too fat off of hay bales). So Ground poles sound like a really good idea--but I didn't have any. Are your horses feet too long? Try putting
out tires, cones, tarp, random poles, bits of ply board etc.
On the ground lead slowly over/round them. If you don't space them apart too much the horse has to pay attention to where he is putting his feet. So this gets his attention.

Next, place out 3 small jumps 2ft apart. WALK him over them. This really encourages lifting of the feet and again makes them pay attention to where each foot is being placed. Hope

this helped! =)

 

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

I dont think my horses feet are too long, im pretty sure he just doesnt know how to use them! Plus, he has the attention span of a fish sometimes LOL

we have a neighbor who has horses that come and watch the horses in the round pen, and Jazzy loves them haha!

I cant even tell you how many times i have walked over the poles with them, it doesnt help. The 2 horses Im having trouble with are 2 yr olds, so they are still babys (well, to me they are

)

I use narrow PVC pipes as the trotting poles. And i cant use jumps yet because one horse retired from it due to a long hoof injury in 2010, and I cant jump my 2yr olds untill next year. But thanks for the advice!!!

 

[Lil Eowyn]

about the jumps--I mean't to just try walking over them--It will help them pick up their feet alot. They just have to be really small jumps--Sorry if this is confusing XD

 

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Just a quick note...try using heavier poles, instead of the pvc. Casper is about as phlematic a character as can be, he trips along and knocks the pvc pole no matter the diameter. I noticed on our walks in the woods that he paid VERY CLOSE attention to even twigs and stepped over carefully....soooooo..guess what he has now??? LOL Yep, wood poles. One took him knocking his pastern one time and now he picks up his feet. He still doesn't respect pvc, so I'm going to try painting the poles white (to trick him) and fill the pvc with sand to weight them.

Good luck, can't wait to see more suggestions...Julie

 

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

Hmm, i never thought about wooden poles??? But, he is just having trouble breaking into a trot, he tries to jump and leap them all, i guess its easier to him LOL! Eowyn, i understand now LOL! I have elevated the poles to bentley so he picks his feet up as far as he can, its helped him ALOT. Today he trotted with the others and he carried his feet high!!

 

[Lil Eowyn]

Okay I need to just shut up now LOL

 

[Lloydyne]

I don't know if it's a bad thing or not but you know how they put chains on Arabs and Walkers to lift their feet. I saw someone once put chains on a lil horse but they were plastic, like from a kids toy box.....actually more like bells. Anyway it made a difference.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

You can put things on their ankles, not at shows of course;

Chains-plastic or metal

Leather straps alone or with additions-

Chains

Ropes

Garden hose

Wooden sticks

Wooden or metal beads

The leather straps can be tied together with rubber surgical tubing

Shackles and flying 'w's

Although I give this list to open your mind to the possibilities, I discourage you from using these without the help of a trainer.

Also, understand, you can't 'make' them trot higher. You can only improve their motion. Don't force a pony, who is doing all he is capable of, to trot higher.

Dr. Taylor

 

[shalakominiatureshowhorses]

LOL Eowyn, its okay

Dr. Taylor, I honestly dont like the chains on the horses, i believe in a horses natural trot. I only elevate the poles to make him focus and pick up their feet higher, thank youy though