She hates her legs touched

[RKG miniatures]

I have a beautiful little mini that HATES her legs worked with which means it is very difficult to trim her. I work with her all the time and luckily have a farrier that does OK with her. She is fairly docile otherwise. Any suggestions.

 

[Carolyn R]

Touch, praise, treat, touch, praise, treat, repeat repeat repeat repeat!

I could barely touch my big girls back legs without her dancing around at first. She wasn't as bad with her fronts, took lots of patients and lots of praise, but she now lifts them just by touching her heal. She does so well, I am teaching her how to extend her front leg up and out to shake on command.

Wanted to ad that any amount of positive behavior deserves praise. Even if that is only a touch at first, then even if you work towards getting her heel off the ground, then the hoof an inch off the ground, any amount of give on her part is an advancement towards your goal and deserves praise, even if that comes in the form of release of pressure (whether it is the mental pressure of stopping and allowing her to relax when she has behaved positively towards your actions of touching her or it may be the actual physical pressure of you getting her foot off the ground an inch, then two, and so on when she gets to that point.). Stopping and allowing your horse to know that they have done what you have asked and walking away, even if it is only for ten minutes is a huge deal, if you don't want to walk away altogether, move onto brushing or leading them around, then come back to there legs again.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

First I would avoid touching her yourself but use objects instead by just getting use to her legs being touched. Use a lead rope and just take it and fling it around her legs and keep doing it til she is relaxed and stands still. Also can be the end of a whip just touching her all over it and same thing can be done with the lash of the whip just fling it around her legs. You'll be amazed how many horses just freak out by flinging the lead rope all over them even seasoned horses. It gets them real quiet.

Then try again and just rub her legs at first and if she is fine with that then ask her to pick the leg up and just drop it. If she is fine then go longer and pretty soon you can just hold it. Then start tapping the hoof with a hoof pick or the palm of your hand and then drop it. Pretty soon you can pick out her hooves just fine. Always retreat and rub.

 

[dannigirl]

First I would avoid touching her yourself but use objects instead by just getting use to her legs being touched. Use a lead rope and just take it and fling it around her legs and keep doing it til she is relaxed and stands still. Also can be the end of a whip just touching her all over it and same thing can be done with the lash of the whip just fling it around her legs. You'll be amazed how many horses just freak out by flinging the lead rope all over them even seasoned horses. It gets them real quiet.

Then try again and just rub her legs at first and if she is fine with that then ask her to pick the leg up and just drop it. If she is fine then go longer and pretty soon you can just hold it. Then start tapping the hoof with a hoof pick or the palm of your hand and then drop it. Pretty soon you can pick out her hooves just fine. Always retreat and rub.

Here I go with my broom again. Really the same concept as Jamie's.

 

[Jill]

Sounds like the above are good perspectives and things to try. We have one that is so difficult and I think I need to devote some time to also trying the things above... which are things I already knew / would have figured, but -- urgh -- this little one is really something. It might be that I need a cocktail before trying. She's a/k/a "Thumb Crusher" here based on my intial experience trying to do ANYTHING "to" her (bridle path)... we'll just have to say she never got one! It turned into a two person + 1 mini rodeo event and H and I fussing at each other

 

[HGFarm]

I will ask what are you doing prior to touching her legs? Do you run your hand down her leg before asking to pick it up or do you just reach out and grab one? (sorry gotta ask because I have seen some folks just reach out and grab a leg, startling the horse).

Perhaps using a soft brush, just brush down until she starts getting uncomfortable, then work back up, ending on a good note? Do this until she is comfortable with that- then go to the next level down, etc..????

Is it a leg in particular or all of them? Has she been picked up too hard by a previous owner and cramped? Has she got something out of place in her spine that hurts when her legs are picked up? Just trying to hit all the bases here....