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texas trip

Morgan April 19, 2009 February 22, 2011

Forums

I'm back from a week in Texas for the rest of my hoof trimming mentorships. Had an awsome time. I learned a lot of better techniques that should cut down on the time it takes me quite a lot and got some help reading the super hard dry hooves we get sometimes. I wish I had remembered my camera there was a cute ooooold arabian who was going grey from age but the funny part was the grey hairs was on his back in a lacing pattern up his legs like socks and on his shoulder in stripes! :laugh1 I also learned that the land around Abilene is extremely monotonous: mesquite, mesquite, and more mesquite. :shock: And that while the mexican food in Texas is really good, I prefer to have option not to eat it 3 days in a row. I also got to drive through Aubrey and seen a big billboard with Gunner on it. Wish I'd had a lot more time there. :bounce So I'm ready for final exam just as soon as I can plan that out. Yay! I finally feel like I know what I'm doing. :D I think I'll be going up to Kansas City for that (has to be someon I havent worked with before. :? ) :bounce :bounce :bounce Now today I SIT and go NOWHERE and do NOTHING. :rofl

vneerland Sun, 04/19/2009 - 13:19

:? What is wrong with TexMex for 3 days in a row?
The fact that refried beans contain 80% lard? :twisted:

Monsterpony Sun, 04/19/2009 - 16:40

Sounds like fun! Are you going to share all those new tips with us? :D

Morgan Sun, 04/19/2009 - 17:07

Some of it is kind of hard stuff to share by explaining, more hands on (which is why I had to do mentorships ^^) llittle things like how to make sure a horse isn't tense and going to kick you, and that if you think they might to stand with your bacl to them so if they do get you your leg bends away. the best way to hold the hoof with your legs, working tools with both hands and not holding the hoof with one hand. How to avoid using your back. That screwdrivers are a heck of a lot better for cleaning than a hoofpick. umm... to nip out the bar first then you can bite the heel and work around the hoof quickly to the other heel. That I can have two knifes, one dull for scraping loose sole and one sharp for cleaning frog. How to get the horse to ballance themselves without having to put the foot down. Just tons of stuff that's still sinking in. :D And most horses will pick their foot up if you scratch with your fingernail nail on the side of their cannon bone, if that fails just press the end of the rasp on it lightly and they will pick it up for you. Much better than pulling on legs all day which can mess with your back.

Heather Sun, 04/19/2009 - 17:24

a rasp to the belly (thawap!)usually lets hefty know that he can balance on three legs and not on me.... :laugh1

Is it wrong to sit on a bucket to do your hooves LOL I find it super realxing just to put the foot ont he knee, but then i do stand up and look at the bottom to be sure we are even and balanced

Morgan Sun, 04/19/2009 - 17:47

[quote="Heather"]a rasp to the belly (thawap!)usually lets hefty know that he can balance on three legs and not on me.... :laugh1

Is it wrong to sit on a bucket to do your hooves LOL I find it super realxing just to put the foot ont he knee, but then i do stand up and look at the bottom to be sure we are even and balanced[/quote]
lol not at all wrong for doing your own (I did when I first started trimming) and I know an older lady who allways trims sitting on a bucket. I think its safer not to if your dealing with horses you dont know though. If its a really nervous horse I'll still just set the hoof on my knee instead of restricting them with the farriers stance (and some are kind of creaky in the hind end and cant lift very well). But I am glad I finally learned the "real" way to save time and effort on regular good horses.

for the ballancing it was pretty easy, as long as their feet are in a tripod they wont really pull around or lean on you so if they leaned on a front foot I can just push at their girth with my shoulder and the oposite hind will spread to suport them, if they are leaning away I can pull the foot toward me and have the near hind spread and suport. Same thing for doing hind feet, push and pull untill the front are spread and he is balancing on them. if an oposite hind is cocked you can be pretty sue they are thinking of sitting on you.

Monsterpony Sun, 04/19/2009 - 19:18

I had one fjord that liked to lift his opposite hind leg when he was getting trimmed/hoof picked on the front...how do you deal with that?

Sara Sun, 04/19/2009 - 19:27

Isabelle does that too, and stays in perfect balance. I just let her do it. She can also happily walk around on three legs while I'm holding up the fourth and that poses a little more problem for trimming!

Morgan Sun, 04/19/2009 - 20:23

[quote="Monsterpony"]I had one fjord that liked to lift his opposite hind leg when he was getting trimmed/hoof picked on the front...how do you deal with that?[/quote]
that was where pushing with the shoulder seems to work. :) just as you are holding the front hoof up push quickly against their girth area with your shoulder and they will spread their hind legs for ballance. Like if somone pushed you you would brace yourself.
I think the walking around ones just require a lot more training about stand still. like a ground tying lesson or just move with them, cant sit on a bucket to trim them