Be Quick Horseshoeing, Inc.

"Taking Care of Your Horse from the Ground Up!"

Farrier Appointments:(970)568-3113

Be Quick
Horseshoeing

Farrier Appointments:
FTC:(970)568-3113

Service Areas:

  • Adams
  • Boulder
    • Boulder
    • Lafayette
    • Longmont
    • Superior
  • North Denver
  • Jefferson
  • Larimer
    • Berthod
    • Estes Park
    • Ft. Collins
    • Loveland
    • Wellington
    • Windsor
  • Weld
    • Brighton
    • Evans
    • Northglenn
    • Thornton
  • N of I-70 Front Range
  • Cheyenne, WY

Is your horse ready for the Farrier?

Written by Pat Hall

All of our horses have good days and bad days. I have seen the anxiety on client's faces when I arrive for the appointment. Foals, first time shod horses and traumatic past experiences can send some clients into a panic attack. First and foremost horses don't want to be bad. A horse which is normally calm might feed off the anxiety in the owner and have a bad day. In some cases, I find myself getting the client calmed down enough to work with the horse.

Farrier appointments are like a test in school. The better prepared we are the better the results. There are several things I check out with horses before I start working. First, does he respect my space? "I don't need hoof prints on my shirt to prove he'll run over me." A horse believes one step is as good as a mile. If I can keep him from taking the first step toward me, I can keep the activity from escalading into a bigger issue. Next, is his attention on me? If everything around the horse is more important than I am, I won't have much luck getting him to stand still. If the horse is distracted, I will get his feet moving.

The horse and I have a deal. The horse gets to move his feet and I get to direct where they will go. I want to be precise about where I ask them to go. The process goes faster when you are clear about your intentions. My goal is to get the horse focused on me not to create fatigue. Most of us don't learn much when we are tired.

Finally, I'll check to see if the horse respects me. Part of that I covered in respecting my space. Does the horse want to strike or kick? In these cases I'll use a flag to reach for the feet. I find it better that he kicks a flag or stick than my hand. One of the biggest reasons owners get kicked is because they don't warn the horse they are going to grab a foot. I usually start at the wither and move my hand down his back and leg. Be careful not to lose contact with the horse or this could cost you some pain. This is especially important on foals. Sometimes the fastest way forward is to slow down. Remember to take a deep breath, relax and have a good story to tell. After all we have about an hour to catch up on what's new.

Good Luck
Pat Hall, CJF

BeQuick Horseshoeing

Be Quick Horseshoeing, Inc. farrier service area includes Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Berthoud, Longmont and surrounding Northern Colorado towns.

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