Quite frankly a good number of horse injuries are caused from accidents occurring when you are not mounted. I am not going to quote actual statistics, but I know just from my own experience.
How many of you have had your feet stepped on, or in some cases, jumped on because your horse got into your space.
We need to remember that horses outweigh us by hundreds and hundreds of pounds and if they want to fight us they are going to win, there is absolutely no doubt about that.
So when we talk about "ground manners", exactly what are we referring to?
Well, does your horse stand tied or does he pull back?
Can you lift and clean all four of his feet without a huge fight or resorting to pinching tendons or all of the other tricks that people use to get their horses to lift a hoof?
Can you hose his legs or body?
Can you put fly spray on him?
Will he stand still for saddling?
Does he stay out of your personal space on a leadline?
Will he stand quietly for the farrier or is it a huge battle every time you get his feet done? Can you touch him all over without him flinching, kicking or moving away?
Can you touch his ears?
Does he listen to halter pressure?
Can you lift and clean all four of his feet without a huge fight or resorting to pinching tendons or all of the other tricks that people use to get their horses to lift a hoof?
Can you hose his legs or body?
Can you put fly spray on him?
Will he stand still for saddling?
Does he stay out of your personal space on a leadline?
Will he stand quietly for the farrier or is it a huge battle every time you get his feet done? Can you touch him all over without him flinching, kicking or moving away?
Can you touch his ears?
Does he listen to halter pressure?
If you answer no to any of the above questions then there is room for improvement.
Even Cleo, yes Cleo the little angel sometimes needs a little reminder here and there about respect. I do allow my horses to come into my space when I choose it but they also know when it is not allowed. I teach all of my horses how to be compliant with everything listed above. Are they all perfect? No. They all have their days. In fact my one horse Sonny had a very strange case of Strangles when he was a yearling and due to that, he has been very head shy and couldn't stand being touched around his ears or above his forehead. It made bridling a huge challenge but I have persisted with him. All of a sudden one day, he stopped fighting. He allows me to touch him all over his forehead and poll and lowers his head for bridling now.
All of my horses are good with their hooves. I refuse to try and fight somebody who weighs more than a thousand pounds because they don't want to lift their feet. I teach them the word "foot" because sometimes I want to touch their legs and don't want them to lift them. I always do their hooves in a certain order. Always front, back, then front, back. That way they know exactly what to expect.
I have found that when you approach something new with confident energy, horses generally don't react as badly as if you are approaching something with trepidation or nervousness. They can sense your feelings and will react accordingly.
When teaching them to lift their feet for the first time, I approach it with confidence but also with an eye to safety. I have taught rescue horses to lift their feet using my methods. I think people have the most trouble with hooves because they are nervous about it and the horse feeds off of it right away.
With the hinds, it is most natural for the horse to lift their foot forward rather than extended to the rear. They tend to jackhammer that foot up and down in response to it being extended. I start them with a soft cotton lead shank gently draped behind the fetlock. That way I am out of firing range. I gently pull the foot forward and if they are compliant, I set it down and praise them. I lift the foot repeatedly and when they seem comfortable doing so, I replace the rope with my hand and will actually rub their leg before attempting to lift it. With most horses, I am successful in lifting their feet in one session. I have learned to hang on when they start the jackhammering and generally most horses stop when they realize you have a hold on them. If you are not confident in doing so, then please for your own personal safety, continue with the rope or consult with someone qualified to help you.
Even Cleo, yes Cleo the little angel sometimes needs a little reminder here and there about respect. I do allow my horses to come into my space when I choose it but they also know when it is not allowed. I teach all of my horses how to be compliant with everything listed above. Are they all perfect? No. They all have their days. In fact my one horse Sonny had a very strange case of Strangles when he was a yearling and due to that, he has been very head shy and couldn't stand being touched around his ears or above his forehead. It made bridling a huge challenge but I have persisted with him. All of a sudden one day, he stopped fighting. He allows me to touch him all over his forehead and poll and lowers his head for bridling now.
All of my horses are good with their hooves. I refuse to try and fight somebody who weighs more than a thousand pounds because they don't want to lift their feet. I teach them the word "foot" because sometimes I want to touch their legs and don't want them to lift them. I always do their hooves in a certain order. Always front, back, then front, back. That way they know exactly what to expect.
I have found that when you approach something new with confident energy, horses generally don't react as badly as if you are approaching something with trepidation or nervousness. They can sense your feelings and will react accordingly.
When teaching them to lift their feet for the first time, I approach it with confidence but also with an eye to safety. I have taught rescue horses to lift their feet using my methods. I think people have the most trouble with hooves because they are nervous about it and the horse feeds off of it right away.
With the hinds, it is most natural for the horse to lift their foot forward rather than extended to the rear. They tend to jackhammer that foot up and down in response to it being extended. I start them with a soft cotton lead shank gently draped behind the fetlock. That way I am out of firing range. I gently pull the foot forward and if they are compliant, I set it down and praise them. I lift the foot repeatedly and when they seem comfortable doing so, I replace the rope with my hand and will actually rub their leg before attempting to lift it. With most horses, I am successful in lifting their feet in one session. I have learned to hang on when they start the jackhammering and generally most horses stop when they realize you have a hold on them. If you are not confident in doing so, then please for your own personal safety, continue with the rope or consult with someone qualified to help you.
Remember--respect on the ground is the basis for respect under saddle.
