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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
 
| Have a 14 year old gelding that is extremely hard to shoe. Almost impossible to even trim his back feet.
I know he has been beaten in his past by a shoer, because when you even get around him with farrier tools, his whole body shakes. Its actually really sad.
We bought him almost a year ago as a backup heel horse, but now I am heading off him and need to keep his feet in GREAT condition, not just OK.
He isn't mean, warns you anytime he feels uncomfortable or stressed, but he will kick (HARD) if you put him in an uncomfortable situation. He has never given me any trouble while riding him, brushing his back legs, etc. Just cannot trim him (without a horrible fight) or use back boots on him. I have tried everything i know this past year to try to get him over it and nothing helps (ground work, rope work, etc.)
Has anyone ever had any success at getting one trimmed that is horrible like this?? A good farrier will not touch him I know. Should I take him to the vet and have him heavily sedated and trimmed?
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| My good horse was horrible to shoe, it actually stemmed from his hocks being horrible, sadly we never picked up on the hocks for a few years.
After we did the hocks he never did get any better, so yes every 4-6 weeks I hauled to the vet clinic and had him sedated. Sometimes it would take 3 doses of rompin to get shoes on him. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| Thank you for the reply, actually makes me feel better to hear someone else has hauled to the vet for something like this... probably isnt as uncommon as I think it is. I am willing to do whatever it takes. I know he is probably a little sore in his hocks also, mainly from his feet being so bad, but he would for sure have to be sedated heavily to be injected too. I'm sure at 14 there is no "getting him over it." |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| I've got one. Started from being in pain from hocks, fixed the hocks, still hard to shoe. Tranq, bute, longing first, he's not having it. Soooo we tranq to trim hind feet. I don't shoe them. Him being bad about his feet isn't worth me losing my good shoer. We show the front and have done with it. |
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | Why do you need to haul to the vet to have him sedated?
I had to sedate my mare to get the final shoe on her one hind once. It was a new farrier and for whatever reason she would NOT let him shoe her left hind. We got all other 3 shoes on and I ended up calling my husband on his way home from work and had him pick up a cocktail for me from the vet to give her. I had to draw out of a rodeo that weekend because she was so sore from fighting him. I went back to my regular farrier and never had another problem. She has stifle issues so I think that one farrier was just putting her in a painful position where my regular farrier can feel where a horse is comfortable at and doesn't push her. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| Just Bring It - 2015-03-24 10:19 AM
Why do you need to haul to the vet to have him sedated?
I had to sedate my mare to get the final shoe on her one hind once. It was a new farrier and for whatever reason she would NOT let him shoe her left hind. We got all other 3 shoes on and I ended up calling my husband on his way home from work and had him pick up a cocktail for me from the vet to give her. I had to draw out of a rodeo that weekend because she was so sore from fighting him. I went back to my regular farrier and never had another problem. She has stifle issues so I think that one farrier was just putting her in a painful position where my regular farrier can feel where a horse is comfortable at and doesn't push her.
I have sedated him myself with Ace & Xylazine (got him head down sedated but, makes him kick worse), I have read Xylazine can make some worse in their back end... have tried the new Dorm gel on him (did NOTHING), and last time the farrier was out we injected dorm, he is still bad...
If I am going to HEAVILY sedate him I would rather be in a vets care due to him not taking well to previous sedation. |
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Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | kboltwkreations - 2015-03-24 10:25 AM Just Bring It - 2015-03-24 10:19 AM Why do you need to haul to the vet to have him sedated?
I had to sedate my mare to get the final shoe on her one hind once. It was a new farrier and for whatever reason she would NOT let him shoe her left hind. We got all other 3 shoes on and I ended up calling my husband on his way home from work and had him pick up a cocktail for me from the vet to give her. I had to draw out of a rodeo that weekend because she was so sore from fighting him. I went back to my regular farrier and never had another problem. She has stifle issues so I think that one farrier was just putting her in a painful position where my regular farrier can feel where a horse is comfortable at and doesn't push her. I have sedated him myself with Ace & Xylazine (got him head down sedated but, makes him kick worse ), I have read Xylazine can make some worse in their back end... have tried the new Dorm gel on him (did NOTHING ), and last time the farrier was out we injected dorm, he is still bad... If I am going to HEAVILY sedate him I would rather be in a vets care due to him not taking well to previous sedation.
Ahh ic. Poor guy. Only if they could talk.... |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I would have a Chiro go over him really good to see if he could be out somewhere. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| Just Bring It - 2015-03-24 10:33 AM
kboltwkreations - 2015-03-24 10:25 AM Just Bring It - 2015-03-24 10:19 AM Why do you need to haul to the vet to have him sedated?
I had to sedate my mare to get the final shoe on her one hind once. It was a new farrier and for whatever reason she would NOT let him shoe her left hind. We got all other 3 shoes on and I ended up calling my husband on his way home from work and had him pick up a cocktail for me from the vet to give her. I had to draw out of a rodeo that weekend because she was so sore from fighting him. I went back to my regular farrier and never had another problem. She has stifle issues so I think that one farrier was just putting her in a painful position where my regular farrier can feel where a horse is comfortable at and doesn't push her. I have sedated him myself with Ace & Xylazine (got him head down sedated but, makes him kick worse ), I have read Xylazine can make some worse in their back end... have tried the new Dorm gel on him (did NOTHING ), and last time the farrier was out we injected dorm, he is still bad... If I am going to HEAVILY sedate him I would rather be in a vets care due to him not taking well to previous sedation.
Yes someone has done a number on him in the past....  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| Southtxponygirl - 2015-03-24 10:33 AM
I would have a Chiro go over him really good to see if he could be out somewhere.
I would love to have him chiropracted, but need to be able to get around and pick up his back feet for a thorough eval... Have tried to have my massage girl look at him and he is so nervous around her. Guess she smells like a horse shoer! Have a call into the vet to see if we can get something figured out with him.. I just cannot put him through another horrible fight just to trim his back feet. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 669
Location: Central Texas | kboltwkreations - 2015-03-24 10:25 AM
Just Bring It - 2015-03-24 10:19 AM
Why do you need to haul to the vet to have him sedated?
I had to sedate my mare to get the final shoe on her one hind once. It was a new farrier and for whatever reason she would NOT let him shoe her left hind. We got all other 3 shoes on and I ended up calling my husband on his way home from work and had him pick up a cocktail for me from the vet to give her. I had to draw out of a rodeo that weekend because she was so sore from fighting him. I went back to my regular farrier and never had another problem. She has stifle issues so I think that one farrier was just putting her in a painful position where my regular farrier can feel where a horse is comfortable at and doesn't push her.
I have sedated him myself with Ace & Xylazine (got him head down sedated but, makes him kick worse ), I have read Xylazine can make some worse in their back end... have tried the new Dorm gel on him (did NOTHING ), and last time the farrier was out we injected dorm, he is still bad...
If I am going to HEAVILY sedate him I would rather be in a vets care due to him not taking well to previous sedation.
I have advice but just wanted to say I think you are smart in having a vet tranq your horse.
EDITED: meant to say I have "no" advice
Edited by ampratt 2015-03-24 10:42 AM
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Lip Chain |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | duck tape twitch |
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 Expert
Posts: 2135
Location: Somewhere else | Husband is a farrier and deals with a ton of horses like this. He will not dope a horse to shoe or trim he just continues to work with them until they trust him and they know he isn't going to hurt them. If the owner insists on doping one he tells them to have a vet come do it. My 1st horse was so bad at first trying to put shoes on that they actually had to lay him down to put shoes on his back feet. After that he was fine.
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Veteran
Posts: 291
| Have you ever tied a leg up on him? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| I have since lost them in a tornado, but I used to have a set of stocks that I built myself. I didn't like using them, but when it's necessary, it's necessary. When I had a set, I found that I used them for a lot more than back feet. Mine was 6 x 6 wooden post set in concrete. The sides and top were well pipe, bolted on. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| river runner - 2015-03-24 1:14 PM
Have you ever tied a leg up on him?
Yes thats the only way we have been able to trim him for the past year. Its still a fight the whole time. |
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Member
Posts: 36
| I have a gelding that is barefoot in the hind end for this exact reason. He's ok in front but not in back. This horse has had issues his whole life from what I understand. When I first got him his hocks were horrible, you couldn't touch his hind end but his body was in desperate need of help. I have made a ton of progress with him but I don't believe I will ever totally fix him. We have got by him to keep his feet cleaned up but the last time he was twitched, sedated enough to almost drop him and he still managed to hurt my shoer. As awful as it sounds I ride him on gravel and that keeps his feet pretty well cleaned up. I may get some snotty looks from people when they see what they look like but it's working for now. Just not worth someone getting hurt. He is completely sound now. I can do almost anything with his hind end now except trimming. It's a tough situation!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 2276
Location: ohio-in my own little world with pretty ponies :) | Had a gelding that was scary to do his back feet. I actually had a couple farriers quit bc they didn't want to do him anymore.
Eventually we started sedating him to do them and would do less and less on him and ir helped.
He isn't perfect to trim now but he only pulls away maybe once a trim. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Why dont you try bute on him befor you get him shoed and see if that helps any, maybe its a pain issue and bute him a few times to see if he gets better at shoeing and if it works then you know its something to do with pain. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420
| I have a mare that was terrible and had to sedate her to get shoes on. The farrier would get pretty handy with her. I changed farriers and he knew what he was getting into. I think we may have sedated her the very first time but haven't drugged her in 10 years. She loves her farrier. He was slow and gentle with her to gain her trust and kept her hind legs down really low instead of hiking them up like the former farrier did for HIS comfort. I've seen my current farrier kneel down and put her hock on his knee to keep HER comfortable. (Of course he never tried that in the beginning.) He's a keeper for sure! |
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 Tough Patooty
Posts: 2615
Location: Sperry, OK | kboltwkreations - 2015-03-24 10:25 AM Just Bring It - 2015-03-24 10:19 AM Why do you need to haul to the vet to have him sedated?
I had to sedate my mare to get the final shoe on her one hind once. It was a new farrier and for whatever reason she would NOT let him shoe her left hind. We got all other 3 shoes on and I ended up calling my husband on his way home from work and had him pick up a cocktail for me from the vet to give her. I had to draw out of a rodeo that weekend because she was so sore from fighting him. I went back to my regular farrier and never had another problem. She has stifle issues so I think that one farrier was just putting her in a painful position where my regular farrier can feel where a horse is comfortable at and doesn't push her. I have sedated him myself with Ace & Xylazine (got him head down sedated but, makes him kick worse ), I have read Xylazine can make some worse in their back end... have tried the new Dorm gel on him (did NOTHING ), and last time the farrier was out we injected dorm, he is still bad... If I am going to HEAVILY sedate him I would rather be in a vets care due to him not taking well to previous sedation.
If you have a cocktail made up for you, have them add some Torbugesic to it. Torb helps them keep their feet on the ground better. Might help him fight less.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1037
| ACEINTHEHOLE - 2015-03-24 3:31 PM
kboltwkreations - 2015-03-24 10:25 AM Just Bring It - 2015-03-24 10:19 AM Why do you need to haul to the vet to have him sedated?
I had to sedate my mare to get the final shoe on her one hind once. It was a new farrier and for whatever reason she would NOT let him shoe her left hind. We got all other 3 shoes on and I ended up calling my husband on his way home from work and had him pick up a cocktail for me from the vet to give her. I had to draw out of a rodeo that weekend because she was so sore from fighting him. I went back to my regular farrier and never had another problem. She has stifle issues so I think that one farrier was just putting her in a painful position where my regular farrier can feel where a horse is comfortable at and doesn't push her. I have sedated him myself with Ace & Xylazine (got him head down sedated but, makes him kick worse ), I have read Xylazine can make some worse in their back end... have tried the new Dorm gel on him (did NOTHING ), and last time the farrier was out we injected dorm, he is still bad... If I am going to HEAVILY sedate him I would rather be in a vets care due to him not taking well to previous sedation.
Thank you, I will ask about that! |
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Veteran
Posts: 223
Location: Louisiana | I am married to a farrier and also had a horse that was very hard to shoe. My husband started with sedation (dormosedan) and gradually reduced the dosage, moved to xylazine and now this horse will stand to be shod with no problems. In order to make the whole process good not only for the farrier but for the horse we chose this option. |
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Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Lip chain |
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I Need a Xanax!
Posts: 2774
| I'm surprised nobody has mentioned shivers. You may want to look into it. |
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 Big Gun
Posts: 2216
Location: Texas | I have a horse that's not easy to shoe in the back. He doesn't kick, he just pulls his leg down. A lot of it is a pain issue and what position he's in. He's more comfortable if the other leg is a little under him and it helps if the farrier doesn't jerk hard trying to get the shoe off. When we put the lip chain on him he settled down. I want to try the duck tape method next to see if that helps. Are you able pick up his feet and clean them? If so, maybe try leaving his leg up longer and rub on him and praise him. Good luck |
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Advice on hard to shoe horse