Another weird question: shoulder stretching and practicing to help with farrier appointments?

[RhythmNCruise]

Okay. This is kind of a chronic issue with Mr. Horse. He’s a good boy, but even when he’s being good, he struggles to keep his front foot up on the hoof stand for filing. My trimmer is a saint and works with him the best she can, but some times (like today) he just keeps taking it away or moving enough that it slides off. He’s not being spooky or anything, just seems like he can’t quite figure it out. Mind you, he’s 16 years old and has been getting trimmed regularly since I’ve owned him (15 years), so it’s not like he’s new to this. He’s never been “bad” about trimming, but he can be a wiggle worm sometimes. Sometimes he’s an angel. He never intends to hurt anyone and he doesn’t really mind having his feet worked on, it’s like he just forgets or thinks it’s too “hard” to hold his leg up like that.

All that to say, could his shoulders be stiff? She’s tried moving the stand closer for him, but then he leans forward and his foot slides off the front. She moves it out and he pulls his foot away like (to me) it’s too much of a stretch.

Aside from shoulder stretching exercises, is there a way, without a hoof stand to practice with, that I could start working with him to make him stand with his foot propped up on something out in front of him? Like I have a pretty solid grooming box/step stool? Maybe some +R with treats? Clicker training?

I want him to be comfortable when he’s getting done and I also don’t want him giving my poor trimmer a hard time. She’s very forgiving of him, but I could tell today she was kind of over his shenanigans (I was too!). It’s too hot for that foolishness.

He’s a very easy horse to deal with, so I’m not worried about him being intentionally dangerous. He does like to look around and we put him in the washrack (with a fan) in the big barn today, and he’s fine in there for baths but for this he wants to shift around a lot to see what’s going on out front of the barn, through the windows down the side of the barn, etc. Wiggle, wiggle. We should have pulled him out into the aisleway or better yet, I should have let her do him in the shade out at his field/barn. He’s “outdoorsy.” LOL.

Thanks for any tips regarding shoulder stretching and/or practicing. It’s too freaking hot to ride, so I could at least work on this.

[Demerara_Stables]

I have had a few that are like that, and I actually think it stems from soreness/imbalance somewhere else in their body. Yes, it could be his shoulders, is it just the front feet? Can he hold his feet up backwards (like you’re picking them out) for an extended period of time? Could he be sore in his hocks/stifles/low back and it’s hard for him to put so much weight on his hind end?

I’d have a massage therapist or other body worker (chiro/acupuncture) work on him and see what they say. It may not be a “lameness” that a vet needs to diagnose, maybe just a weakness.

I’ve also heard (but not tried them yet) that balance pads are really good for horses like this - maybe check with your body worker or vet about trying those.

[Simkie]

I picked up a stand on FB marketplace for a steal. It’s super handy to have. Worth looking around for one! It is really nice to practice with the “real thing.”

I’ve also noticed my one mare is sore in her pecs and between her front legs the day after she’s trimmed, which was a surprise. But it might be another place for you to target.

Have you considered giving him a support prior to the appointment with your NSAID of choice? As they get older, sometimes that helps, too.

[Alterwho]

It could be the other foot/leg/shoulder is bothering him and he is uncomfortable putting all the weight on it. Is he standing on mats? If you have access to a hoof boot with a pad in it you could try putting that on the opposite hoof and see if it makes a difference

[cayuse]

I’ve had a couple of older horses like this and some bute or banamine before the farrier visit helps. My welsh pony who is 27 has been like this for over ages. His prior owners did a workup on him because of it when he was about 10 but nothing was found. I’ve had him looked at but nothing was found. At his age I’m done chasing the mystery and since Banamine does help him tolerate the farrier a little better that’s what the old boy gets. He’s a good old fella and not standing for the farrier is his one and only flaw.
I’m going to add that he did improve after he was treated for Lyme.

[RhythmNCruise]

Thanks for the replies so far, guys.

He’s good for having his feet picked up the normal way (like for picking, etc) both front and back. He doesn’t really have trouble with his hinds at all. He did today because he was wiggly and looky, but in general, as long as his little brain is in the game, he has no issues other than reluctance to keep a front foot on the stand for more than a few seconds. And then it’s just a nonchalant, “Okay, I’m putting it back down now.” She picks it back up and puts it back on the stand and it’s there for a few more seconds before he’s like, “Okay…that should be good,” and down it goes. If she tries to hold it there, he just kind of ignores her and puts it down anyway.

I wouldn’t doubt there could be soreness elsewhere. He’s only had chiro/accupuncture twice in his life (by a DVM) and was not a fan either time. I honestly don’t have funds to have it done much anyway.

He’s on daily Equioxx, though I admit it’s only half a pill because that seems to keep him comfy enough for his daily life and doesn’t cause any tummy issues. A full pill a day will eventually have him reactive in his flanks. Maybe I’m crazy and the half a pill isn’t doing anything, but I’ve got 'em, so that’s how I use 'em. I could up him to a whole pill a day a week before she comes maybe and that might make him more comfortable if there is an issue. He also gets Adequan every 6 months, which really seems to help. He’s only a few months into his last series.

I’m wondering if it’s just spoiled horsey behavior. I’m going to try working with him. I’ll look for a used stand, but in the meantime, I’ll figure something out. I know when I have done shoulder stretches in him in the past, he’s not very fond of them either. I make sure to do it correctly and not overdo, but when I hit that point of resistance, instead of getting him to release and stretch, he basically pulls his leg away. Hmmm…just like when he gets his feet done.

This is why I post here. To get good ideas from everyone and to work things out myself too! LOL.

I hope he’s ready. When I go back out to feed, he’s getting some stretchies!

[FrittSkritt]

Definitely sounds like pain somewhere. We had an old appy pony (30!) who couldn’t keep his foot on the stand for more than a few minutes without sliding it off. We starting giving him some bute the morning of the appointment and it helped tremendously.

[Simkie]

@RhythmNCruise

He’s on daily Equioxx, though I admit it’s only half a pill because that seems to keep him comfy enough for his daily life and doesn’t cause any tummy issues. A full pill a day will eventually have him reactive in his flanks.

I’d try upping him to a full pill a day for 2-3 doses before his farrier appt, and see if that changes things. If he’s comfortable otherwise, no need to up him all the time, but he may just need a bit more support for feet day.

Or, add Tylenol for a couple days before. It doesn’t bother their belly, and provides really nice pain coverage.

[Calvincrowe]

My farrier dealt with this with a boarder’s horse who had terrible knee arthritis by using a very low stand or cradling the hoof in his own hand. It lessened the “point your toe out straight at a funny angle on this contraption” effect. Said horse was on the max dose of Equioxx and vet did not recommend bute or banamine on top of it, so we had to deal. Maybe search for a different type of stand and/or discuss with trimmer other holding options?

[Festivity]

I’d try adding Tylenol a couple of days before and getting a hoof stand to practice with. If you can swing it, I’d recommend getting a hoof jack which has the cradle attachment and the post. The post would be good for practicing for the farrier and the cradle is useful for having an extra hand if you ever need to wrap his foot for any reason. You can also adjust the height so you could try that and see if height or angle is the problem. I’d guess that it’s a combination of I’m sore and I don’t feel like doing it.

[RhythmNCruise]

Thanks for the continued replies. I did do the shoulder stretch the other evening after posting and he was totally fine with it. No pulling back until he’d done the stretch.

Many times I’m not around when he gets done and she just does him herself out in his pasture (or under the shelter of his run-in). I often get texts that he was such a good boy or “perfect” etc. So, it may just be when I’m around, LOL, or the fact that I’m usually around in the summer (I’m a teacher) and that means it’s blazing hot outside and I’ll take him up to the main barn where it’s cooler but he’s less at ease.

I’m going to casually browse around for a used stand. It’d be nice to have.

I’m not totally convinced it’s pain-related. I know him very well, and I didn’t see a “pain” look on his face or in the way he was behaving (and I’ve seen that many times with him when others weren’t aware that’s what it was). I’m always one to think that first. In fact, my trimmer even mentioned it because he does have retracted soles right now in his fronts, but he was standing on nice thick mats. Maybe the hoof stand itself could have been aggravating his sole though, I did think of that later. He’s sound going around on various surfaces. She left as much sole as possible for him this time to try to keep him comfy.

Anyway. by the time he’s done again I’ll be back at work and she’ll probably do him out in his pasture/run-in and he’ll probably be great. I’ll keep doing shoulder stretches when I can though.