How to get a problem horse to pick up their feet

[@ToddBeal]

Steve, I love how kind you are to each horse, even when you must "firm up". After watching your videos, I always walk away with new principles for interacting with people. Thank you so much for what you do. You also make me laugh.

[@louiseanglin4808]

You make my day. Watching you take such gentle care of these horses. I've always disliked how rough people are with them. Rodeo's, horse racing, Caliente, Del Mar, Los Angeles, etc. I'm always watching. Love horses. Thank you for sharing.

[@debbierhodes9125]

Love your videos,you make it look easy. You, are a true horse whisper.😊

[@greenspiritarts]

So simple,gentle and respectful.... building confidence all the way! Fabulous! 👏

[@DonnaVarno]

Great video. Thank you

[@lindacooper4893]

Steve, you really are very good at explaining everything, right to the detail if people do not catch on then there is something wrong but you also have GREAT PATIENCE love your videos even though I don’t have any horses now.❤❤❤😊

[@kathleenkayk]

Hugs and handshakes Steve. Love this video. So appreciate your kindness and love for all horses, especially the confused, frustrated, worried, belligerent, reactive ones AND their people. Jasper is such a pretty boy. Any updates on him?

[@suelines9653]

Thanks Steve love how you explain it. I don't know what we would do without you ❤

[@roxannhunhoff5455]

Amazing. That seems to be the word I use quite often after watching you work with a horse. You understand them so well. What an incredible gift you've been blessed with! Thank you for sharing it with all of us.

[@LovePrettyVintage]

I really love your video's! You have such an easy way about you. I like your running commentary, it helps me to understand and notice what is going on and the communication that is happening between the two of you. Thank you so, so much! Karen :)

[@lindamellingen5977]

Love your videos, and I’m saying «hi» from my two lovely horses and say «THANKS» as well. You have trained their human (yeah, me..😉) to understand how to communicate with my horses! It is all in the details, and actually becoming aware of my body language, and timing. Brill! And send a huge hello to your lovely wife as well, love her personality too. Keep up your great work. I am sure you are and have saved SO many horses..and people. ❤❤❤

[@vickichristiansen1336]

Finally I heard you say “give a little pinch there” at the back of the foot to pick it up. This is what I taught my daughter and I thought I had told her wrong!

[@1Brengun]

I love how its all broken in to step by step and if you had lots of time and days you could just advance step by step slowly until its good. I also like the rope on the back leg idea as its always a bit iffy on the very first ever pick up but the rope adds that extra step. Brilliant!

[@GrumpyYank26]

He says ‘things can go pear shaped’. Around here we say things go ‘sideways’. Love these little differences in language. usa

[@dd3wc]

Brilliant ... so important horses have regular maintenance, for their sake. Patience is a virtue. Not sure how long that took you but very impressive if that was just done in one session.

[@catherinedupre814]

I love you too, you are so good, Horses Know

[@giddygoodwin8377]

Lovely, and just what I needed to watch. Thank you. I’ll be doing every step with these three thoroughbred yearlings I picked up last year. They’re so big now as two year olds that my only option is for everything to be 100% their choice.

[@wendypeckinpaugh1078]

What a handsome horse. He'll feel so much better after his pedicure. 😉

[@alanyagreen8339]

Amazing horseman ship

[@carolfindon1310]

Love the way you work!

[@createwithbarbbl4125]

Another fantastic video, you are amazing Steve. And I always feel so happy for the horse, because they feel better about being around people. And how sensible that you take things from the horses point of view and make it their idea.

[@markb255]

Yes - Absolutely great video!! Certainly demonstrates excellent fundamentals and very impressive techniques used to help get the horse comfortable with lifting its feet.

[@pattallant2398]

I love how you work with these horses! 😊👍

[@emmaj4025]

Amazing 👏I've got one who doesn't like his feet touched and will definitely try this, brilliant thankyou 😊

[@ziaway1561]

Thank you! Pretty amazing!

[@PLS.54]

Beautiful, Steve Cheers!

[@sarabobara5836]

Thanks. I just rescued a Belgian Draft and I’m trying to work on her picking up her feet. This will help!

[@Ironsmithfarm]

How is it going are you making any progress?

[@juanortizyepez7253]

Just the video I was looking for!

[@hopewellsmit7819]

i', going to recommend this + your video to Farriers !

[@neeleywilson403]

Great job

[@AppaloosaDreams]

Amazing😊🐎

[@jarjar0653]

Beautiful ❤️❤️❤️

[@christianefletcher1042]

Does the same method apply to a horse that does lift up his feet but won’t let you hold them up and yanks them out of your hand right after he picks them up ?

[@SallyGreenaway]

yes. You can gently loop a rope around his fetlock (do not knot it!) and apply a gentle pressure to lift his foot. As soon as he rips his foot away, keep the pressure on the foot with the rope even if he steps and moves. As soon as he stops moving and goes to lift his foot, immediately release the gentle pressure from the rope and hold his foot - be very still and quiet so that it's a nice pressure release/reward, he'll get the idea...

[@OnceUponaTimeline]

When the horse does unwanted movement, he just has them spin around (yield the hind end) until they get tired of it, ie if they move on you, you move them even more until they get tired of moving and prefer to stand still. YOu saw that in this video.

[@martylesnick2032]

ANOTHER WAY TO TEACH A HORSE TO PICK UP ITS HOOVES AND STAY SAFE, IS RUN YOUR HAND DOWN TO THE HORSES CHESTNUT AND PINCH IT TILL THEY PICK IT UP. THE MINUTE THEY LIFT IT EVEN A LITTLE LET GO OF THE CHESTNUT LIKE ITS A HOT POTATOE, THEM RUB AND PRAISE THEM. THEY LEARN FROM THE REALISE. EVENTUALLY THEY WILL LEAVE IT UP FOR YOU TO WORK ON. DOING THIS, IN VERY SHORT TIME YOU WILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM SOLVED. GREAT JOB STEVE ON THAT LOVELY COB HORSE. Susan

[@brendareed8412]

Very interesting idea!

[@saddleupvickysue1412]

Absolutely amazing! Thank you.

[@christinalogan311]

Absolutely fantastic.

[@Grimshilde]

I wish I knew this at my old stabel, so great!

[@Petecargillsounds]

Great video. I have watched hours of videos trying to figure out how to get an old mare to lift her feet and this is the best one yet. Is that a Shropshire accent I hear? Spent 10 years living in Shropshire and worked in the Telford and Wrekin area. hehe I caught the reference.

[@steveyounghorsemanship]

Thank you for your message I have a Facebook page Steve young horsemanship We’re there of lots of others videos Thanks Steve

[@randybutler4772]

Thank you for sharing.🐴

[@esthersteele3276]

Brilliant..love the videos

[@patticharbonneau8099]

Thanks for sharing!

[@dianemacdougal]

I love your videos - I am wondering how long you work per session ??

[@kayBTR]

That was amazing.

[@jodyhuston1516]

Good for you, and Gypsy B.,Steve ! Btw, some people appreciate horse feathers as correct and beautiful on some breeds ... but frankly they drive me nuts. I worry about not seeing wounds, etc., on the lower leg, about tangles and knots preventing care, and about farriers having hair in the way of clippers and files ... and pulling hairs has got to be unpleasant for the horse. (Ah, as long as I'm on a roll here, also worry about long forelocks blocking horse's vision, and then stepping on long tails) Would this horse benefit, do you think, from feather trims, at least until he is comfortable with daily hoof and farrier care ?

[@lmedart]

I too dislike long forelocks. Especially with horses with a known vision impairment!

[@shannanparker1661]

Yes I saw this horse stepping on its tail, that had to have been uncomfortable and distracting as well…

[@BlueyKind]

@@lmedart I don't think this horse has vision impairment, if that's what you meant. The "eye" stuff is psychological, not physical.

[@michaelwatson646]

Awesome!!!!! Love It

[@Dubbelmums]

It is amazing 😍 wow

[@willowtree9082]

🤗beautiful boy,I'm rather curious Steve, with the techniques you use having a base in psychology,in regards to the horses eyes have you looked into EMDR it's techniques therapist use to help humans process and move forward from trauma/PTSD/CPTSD,just curious if you could use,in your line of horsemanship,I do appreciate that this particular horses favoring left eye is not necessarily due to trauma,but more a habitual mindset of lack of experiences on right side.

[@tinnwhistler7629]

Amazing;)

[@fabiennereichelt9337]

Hey, I really love your approach and want to try it with my mare but she sometimes instead of moving her hind feet away, moves her hindquarters toward me. What should I do in this case?

[@carolynstewart8465]

A shropshire lad?

[@summertime35]

He is from Birmingham but said that ge has lost most of it now.

[@honesttraitorbear3527]

I have a filly that lifts her back feet before I can ask her for them...she doesn't kick out (yet) but I wasn't sure what to do about it...wasn't positive she was saying no...thought maybe she was trying to 'help' me? but I will move her now until she lets me ask.

[@debrarobbins7237]

Is he blind in that eye?

[@GetReady4LiftOff]

nice

[@lizohagan4738]

Why does Steve always scratch his face nose and hesd

[@GrumpyYank26]

Really, Tanya and Steve, you mist do something about all that bird noise. Maybe you could work on your bird training skills.

[@cynthiadolan2358]

Corrected behaviot. Olllll

[@thebreezelife]

Poor thing looks a little worse for wear

[@sharonhorner3077]

Im.not sure why u would tie a horse up that hasnt bern taught to givr to pressure, teach that first us my opinion

[@teresashinkansen9402]

And then the horse spooks with the rope around his feet, steps on it with his hinds and now you are with a large vet bill a horse with damaged tendons and ligaments or worse falls over and breaks his neck. That chasing after he did not lift his hind correctly is excessive and kinda useless, in fact can slow things and stress the horse (thus slowing learning), let it assimilate and understand what he did and what is what you want without using such lengthy punishments to correct undesired behavior. Better use positive reinforcement, its scientifically proven to be more effective and safer to the point dangerous wild animals are trained like this in zoos to willingly cooperate for vet checks etc.

[@SallyGreenaway]

that horse was not spooking. he had reached a good point with that horse where he knew it wouldn't be jumping around. by not tethering the horse, and because of setting it up correctly, the horse felt very calm and unrestrained/unstifled