©
2002 Cherry Hill ©
Copyright Information TABLE
OF CONTENTS  Horse Housing, How
to Plan, Build and Remodel Barns and Sheds
"Ask-Cherry" - How
Can I Teach my Horse to Stand for Shoeing?
Behavior for Shoeing
What About Sherlock?
Hoof Care Then and Now ***************************************** Horse
Housing Congratulations Richard!
 The
first copy of Richard's long-awaited book, Horse
Housing, arrived here at Long Tail Ranch last week. This large, hardbound
book has 142 color photos, 70 drawings, 17 barn layouts and is packed with information
you will not find elsewhere ! I love this book ! If you are thinking about purchasing
a horse property, are in the planning stages of building a horse barn, or have
a barn you need to finish or remodel, Horse Housing is a must have. Go here for
more information and a full table of contents.
Horse_Housing
***************************************** Ask-Cherry:
How do I get my horse to stand for shoeing? I
received quite a number of letters to Ask-Cherry lately concerning lifting feet,
standing still while tied, standing square, standing for farrier work and related
topics. I've listed a few of them below and have tried to answer all of your hoof
handling questions in "Behavior for Shoeing." Dear
Cherry,
I finally found my dream horse. He's gorgeous, smooth gaited, loads
and hauls well, and I think he really likes and trusts me. The problem is I've
been through 3 shoers in the first 6 months I've owned this horse. Only one shoer
came back twice and now even he won't return my calls. There is no problem when
I clean his hooves, just when the shoer starts to work. He jerks his foot away,
then won't even pick it up. He looks like he is on the verge of pulling back but
so far he never has. I'm at my wits end because there are only so many farriers
in our area and I need to get the shoes done. What do I do?
Desperate, Carla
Hi Cherry,
My three year old gelding refuses
to lift his feet. He acts like he dosen't know how to balance himself. Can you
give me some pointers on this problem?
Thanks, Mary Dear
Cherry,
My first horse, a four year old, has an absolutley amazing temperment
and that's the reason why I've fallin' in love with him. I was told by his previous
owner that when he was a lot younger he cut his hind legs just below the fetlock
on barbed wire and now he has a fear of having his hind legs handled. When he
first came to my barn I couldn't even touch him below his hocks, but I have been
gently rubbing him all over and I can now rub all the way to the bottom of his
legs (under a very watchfull eye) but I cannot pick them up. I had to get the
farrier in to trim his feet this week and he freaked at the sight of the farrier.
This is the first time I've had to get his feet done since I've had him and his
previous owner used to get the vet to tranquilize him. I didn't want to tranq
him so he put up quite a fight but I know he was trying and it was more like he
was scared than being bad. The farrier said it was the first time he hadn't tried
to kick him so I feel that I've accomplished something BUT the farrier said that
part of his fear with having his hind feet picked up is that he doesn't know how
to stand square and properly balance himself so it makes him nervous that he might
fall. My question to you is how can I get him to stand square so he can be balanced
properly? Another thing is that he is imposible to move in the cross ties, when
I try to push him over to one side he leans all his weight on the opposite side
I want him to go!? If you can give me any tips at all I would be very greatfull!!
Thank You, Diana Hello Carla, Mary,
Diana and the others who have written for hoof handling help, Join the club! It
is a popular topic which means.......don't feel like the Lone Ranger! We've all
been there. It can be dangerous and seem frustrating, confusing and downright
difficult to deal with hoof handling problems, but the good news is, in 98% of
the cases, if you invest the time and use the right techniques, you can create
a horse that is relaxed and a pleasure for your farrier to work on. In the article
that follows, I've tried to give you an inside view of how a horse's natural behavior
patterns make him act the way he does when he is tied, his feet are lifted and
held, and he is shod. You'll read about how to teach your horse to lift his feet,
how to teach him to balance, how to teach him to move over and more. Best of luck
with your training program. Let me know your progress. 
**********************************************************************
Behavior for Shoeing  Understanding
why horses behave as they do is one giant step toward avoiding problems during
hoof care and shoeing. I'm going to describe horse behavior as it relates to hoof
care so that you have the means to figure out how to make difficult situations
better for yourself and for your farrier. And as I do that I'll also offer a viewpoint
of the farrier since I’ve been the wife of a farrier for many years.
Over
the years, I’ve noticed the profiles of the clients and horses that passed through
my husband's appointment book. In the beginning, in order to get started, any
new farrier HAS to work on a certain number of difficult horses - leaners, pullers,
impatient scoundrels – horses that often have well-intentioned but inexperienced
owners. Or potentially fine horses that belong to self-claimed experts who just
never really develop horse sense. Unfortunately, both types of customers are eventually
traded off to make room in the farrier’s book for the cooperative, well-mannered
horses of competent professionals and dedicated amateurs. Those are just the facts.
For your horse’s sake and for the safety of your farrier and
yourself, you want to make your horse comfortable and cooperative for hoof care
and shoeing. This takes time, dedication, patience and a good understanding of
horse behavior as it relates to shoeing. With that in mind, read on and reread
this article regularly – because as you and your horse progress, certain things
that might have not made sense at first will become crystal clear. I’m writing
this to all of you who have leg handling and farrier problems so I’m trying to
cover all of the bases....... To read the rest of the article, go here: behavior_for_shoeing **********************************************************************
What About Sherlock? Hoof Care Then and
Now Some of you have written asking about Sherlock.
Here's a quick update. Now that Sherlock is a two-year-old
standing 14.2 hands and weighing 850 pounds, my farrier (husband, Richard Klimesh)
really appreciates the time we spent on Sherlock's early handling lessons. Although
Sherlock spent the entire winter turned out on pasture, we fed him hay and grain
twice a day and gave him a daily check. About every 6-8 weeks, we brought him
in for a more thorough check plus a review of manners for in-hand work, hoof trimming,
deworming, tying, and minimal grooming. To see him at 22 months of age, up at
the "big barn" getting his April hoof trim, go here: Cherry_Hill_foal-10 Next
stop? Crossties. Stay tuned. **********************************************************************
To submit an Ask Cherry for June, go here:
Ask_Cherry *******************
That's it for this month. Keep your mind
in the middle and a leg on each side.
********************************************************************** Before you copy,
forward or post anything from this newsletter or Cherry Hill's Horse Information
Roundup, be sure you read this article! https://www.horsekeeping.com/copyright_information.htm Don't forget
to regularly check the Horse Information Roundup at
https://www.horsekeeping.com/horse-training-care-info.htm
to find information on training, horse care, grooming, health care, hoof care,
facilities and more. Take the time
to browse the complete Cherry Hill Horse Book Library at https://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_books/book_list.htm | 2.jpg){kind=small}
