Safe and easy hoof picking

May 24, 9:13 AMClicker Training ExaminerEve Alexander

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The first step to safe and easy hoof picking is to clicker train your horse to lift his foot on command.

Once your horse will lift each foot consistently, ask him to hold it a little longer. The way you do that is to withhold the click, for just a second. He should continue to hold his foot up waiting for the click and treat. Gradually increase the time you ask him to hold up his foot.

Now you want to progress to hoof picking. Instead of tapping the fetlock with your stick, you'll get in close and tap with your hand. If you use a cue word, go ahead and say, "lift", "up", "foot" or whatever word you've chosen.

Hold the hoof in your hand, click, put the foot down and reward your horse. Continue doing this with the same foot until he understands that you are going to hold his hoof. Click while the hoof is in your hand, and reward after you put it down.

As a side note, here is an example of how you can't really mess up with clicker training. When I first started training Beau to let me pick his feet, I would pick up his foot, put it down, click and treat. It got to where he was ripping his hoof out of my hand and slamming it down. Finally, I realized since I was clicking after putting his foot down, he thought that is what I wanted him to do and he was trying his best to put his foot down quickly. So, I immediately changed my strategy - clicking while his hoof was in my hand and then putting it down. Within a couple of days we were on track! The moral of this story is - if you're not getting the response you want, review your technique and determine if you're clicking at the wrong time, like I did.

Back to hoof picking ... go ahead and practice picking up each foot, clicking, putting the foot down and then rewarding. Don't use the pick yet. If the foot is dirty, maybe you can wipe it with your hand for now. After a few days when you're getting consistent lifting and holding the hoof, start increasing the time you are holding the hoof. You may want to count to 10, click, put the hoof down and treat. The next day count to 15, and so on.

When you are getting calm, relaxed and easy lifting and holding of the hoof, introduce the pick. It should be a piece of cake by then. Remember to always click while holding the hoof, and reward after you put it down.

Then try this variation from Parelli Natural Horsemanship - pick all four feet from the same side! I love doing this because I'm right handed and it's easier for me to pick with my coordinated right hand and hold with my less coordinated left hand. It's also handy if you have a narrow aisle, or are in a crowded situation, and it's impressive to others! If you're left-handed, stand on the horse's right side so you can pick with your left hand.

Using clicker training I was able to train my very reluctant horse to happily allow me to pick his feet. No more straining my back while fighting to hold his hoof. No more worries about getting injured. Hoof picking has gone from being my most dreaded horsekeeping chore to a fun game!

More Information
Parelli Natural Horsemanship
Karen Pryor Clicker Training