My journey to more positive training.
Mojo has been wearing his fly rug, and I bought him a fly mask too, so he is more comfortable out in the warmer weather. The horses have plenty of shade, and do come in to their stables if it gets too hot.
He has been reasonably good with his feet, just the right hind he doesn’t like to lift too high.
He also had his teeth looked at by an equine dentist in July. He was mildly sedated but was very good.
Mojo was in his stable whilst we waited for the physio to look at my daughter’s horse. I did his feet and he seemed little stiff so took him in the school. He was quite unlevel walking to the arena and reluctant to walk much once in there.
The physio had a look and couldn’t find anything obvious, so we turned him out to see if it was just being stiff due to standing still for too long.
The next day he walked over to me in the field and didn’t look lame, so will see how he is next week, the hoof trimmer is coming so we can assess him then and decide whether he needs the vet to take a took. He is bright, eating, and mooching about in the field. If at any time he looks lame again the yard owner will call the vet.
Winter is always a tricky time for horse owners, rain and muddy fields make life challenging at times. Mojo is out most of the time unless the weather is very bad, but he doesn’t like being in for too long. I went one day and he had been a bit of a handful for the yard owner as he didn’t want to be in his stable. However he was very good for me doing his feet and he enjoyed being the in the arena to stretch his legs.
The hoof trimmer had been a few times and mostly he is now good with offering his feet, he has a little rest between doing the ends, and usually a hay net now instead of constant feeding. He still has carrots or something else yummy as his hinds are off the floor.
I did have to cut some tangles out of his mane and tail, and trim his feathers – so they don’t drag in the mud.
Mojo was brilliant with his feet, the hoof trimmer did 3 feet without him standing on any mats. We then realised and stood him on the mats for the off hind to be done. His hinds are looking much better now with the regular trimming, well done Mojo.
Mojo had his feet trimmed on Tuesday 28th February 2023. My daughter took him in the school first and free lunged him, didn’t video until the end but he did trot and looked sound.
I used the calming spray and he did seem to be very calm and let Penny trim all four feet.
Very pleased with his progress and do hope it continues, he has physio next week so all see what she says,
Mojo had the hoof trimmer today, 29th November 2022. He was good with the fronts and stood with his front feet on the mats so she could do his hinds. I also gave him some calming spray – it contains valerian and seemed to work. Although it is difficult to tell whether it was the mats and treats, or the calmer that did the trick. I don’t give him anything to pick out his feet and he has been good with them since his last trim, and has let us put them on the hoof stand. So once he seems ok more often I will not give him any.
Today he got a bit fidgety as we had to move him from the yard due to a hay delivery, so we went in the school to do his hinds. However he soon settled and had his hinds on the hoof stand for trimming and the flair rasping.
Mojo has been struggling with foot lifting, I now have help in the form of Kristie Jillings of Equine Harmony
We have been training for duration of the foot lifting and now have some yoga blocks to help with his balance. So he puts his feet on the blocks for an increasing duration. So far he is fine with the fronts on the blocks and will let me place his hinds on them.
The idea is to get him to step on with the fronts one cue, then try and do the same with the hinds. Then transfer this to the hoof stand.
We continue with his stretches and exercises over raised poles and he is moving better now.
February 22nd 2021
Mojo had been got in by the yard – too muddy for me to get in the field. He seemed relaxed but did have his ears back, so may be there was some frustration creeping there. I tried to slow down and speed up my walking but there was no way he was going to trot.
Trot needs much more work – he will trot if I have his head collar and lead rope on. I will re-watch the videos with regard to getting trot on cue. He will trot over poles if I throw a frisbee or have him on line. Will try and video that next time.
We are still in lockdown so I try to keep my journeys to a minimum.
Mojo has been good with his feet, but when the trimmer came we had to go to the pony yard. Our part of the yard was having a new stable built. So he was a little on his toes to start with. He did settle but then spooked big time when the trimmer arrived.
We tried to do his hinds first – as they weren’t done last time, but no he wasn’t having that. So we did his fronts, he settled and lifted them up, he did fidget a bit but was good with them on the hoof stand.
When I got him out on Monday he was very lively but after a little trot round the school was very good with his feet, they were picked out, sprayed and field paste applied. So it is not that he can’t lift them up but there is a deep seated mistrust of trimmers/farriers.
Mojo had his feet trimmed today – July 3rd 2020. This was the first time the trimmer had been since January. He was very good with all but the right side hind, he had a little bit rasped of that but not done completely.
Mojo even held his front feet on the hoof stand, so very pleased with him today.
All that rasping with him resting his feet on the mini blocks seems to have paid dividends.
Positive Horsemanship. 