[jjgg24]

My horse has recently started having his shoes hot fit when shod. He isn't horrible about it but definitely pulls back some and hops around a little. I've tried distracting him during it and the farrier is very patient with him but I'd like for him to be better behaved. How can I help him to become more accepting? He is the only horse in the barn that is hot fit so he can't "watch" others so any advice?

ETA: It seems the noise is more the issue as the last time he was done there was a decent breeze through the barn that blew the smoke away from him.

Thanks everyone!

[rockfordbuckeye]

I have my horse lightly sedated for it, and after a couple times now I think it is understood that the smoke/smell is not hurtful.

[2BayPonies]

My mare has no issues with it, although the smoke makes her crinkle her nose a bit if we're inside. Maybe a fan to move the smoke away quickly? I loath that smell!

My horse has recently started having his shoes hot fit when shod. He isn't horrible about it but definitely pulls back some and hops around a little. I've tried distracting him during it and the farrier is very patient with him but I'd like for him to be better behaved. How can I help him to become more accepting? He is the only horse in the barn that is hot fit so he can't "watch" others so any advice?

[Lisa Preston]

Create the smell and smoke by burning some hoof trimmings (a wood burning pen is great for this) in front of him. Do this quite a few times, associated with standing for grooming, hoof picking and then a rest, hand walk, graze.

[jjgg24]

Create the smell and smoke by burning some hoof trimmings (a wood burning pen is great for this) in front of him. Do this quite a few times, associated with standing for grooming, hoof picking and then a rest, hand walk, graze.

Will that produce the same sizzling noise?

[Tom Bloomer]

Maybe you can record some sizzling noises from the TV Food Network and play it back for the horse repeatedly to desensitize him to that sound. Just make sure your recording doesn't have Gordon Ramsey screaming obscenities in the background . . .

[Guilherme]

With some farriers (not my current one, by the way ) the screaming of obscenities would be quite correct!!!

G.

[rockfordbuckeye]

With some farriers (not my current one, by the way ) the screaming of obscenities would be quite correct!!!

G.

Hah. I have gotten horse through the sound/smell of hot shoeing but my farrier also does custom shoes where he does some modification involving laser cutting of the shoe. The sound of the laser cut machine (it's like a drill at the dentist) now THAT is when I'm glad my farrier is also a vet because even through sedation I can see horses skin crawling at the sound... Without sedation there will be a bolt.

[Lisa Preston]

You'll get the scent, K, and the stinky smoke, only a little of the sound. Lesser quantity on scent and smoke than does hot fitting, so this is good for intro.

[MyssMyst]

When we started having hot shoeing done on my gelding, my farrier would do my gelding last and apply the hot shoe to the trimmings from earlier shoe jobs to get the sound/smell/smoke and let my guy adjust before actually applying the shoe to my gelding. Also, having a quiet "buddy" in the cross ties the first few times really helped.

[mvp]

Meh. You just keep doing it to 'em without ceremony and with patience. If you think it hurts, leave a horse a little long for a few shoeings.

Oh, and my old good farrier says burning hoof is a carcinogen. He always had a good fan, but I thought about getting him a dorky-looking head-mounted fan. Think miner's light but with a fan. He always had to have his head right over the hoof to see what he needed to. And the dude still had to breathe, right?

[BuddyRoo]

Yeah, I wouldn't do anything really. If he's standing well for the trim and the nailing on and is just mildly irritated with the hot shoeing process, I would just "act as if" and be low key. He'll get used to it.

Now, if he's pulling away and fidgety for all the other parts of the process, I'd spend some time working on that. But just for the hot part? Just be cool....

It doesn't hurt, it's just the smell and the sound usually. You could try leaving a radio on I suppose, but I don't think it's worth "distracting" him or doing much more. Expectation is that he stands still...just focus on that good behavior.