I trimmed Chief's back hooves yesterday. I explained to him what I needed to do, sympathized and asked his permission and tried to get started sans halter. He walked away. I explained some more and promised to be careful. He walked away again. I told him some more about what I had planned and I showed him my tools. Eventually, I was able to trim both hooves with my hoof knife without any restraint but he couldn't stay with me so I could use the nippers & rasp and my nifty new hoof stand. I went to the barn and got a halter, explaining more all the time. He allowed me to halter him and I put the lead rope on the ground and finished the job. He never tried to leave once. In fact, he picked his hooves up for me and was as compliant as could be. It would have been nice to be able to finish without the halter, but what the heck. I certainly wasn't restraining him. Maybe wearing the halter helped him feel restrained, but he wasn't resentful at all.
His feet look much better. Interesting horse.
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Can you come over and have a talk with Chance? Maybe he needs to hear that he won't die from somebody else. After almost taking me up in the air yesterday I had a heart to heart with him explaining that I don't want to keep his feet. They are his and I have my own. He then kindly held them for me, but not for the farrier. Long appointment and he can't get a good job done with only second to trim before the feet are being yanked!
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