| I'm a Farrier in the Bay Area California for about | | | | smallish pasture where she really doesn't have the |
| 17 years now. Shoeing horses is a great thing for | | | | opportunity to run freely. Life could be better for |
| me as I have helped many horses from lameness | | | | High. |
| and bring about much recovery. When horses | | | | Well I felt a serious need to help High. |
| feet are correct horses know it and I love it | | | | Unfortunately she was in such a deep funk I could |
| when I see horses become happy and better | | | | not reach her - she would not let me in - she was |
| adjusted from my efforts, blood, sweat and | | | | completely checking out of reality. When I pulled |
| tears. Sometimes though horses are just not | | | | on her lead rope she got worse. When I tried to |
| happy animals, the following story is just such an | | | | get her attention she got worse. I had to do |
| example. | | | | something and what I knew would work have to |
| A big beautiful paint horse i have shod for the | | | | be done or she would carry around her |
| past 12 years for the most part has been easy | | | | psychological issue for a long time. |
| for me to shoe. The horse "always" was not just | | | | I had to snap High out of her problem. I made a |
| quite right though. Usually she would bobble on her | | | | quick surmise and decided to use a tool that is |
| back feet while I shoe the front and she would | | | | very effective. I place the little tool into her |
| always side step when I approached to shoe the | | | | mouth over the gums on the top and utilize the |
| rear. However it was nothing serious enough for | | | | pressure it is designed to do and I proceed to |
| me to become alarmed or too concerned - until | | | | "Get into her head". I command "Back" - |
| the other day. | | | | lethargically she backs. I command "Back" again. |
| It was time to shoe High (the horses name) so | | | | She is slipping deeper into her funk - so I needed |
| drove out to the ranch where she lived. She is a | | | | to become more firm and direct. The backing |
| nice horse - haltered her up and walked back to | | | | continues successfully firmer with each command |
| the shoeing platform. I nearly always start with | | | | until - somehow - she starts to pay attention and |
| the front feet (they are usually more important | | | | snap out of her depression. She blinks as if |
| as horses carry so much more weight on the | | | | coming out of a ten year funk and finally picks |
| front end). I pulled the front shoes off and | | | | herself up emotionally and psychically. AWESOME!! |
| started trimming and as usual High started | | | | She is acting like a horse for the first time I have |
| bobbling on one rear leg which makes working on | | | | known her. She is displaying true horse behavior. |
| the front feet quite a difficult task. So as usual I | | | | She is more alert, paying more attention to her |
| sort of bark out the command "Quit"! She usually | | | | environment and is more "Here and Now". I finish |
| responds favorably, however this time it was | | | | shoeing her- it was great - she was much better |
| very different. | | | | behaved as if she understood so much more |
| High went into a "Depression". I have never seen | | | | now. |
| such a thing before in my 17 years as a Farrier. | | | | Several weeks later I met up with her owner and |
| She started to hang her head and go into a | | | | asked him how High was as they had just come |
| depression, so much so that I could not reach her | | | | back from a week long riding event. He told me |
| emotionally. She would not respond to my verbal | | | | she was AWESOME and that he had not had such |
| input at all. This was a serious problem now - not | | | | a good ride on her before. You see she learned, |
| just because she was still difficult to shoe but | | | | and I taught her a valuable lesson - "How to care |
| because the poor horse is basically "Unhappy" and | | | | about herself". Horses are amazing animals and |
| emotionally ill adjusted. I felt real sorry for her. | | | | can sometimes have amazing issues. In the worst |
| I know the owner pretty well and know how High | | | | of cases horses can be worked on and shown |
| is usually ridden. She does not really get ridden | | | | the way to improvement. It is an awesome |
| much but when she does she usually gets ridden | | | | experience to be with horses, they give us so |
| quite hard - and the owner is a rather big man - | | | | much and they deserve so much in return, that's |
| probably about 6'3" and I would say 245 pounds. | | | | why I love horses. |
| High is a great horse but could use a little more | | | | Reprint rights allowed providing nothing is changed. |
| love in her life. She lives with one other horse in a | | | | |