Picking feet in order...

[katiejane1]

nancy picks hers up for me always start at front and work round but can start at left or right. I just go to that side with the hoof pick and start to bend and she lifts it up for me.

[JoM]

I do tend to go around in order front, back, back, front, but whichever front I start with isnt questionned.

I tap twice on the back of the leg and say up up and it is rested to be scooped up. He automatically tilts the backs, and doesnt put the back ones down until I have grabbed his tail out of the way!

[Debbie]

Oh dear, does he stand on his tail Jo??

[JoM]

Debbie, I stand on his tail - and the ends of his feathers!

If he is stood on his bed of shavings, the tail sits on the top and the feathers spread out to the side! I was asking him to pick his feet up last week, didnt know why he was been naughty and not doing so, until I looked down and saw his feathers under my boot!!

I trim them up, but they grow so quickly!

[Debbie]

LOL...poor boy...probably thought you were giving him a trick question I'll bet you have to trim him often with all that flowing feather and tail.

When I visited the Barkers in Oregon, one of their mares backed up, and she trod on her tail....what an expression she had!!! Eyes on stalks. She didn't freak though, just looked about to see what was happening to her tail. She sorted it for herself, then looked highly embarrassed about the whole thing.

[NFK Dumpling]

James is good about his feet, I just tap his heel and he picks up that foot. The only time we have trouble is if the farrier has been there for more than 3/4hr at which point we are both getting antsy and he's as likely to put all his weight on the foot the farrier wants to pick up as not, he will also start waving the front ones about - not in a nasty way , more like "I'm bored and this will aggrevate somebody!"