Why do problems with shoeing occur?
When dealing with behavioural problems in any species of animal, it often helps to try to understand why an individual might be behaving in a particular way. Horses often behave in an instinctive way, especially towards something that they are fearful of. The horse is naturally a prey species and shows the instinctive response of ‘flight’ when under threat. A horse standing on three legs is unable to respond in this way, and may therefore be particularly reluctant to pick up its feet when in an unfamiliar place or with unfamiliar people. A horse that is uneasy about having its feet picked up may pull its foot away or kick out. It is likely that horses behaving in this way were not sufficiently introduced to having their feet handled when they were young. Problems can also arise due to previous, unpleasant experiences. When buying a horse, try to find out as much about its history as possible from the previous owners. If the horse does not like being shod try to find out if this has alw
