As you are well aware, shoeing or trimming a horse is incredibly physically demanding (do I hear someone saying back pain?).
Any trick we can use to alleviate stress on our bodies, especially our back, is well worth taking note of, trying, and seeing if it works for you.
The easiest win for reducing physical stress while working on horses is to use a hoof stand, at least for when working on the hind feet.
I use a hoof stand called the ‘Hoof It’ and I can hardly express in words how much physical stress it has saved me. With a rubber cradle for the hoof it’s even relatively easy to use when nailing on hind shoes.
The most valuable ways to use the stand that I have found (as shown in this video below) is to use the cradle feature with the leg pulled back in trimming/shoeing position as well as for the clinching position.
For use in the trimming position the one trick that’s most helpful is, whenever possible, support your body weight with the stand by pushing one nearly locked out arm into either the stand or the hoof itself while in use. This means that your back is doing much less work!
Another big win when using the hoof stand in this position is to keep a knee against the horse’s hock, applying pressure when needed to keep the leg in the cradle. This also means that when the horse inevitably snatches it’s leg from the stand you can easily move your knee and avoid having your guts slammed with the leg in any way since you’re not locked into a position that can allow for this to happen.
When using the hoof stand in the clinching position it’s the same deal with alleviating stress on the body and your knee. Whether for removing old clinches, actually clinching or just taking off some flare from the top during a trim, using the stand here is nearly priceless in benefit.
If you’re not already doing yoga and/or lifting weights with a trainer I highly suggest giving it a go, It will certainly give you the bodily awareness to use excellent body leverage and positioning to make using the hoof stand and shoeing relatively a breeze.
Hopefully you found this article helpful as this knowledge has changed my life.
More to come soon.
Cheers!
