I often get asked by clients for some tips they can use for trimming. Here are the basic methods I use to make trimming a lot easier for both me and the horse/donkey. They really do help establish a good, long term working relationship.
Circles while Trimming
I hold a horse by clutching the rope with my outside hand and the lead rope draping behind me. This prevents a pulling scenario, and instead, if the horse becomes worried it moves in a circle around me until it can relax. This keeps the horse’s hind end away from me and me away from any front-end strikes.
Head cuddle
When I first meet a new horse, I give it a soft head cuddle and stroke its eyes. This allows their muzzle to rest in my armpit allowing them to get to know me a bit better by smell. I then lightly run my hand over one eye at a time. If their head jerks up on a particular eye then I am carful proceeding down that side of the horse until we have a better rapport and working relationship.
Keep that hind leg down
Instead of training the hind leg closest to me to be picked up, I train the opposite leg to stay down. This is because the horse cannot pick up its closest leg if it wants to raise the opposite leg all the time. Horses understand this concept easily, thus setting them up for life-long understanding of what the trimmer wants.
Ask & wait
Picking up any leg starts with my hand on the wither. I then lightly and slowly run my hand down either its back to the hind leg or the shoulder to the front leg allowing for softness and weight to shift. After a light touch of the chestnuts & wait 1-2 seconds, the horse lifts its own leg maintaining relaxation. This way the horse becomes lighter each time I work with them and typically has it’s hoof ready before I am.
Double sniff
Allow the horse to sniff your hand with both nostrils separately. This allows both sides of their brain to recognise and relax around you as they do in the wild. Be amazed and take a moment to notice this behaviour next time you greet them.