Can Women Handle Horses' Feet Like A Man?

Should women be expected to handle a horse's feet like a man? Well, from my experience as a horseshoer I would say the answer is both "yes" and "No". Definitely yes, when it comes to cleaning hooves. Possibly yes, when it comes to trimming hooves. And probably not, when it comes to shoeing hooves.These are of course generalizations (there are after-all women farriers); but lets talk common sense. Women are not men!

Back to the point in my "Women and Horses" article. One of the basic physical differences between men and women is that generally speaking women lack the musculature in their anatomy, and the subsequent strength, that a man possesses. Secondly and psychologically speaking women don't usually possess the same capacity of enduring physical duress that a man does. I repeat - - - these are of course generalizations: there are always exceptions. What is important about these generalizations however is that they are critical in horseshoeing. The reason they are critical is because horseshoeing is tough. It is one of the most physically and psychologically demanding jobs that exist. It requires the ability to endure bodily stress and strain, to stay focused under such pressure, to understand and develop a sensitive touch to a horses foot anatomy, and to develop and exercise the skill of properly shaping a horses foot and attaching metal to it without injuring the animal. Add to that a misbehaving animal that won't stand still and the farrier's ability to complete the job is really challenged.

I have read that the average farrier lasts only two and a half years in the trade, and I'm sure a lot of it has to do with trying to work on the feet of an unruly horse. I wrote my book "No Feet No Horse" to teach horsemen and women how to solve the horse behavior problems that may occur while working on the animals feet. For information on it and how to order a copy of it, Just click here: No Feet No Horse

Most any horsewoman should be expected to and be able to clean a horses feet, "Should be able to" that is, providing the horse will stand obediently, and not misbehave. Even as relatively simple a job as cleaning out a horses hooves can be impossible for a horse that is determined not to let you mess with him. If you are having that problem then you first need to solve the behavior problem. Then, once solved, you can proceed to clean its feet.

I was once called by a woman, whom I didn't know, to shoe her horse. The horse was halter tied to a pole and post fence. When I approached it, it looked and acted extremely nervous.The woman told me that she had just received it the night before from the save the wild horse program. Of course she was disappointed when I explained to her that the horse would have to be trained to both obey basic commands and to have its feet handled. These are things that she could do, if she was so inclined. The basic steps in basic command training and handling feet are given in my book "No Feet No Horse." She said she would talk to her husband about it. I don't know how that one ever turned out. I suspect she paid handsomely to have her"mustang" trained in the basics.

Such training can be done by a person who has never trained a horse, is not difficult, and is a very good way to form an initial bond between you and your horse. I strongly recommend that any woman who is interested do it. My book will tell you how. Click here to see how to obtain my book: "No Feet No Horse"

I personally recommend always cleaning feet before and after using a horse. It's all too often that a horse gets a rock or some other object stuck in the groove of the hoof, and just like you with a pebble in your shoe, it hurts and can cause serious injury. Other objects, and occasionally nails can get lodged in its hoof, especially in the clumps of dirt that accumulate on its sole. So, cleaning is important and is something all horsepeople, even children, can do and should be expected to do.

The average woman should not be expected to trim a horses feet. In fact the average horseman, male or female, should not be expected to trim a horses feet. The time, required anatomical knowledge, and skill needed to properly trim a hoof is not sufficiently common to horsemen/women that they should be expected to trim hooves. But can a woman acquire the knowledge and skill needed to properly do the job, if she wants to? Yes, but it is unlikely, though not impossible, that she will possess the "grit" needed to apply that knowledge and skill.If a woman possesses the grit and is determined to acquire the ability to trim a horse's feet then it is indeed possible for her to do it. For the average horsewoman however this is not probable.

It should be obvious from the above that the average horsewoman should not be expected to be capable of shoeing a horse. The average horseman however, should be able to perform the task given the proper knowledge and skill. But, "able to" do it is one thing: actually doing it or wanting to do it is another. The average horseman or woman neither trim nor shoe, nor have the knowledge or skill, not to mention the grit it takes to be a horse shoer. Horse shoers are a rare breed and female horse shoers are rarer still. They all have my respect.

Happy Horse Days!!

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