Rule out pain first, then train between visits rather than during them. A horse who suddenly will not stand for the farrier may be sore, and the Merck Veterinary Manual names pain as the most common cause of lameness in horses. If your veterinarian finds nothing, the fix is short, frequent practice lifting and holding each foot on days with no appointment, a handler at his head who knows where to stand, and appointment conditions that give him every chance to stand still. Sedation, if it is ever needed, is your veterinarian's decision, not the farrier's and not yours.
If your farrier is running out of patience, this page is for you, and it starts with a fact that should change how you think about the problem.
Why this is a safety problem, not a manners problem
Fuhrer, Eggmann, Reichardt and Filippi surveyed farriers and hoof care practitioners across Switzerland for Dental Traumatology in 2023 (Europe PMC record, read 2026-09-11). Of 278 respondents, 60.6 percent of farriers reported head or face injuries at work, and 11.1 percent of farriers reported dental injuries, mostly from horse kicks. Those injuries happen to a person bent under a horse with a foot in their hands and nowhere to go.
The Colorado Horse Council puts the owner's side of it bluntly: "The horse that won't stand still is a danger. One day you'll be caught in the wrong spot, he'll get a fright and someone will be hurt" (Good Ground Manners, read 2026-09-11).
Your farrier sees your horse for one appointment every several weeks. Everything that happens in between is yours, and that is where this gets fixed.
First: is something hurting?
The Merck Veterinary Manual's overview of lameness, by Stephen B. Adams, DVM, DACVS, states that "Pain is the most common cause of lameness in all horses" (Overview of Lameness in Horses, last reviewed August 2025, read 2026-09-11).
Think about what standing for the farrier asks of him. While one foot is held up, the other three carry all his weight, and the leg doing the most work is often the one diagonally opposite. A horse who is sore in a supporting foot, a hock, a stifle or his back has a reason to snatch the held foot back: standing on the sore one hurts.
Before you treat this as a training problem, work through these:
- Did it start suddenly? A horse who used to stand and now will not needs a veterinarian before he needs a trainer.
- Is it one foot in particular? Note which. If he will not hold up the left front, the leg he may be trying to spare is the right front.
- What do his feet feel like? Compare heat and the digital pulse in each foot. A difference between feet is information for your vet, not a diagnosis.
- Is he lame at the walk or trot in a straight line? If you are not sure, film it and show your vet.
- Is he overdue? A foot that has gone long past its trim is more work for the farrier and a longer hold for the horse. How often that is for your horse depends on him, which is the argument in how often a horse actually needs the farrier and in why hoof growth rates differ between horses.
If any of these turns something up, call your vet and ask whether a lameness exam makes sense before the next farrier visit. Tell your farrier too. They would much rather know.
What you practice between visits
The owner's half of the job is teaching him to give each foot and hold it, calmly, many times over, on days when nothing else is happening.
The Horse Safety Manual from the American Youth Horse Council and the University of Kentucky's extension service describes the basic cue: "When you get to the fetlock say 'up,' and squeeze the joint. The horse should pick up his foot for you" (Horse Safety Manual, reproduced by American Insurance Specialists, read 2026-09-11). Mississippi State University Extension adds the positioning rule: "When picking up the horse's feet, keep your body close to the animal to prevent it from kicking you" (Working Safely Around Horses, publication P3004, Clay Cavinder, PhD, read 2026-09-11).
Where to stand, every time:
- Front feet: beside his shoulder, facing his tail, close to his body.
- Hind feet: beside his hip, facing his tail, with one hand resting on his hip so you feel him shift his weight before he moves, and the other hand sliding down the leg. Close to him, never directly behind him.
- Stay on your feet. Kneeling or sitting beside a horse takes away the one thing that protects you, which is being able to move.
- Nobody else in the kick zone, including children and dogs.
Build it in steps, and do not skip one:
- Lift and put down. Ask for the foot, and put it down yourself before he tries to take it back. If you always release first, he learns that holding still is how the foot comes back.
- Hold a little longer. Only increase the hold when the shorter one is calm.
- Hold it where the farrier holds it. Ask your farrier to show you how they position each foot, including bringing a front foot forward for finishing and a hind foot back. Then practice those positions, gently, at a height he can manage.
- Add the sensations. Tap the sole and wall with the handle of a hoof pick. Run a brush over the wall. The farrier's tools make noise and vibration, and you can introduce those in small doses.
- Add the setting. Once he is steady in a quiet spot, practice where the farrier actually works, with the ordinary noise of the barn around him.
Daily hoof picking is the practice session you already have. Our guide to what you are looking for when you pick out feet turns it into a health check as well, and the owner's job between farrier visits covers the rest.
On the day: helping a horse who won't stand for the farrier
You cannot train on the day, but you can remove the reasons to move.
| Condition | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Level, non-slip, familiar footing | He is balancing on three legs |
| Good light, out of the wind | Fewer things to startle at |
| Fly control in fly season | A horse stamping at flies is a horse snatching his foot back |
| His usual turnout beforehand | A horse fresh from a long day stalled has energy to spend |
| A calm companion in sight | Horses are herd animals, and a horse alone is often a worried one |
| Not at feeding time for the rest of the barn | Hard to stand still while everyone else eats |
Holding him. Some farriers prefer a handler to cross-ties for a fidgety horse; ask yours. A common rule is for the handler to stand on the same side of the horse as the farrier, so that if he moves, his hindquarters swing away from both of you. Confirm your farrier's preference before the appointment rather than during it. Hold the lead rope in your hand, never wrapped around it, and keep your attention on the horse, not your phone.
What the handler does not do. Do not jerk the rope every time he shifts a foot. He cannot tell the difference between a correction and a random pain in his face, and a horse who learns that the farrier's visit means pain in his face has a new reason to move. Do not shout. Do not hit him.
Sedation and other shortcuts
Sedatives are prescription medicines. Whether one is appropriate for your horse, which one, and how it is given are your veterinarian's decisions, and your vet will arrange it if it is the right call. A partly sedated horse can be unsteady on three legs, which is its own hazard, and sedation does not teach him anything for next time.
Restraint equipment is in the same category. It belongs to the professionals who use it, and it is not a training method. We do not describe how to use it here.
When to call in help
Stop working on this alone, and call your vet first, if your horse:
- kicks at the farrier or at you
- strikes, rears or throws himself around
- pulls back hard enough to break a halter, a rope or a fixture
- has already injured someone
- has changed suddenly from a horse who stood to one who will not
After the vet, look for a professional whose credentials you can check: a veterinary behaviorist (a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists), a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, or an experienced trainer whose methods you have watched yourself. Your farrier may know who in your area works well with farrier-shy horses.
Keeping a good farrier
Tell your farrier before the appointment what has been going on and what you have been practicing. Book a difficult horse at a time when neither of you is rushed. Have him caught, clean, dry and waiting. None of this fixes the horse, but all of it tells your farrier that you are working on the problem, and that matters when the good ones have full books.
FAQ
Why won't my horse stand for the farrier all of a sudden?
A sudden change is a reason to call your veterinarian before anything else. Merck names pain as the most common cause of lameness in horses, and a horse who is sore in a supporting leg has a reason not to stand on it while another foot is held up.
Can my farrier sedate my horse?
Sedatives are prescription medicines, so the decision belongs to your veterinarian, who will decide whether one is appropriate and arrange it. Talk to your vet well before the appointment, not on the morning.
Should I hold my horse or use cross-ties for the farrier?
Ask your farrier. Many prefer a calm handler for a fidgety horse. If you hold him, stand where your farrier asks, keep the rope in your hand without wrapping it, and keep your attention on the horse.
How long will it take before he stands for the farrier?
Nobody can give you an honest number. It depends on why he is moving, how often you practice and how carefully you build each step. Short, frequent sessions on quiet days are what move it forward.
The short version
Check for pain, then practice on the days that do not matter so the day that does feels ordinary. Stand close, stay on your feet, and let your vet, not the barn aisle, decide about sedation.