That one time in Spokane when a horse pulled back mid-shoe

I was finishing a front shoe on a big quarter horse at a barn outside Spokane. The horse was fine, then a truck backfired in the lot and he jerked his leg hard. The shoe twisted in my hand and the clinch cut a deep line across my palm. I dropped everything, held pressure on it with a clean rag from my apron, and had the owner call my vet buddy to meet me for stitches. Has anyone else had a horse spook at the worst possible second, and what's your go-to move to stay safe?

4 comments

4 Comments

dixon.amy2mo ago

@ryang65 nailed it, I just let go and let the hoof come back to me when they spook, saves my hands every time.

drew_coleman73mo ago

I get what @beth_hart68 is saying about the kick zone, but honestly, you can't always avoid it when you're mid-shoe. My go-to is keeping a super loose grip on the hoof itself. If they jerk, I just let go completely. It's saved my hands more than once. Trying to hold on tight is how you get hurt.

ryang652mo ago

Oh, absolutely. Trying to death grip a hoof is asking for trouble. I learned that the hard way years ago with a big paint horse who had no sense of personal space. I held on tight, he spooked, and I ended up with a nasty bruise on my ribs from his knee. Now I do exactly what you said, just keep my fingers loose and let go if they pull. That split second of letting go has saved me from a lot of pain.

beth_hart683mo ago

That "worst possible second" spook is why I always try to keep my body out of the kick zone when I'm holding a hoof.