How To Calm a Horse for the Vet or Farrier

As prey animals, horses can sometimes feel anxious when it comes to allowing veterinarians and farriers to restrain and handle them during examinations and hoof maintenance.

Luckily, there’s a lot you can do as a horse owner to ease their worry. Let’s look at some tips on how to calm a horse during a vet or farrier visit. 

Tips for How To Calm a Horse for the Vet or Farrier

1. Read Your Horse’s Body Language

Learning how to read your horse’s body language is one of the most effective steps to make any interaction with your horse safer and more pleasant.

Here are a few key signs of a relaxed horse, compared with those of a stressed horse:

• Ears: Sideways or droopy, relaxed ears suggest your horse is calm and comfortable. Ears intensely perked toward something indicate high interest and potential anxiety, especially if it’s accompanied by wide eyes. Ears pinned back can signal irritation or aggression.

• Eyes: Soft, half-closed eyes and slow blinks are signs of relaxation. If the white of the eye is visible, this means your horse is alert and stressed.

• Jaw: Licking, chewing, and yawning are indicators of comfort, while aggressive behavior like nipping or full-on biting at handlers can indicate a high stress level.

• Breathing: A relaxed horse at rest only takes eight to 16 breaths per minute. Rapid breathing and “snorting” are linked to anxiety.

• Head posture: A head and neck in a neutral position or hanging low is associated with relaxation. On the other hand, a head held high by a tense neck means a horse is on high alert.

• Tail: The tail of a relaxed horse will hang loose or gently sway. Vigorous tail swishing is a sure sign of irritation—often directed at flies.

• Legs: Relaxed horses may rest, or cock, a hind leg while standing, while repeated pawing can be a sign of stress, annoyance, or boredom.

2. Have the Visit Near Your Horse’s Friends

As herd animals, horses tend to feel safer in the company of other horses. Plan to have the vet or farrier work in an area where other horses are visible, such as on crossties in the aisle, in a grooming stall inside their barn, or in the arena they’re used to working in.

Stay in an area the horse is already familiar and comfortable with, rather than moving them elsewhere in the facility.

If being separated from their buddies makes your horse anxious, see if you can bring a friend along. This will reduce the likelihood of the horse anxiously screaming for their friend throughout the visit.

“With some horses that are really herd-bound (reluctant to be separated from their friends), I will bring a buddy in just to keep them happy,” says Hillary Whitt, owner of Grey Horse Farms, a lesson and training barn in Cairo, New York.

 3. Use Food as a Distraction

Horses are known to be very food-motivated. You can hang a hay net for your horse to munch on while the vet or farrier works on them if the situation allows.

“When holding a horse, I also like to keep grain or treats in my pockets and will give them at random moments,” says Whitt. “I've found this keeps the horse's attention more on me than what the professional is doing. Treats can be a great distraction and help them refocus back on their handler.”

Treats are also a fantastic positive reinforcement tool to reward a horse that’s standing quietly.

4. Look for Signs of Pain

Horses may be more stressed if they aren’t feeling well or are in pain. “There are a myriad of hoof conditions that can cause a horse pain during shoeing and for which the vet could be called out,” says Daisi Wymore, an accredited farrier and owner of Western Equine Wellness LLC, a whole-horse health practice in Northern California.

Potential pain-causing problems within the lower leg and hoof include:

• Hoof abscess

• Thrush

• Fracture

• Arthritis, for example, of the fetlock (ankle) joint

• Soft tissue injuries

• Degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD)

• Laminitis

• White line disease

5. Make the Visit as Comfortable as Possible

Managing foot pain and ensuring your horse feels safe and comfortable will help your vet or farrier visit go smoothly.

“I provide soft pads for the horse if there is sensitivity in their feet,” says Wymore. “This helps give them some cushion if there is difficulty or discomfort when standing on the opposing limb while I am providing hoof care.”

“Patience and kindness can really get you a long way,” she adds. “I always give horses as many breaks as needed and will sometimes switch to a different hoof. Keeping their legs and body in the most comfortable position can make the difference between a good and a not-so-good hoof care visit.”

6. Never Use Physical Force

For everyone’s safety, veterinarians will often recommend using chemical restraint (sedation) over physical restraint when dealing with stressed or dangerous horses.

Given that horses are large and sometimes unpredictable prey animals, using physical force to control them is likely to heighten anxiety and cause harm rather than create a positive experience.

Follow your veterinarian’s recommendations and never use physical force to make your horse endure a procedure.

 7. Use Sedation When Appropriate

“The most important thing to remember is that you and the professional need to stay safe,” Whitt says. Sometimes, sedation is needed to safely perform an examination or procedure, including shoeing. Common sedatives used in horses include:

• Acepromazine: A tranquilizer that provides light sedation but does not have pain-relieving properties. Acepromazine can be given orally and is often used to calm anxious horses in a variety of situations.

• Xylazine: A potent injectable drug that provides sedation, analgesia, and muscle relaxation. It’s commonly used for veterinary procedures.

• Detomidine: Detomidine (Dormosedan Gel®) offers longer-lasting sedation than xylazine. It's used for longer, more invasive procedures and is known for its effectiveness in reducing both pain and anxiety.

• Butorphanol: Butorphanol (Torbugesic®) is a controlled substance that must be administered by your veterinarian.

Aside from sedation, regular pain medication can also make a horse more comfortable and safer to handle during a vet visit. As a preventative measure, Wymore asks her clients to give the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) phenylbutazone (bute) or any other medications their veterinarian has specifically prescribed to ease their horse’s discomfort before scheduled appointments.

“Ensuring the horse is as comfortable as possible for our hoof care appointments can really make a difference physically and mentally for them,” Wymore says.

Behavioral Assessments for Horses

If your horse shows persistent or abnormal signs of distress when a vet or farrier attempts to work on them, consider asking a behaviorist to evaluate your animal’s behavior.

They can help you address dangerous behaviors and retrain your horse to tolerate interactions with farriers and veterinarians, creating a smoother and safer experience for all involved.

You can find an equine behaviorist through the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.