My new occupation!

I'm sure not everyone knows, but my hubby is a Farrier. :)

I AM sure you all know the old adage, the cobbler's kids never have any shoes.....well, that is true of the farrier's horses. They never get their feet done.

I went out to feed horses last night when I got home. My poor filly, the outside of her right front had grown out so much that it was trying to break off. The weather here has been try, so the horses hooves are hard. The piece in question didn't come all the way off, and was hanging on like a hang nail (sort of), but it was pushed up in front of her foot. Poor girl.

Now, I've asked my hubby (nicely, at first then i got kinda ugly the 5th time I asked) many times to trim them. We have 6 horses at the house that get trimmed. One that has front shoes. We have one at the trainers and one turned out at a friend's property. So, if he did one a week he could just keep rotating and everyone would get done about every 7 weeks.

So, you can imagine how totally PISSED off I was when my filly's hooves are all torn up. So, I get a BRIGHT idea!!! I've seen my DH (dear hubby) trim them so mannnyyyyy times. I figured "What the hell, it can't be that hard, can it? She's my horse, and if I mess up her feet I have no one to blame but myself, right??"

SO, keep in mind it's about 8:15 and it's getting dark.
I grab the hoof stand, nippers, rasp and halter.
Catch my horse.
Pick up left front foot, clean it out. holding foot in my left hand, nippers in my right.
Obvious growth around the outside. I nip it off. I don't have her hoof tucked under my knee they way the pro's do it. Can't be that hard, right? I take my left leg, and try to put her right hoof between my knees so to speak. LOL. NO freakin way! My DH is a bean poll, very thin, tall and thin. He makes it look easy! Me, not so little. My leg is too big I guess to get the hoof where it needs to be and be comfy for me and my filly. So, after this attempt I grab the hoof jack and rest her front hoof on there like her back hoof would be.
Snip, snip, snip. Doesn't look 100% level....but pretty close.
Now onto the Right front.
More growth than the left. This is the one with the 'hang nail'. I start out resting it on the hoof jack because I KNOW i can't get it under my leg. LOL.
I am taking a while, I know. My filly is use to my hubby being quick. She's starting to get antsy and wanting to move around. I, being a NOVICE 'farrier' do not have good balance under the horse and she moved (felt like a mile but was probably a 1/4 inch) and just about fell over more than once! I tried my hardest to not get pissed off at her.
Onto the back feet.
Left hind first. I approached with caution because I was witness to her trying to kick the crap outta my older mare through the hot wire fence.
Foot up, on the stand. clean, nip, rasp. Pull it forward. WOW. What a freakin uncomfortable position to be in. horses foot out to the side on the stand, you have to position yourself in the most bizarre fashion to get the outside rasped at the right angel.
WOW. onto the right hind. She was starting to get pissy (that's funny, because that's what I call her) and jerked her foot away from me a couple times. This, knocking over the stand and about putting me on me 'arse a couple times. LOL.

Long story short, I have a new appreciation for my hubby. Not an easy job by any matter of means!

Anyone else tried their hand at something horse related that they were NOT qualified for? Share your stories!