12/05/2026
đ«đ· 1ïžâŁ Jâidentifie les mouvements les plus confortables pour lui
Selon la pathologie, certains mouvements sont beaucoup mieux tolĂ©rĂ©s que dâautres.
Parfois, prendre le pied vers lâavant est beaucoup plus confortable que de le flĂ©chir directement vers lâarriĂšre.
Parfois aussi, tout se joue sur quelques centimĂštres de hauteur.
Oui, ça me demande plus dâeffort physiquement.
Mais câest souvent le prix Ă payer pour obtenir la vraie coopĂ©ration du cheval.
2ïžâŁ Je fais des pauses rĂ©guliĂšres
DĂšs que je sens que le cheval commence Ă fatiguer sur ses appuis, je le laisse souffler.
Je prĂ©fĂšre mille fois faire plusieurs pauses que le maintenir de force jusquâĂ lâĂ©chec.
Parce quâun cheval quâon pousse au-delĂ de ce quâil peut supporter devient de plus en plus en difficultĂ© :
les reprises de pied deviennent plus brusques, plus dĂ©fensives, parfois mĂȘme ils refusent totalement de redonner le pied âŠ
et dans le pire des cas, le cheval peut finir par chuter.
3ïžâŁ Je sĂ©curise au maximum ses appuis
Si câest au niveau des pieds que le cheval souffre, jâessaie de toujours lui laisser un appui aussi sĂ»r et confortable que possible.
Quand il est ferrĂ©, je peux par exemple dĂ©ferrer pied par pied pour quâil garde de la stabilitĂ© sur les autres membres.
Et sâil est pieds nus, je peux mettre des pads en mousse souple sous les pieds dâappui pour amĂ©liorer son confort pendant le travail.
4ïžâŁ Jâessaie dâamĂ©liorer sa situation, pas juste de âfaire les piedsâ
Quand un cheval est douloureux, mon travail ne devrait jamais ĂȘtre isolĂ©.
Jâimpose donc une vraie approche pluridisciplinaire.
Parfois, cela passe par pousser les propriĂ©taires Ă faire des examens complĂ©mentaires pour comprendre lâorigine de la douleur et pouvoir rĂ©ellement soulager le cheval.
Quand un diagnostic est dĂ©jĂ posĂ©, je mâapplique Ă Ă©quilibrer les pieds de maniĂšre extrĂȘmement prĂ©cise pour soulager mĂ©caniquement les zones sensibles.
Et dans certains cas chroniques ou irrĂ©versibles, avec lâaccord du vĂ©tĂ©rinaire, il peut arriver que le cheval soit accompagnĂ© mĂ©dicalement autour du rendez-vous pour Ă©viter quâil ne vive un moment trop inconfortable.
5ïžâŁ Je rĂ©compense gĂ©nĂ©reusement chaque effort
Quand un cheval est trĂšs douloureux et quâil fait malgrĂ© tout lâeffort de me laisser prendre son pied et travailler, je rĂ©compense cet effort.
Un bonbon, une pause, une fĂ©licitation, une voix douce⊠tout ce qui peut lâaider Ă associer ce moment Ă autre chose quâĂ la contrainte.
đșđž 1ïžâŁ I identify the movements that are most comfortable for him
Depending on the pathology, some movements are much better tolerated than others.
Sometimes, bringing the leg forward is far more comfortable than flexing it directly backwards.
Sometimes, everything comes down to just a few centimetres in height.
Yes, it requires more physical effort from me.
But it is often the price to pay to obtain true cooperation from the horse.
2ïžâŁ I take regular breaks
As soon as I feel the horse starting to tire on his supporting limbs, I let him breathe.
I would much rather take several breaks than force him to hold on until he reaches his limit.
Because a horse that is pushed beyond what he can tolerate becomes increasingly uncomfortable:
he may sn**ch his leg back more abruptly, become more defensive, sometimes even completely refuse to give the foot againâŠ
and in the worst-case scenario, the horse can end up falling.
3ïžâŁ I make his support as safe as possible
If the horse is suffering in his feet, I always try to leave him with support that is as secure and comfortable as possible.
When he is shod, for example, I may remove one shoe at a time so he can keep stability on the other limbs.
And if he is barefoot, I can place soft foam pads under the supporting feet to improve his comfort during the work.
4ïžâŁ I try to improve his situation, not just âdo his feetâ
When a horse is in pain, my work should never be isolated.
So I insist on a truly multidisciplinary approach.
Sometimes, this means encouraging owners to carry out further examinations to understand the origin of the pain and genuinely help relieve the horse.
When a diagnosis has already been made, I focus on balancing the feet with extreme precision in order to mechanically relieve the sensitive areas.
And in some chronic or irreversible cases, with the veterinarianâs agreement, the horse may be medically supported around the appointment to prevent the experience from becoming too uncomfortable.
5ïžâŁ I generously reward every effort
When a horse is in significant pain and still makes the effort to let me pick up his foot and work, I reward that effort.
A treat, a break, praise, a soft voice⊠anything that can help him associate that moment with something other than pressure or restraint.