Teaching a weanling to pick up its feet is one of the most practically important early handling tasks because it is a skill the horse will need at every farrier visit, every veterinary examination of the legs, and any time a stone is lodged in a hoof or a wound needs to be treated. A weanling that learns to pick up its feet willingly and hold them patiently sets up a lifetime of cooperative farrier relationships — a weanling that does not creates a lifetime of problems.
Begin with the front feet, which are generally easier for weanlings than the hind feet because the horse has better visual awareness of what is happening near its front legs. Start by running your hand down the leg from the shoulder, maintaining contact throughout. When you reach the fetlock, apply gentle squeezing pressure on the back of the fetlock — the same cue the farrier will use — and wait for any weight shift or lift rather than physically pulling the leg up. The moment the foal shifts weight off that leg, release completely and reward.
Over several repetitions, the foal learns to lift its foot in response to the squeeze cue. Once it is lifting reliably, hold the foot for progressively longer durations — a second, then two, then five, then ten — before setting it down. Set it down before the foal pulls it away; if you always set it down before the foal loses patience, the foal never learns that pulling away works.
Hind feet require the same approach but must be done with awareness of the handler's position — staying close to the horse's body rather than reaching out from a distance reduces the risk of being kicked effectively. The goal is a foal that will stand on three legs with a hind foot held in a normal farrier position for thirty seconds without significant resistance, which is sufficient for a first trim.