A guy at the county fair swore farriers use hypnotism on ponies

I was showing my tools at a local event when this fellow approached me. He insisted that he saw a farrier put a horse to sleep with just a touch. I tried to tell him it's about trust and calm movements. He wouldn't listen and kept asking for the 'secret trick'. I ended up demonstrating how to pick up a hoof safely. He left still convinced there was magic involved. It made for a hilarious story to share with my buddies.

2 comments

2 Comments

miamason1d ago

That whole "hypnotism" thing misses the point completely. What looks like magic is just years of practice moving slow and steady. A good farrier reads the animal's energy and works with it, so the horse just chills out. It's a skill, not a secret trick.

beth1041d ago

But can that calm be taught or is it instinct?