Picking out your horses hooves
It is important to make sure you pick out your horse’s hooves everyday especially if they are going out in the field as they will pick up stones etc. This can be painful and can lead to problems such as bruised soles, lameness and even problems further up as the balance is altered.
To pick a horse’s hooves out you need to firstly find a hoof pick. There are several types available to buy, a good type have brushes on the back so you can really get all the dirt out.
Once you have your hoof pick, stand beside your horse and face towards their hind end. Then run your closest hand down the leg. You might find at this point that the horse lifts their leg up automatically as they know what to expect. If not then give a tug on the feathers at the back of the leg and lift the foot. Supporting the foot with that same hand use the hoof pick in the other hand to clear any mud or stones out of the underside of the hoof. Always scrape from the heel of the hoof towards the toe, this helps prevent damage to the frog.
In some circumstances you might find that a stone has managed to wedge itself between the hoof and the shoe. On these occasions you may need to ask someone to help you as it is important to support the leg fully so as not to pull against the limb.
If you are using a hoof pick with a brush attached you can then use the brush to clean the remaining dirt away and also clean any mud stuck to the hoof wall. Always check the hoof and the frog for any damage, bruising or puncture marks as abscesses can form if something sharp punctures the underside of the foot. These may not be obvious at first however the foot is the number one source of lameness in horses hence the saying no hoof no horse.
When you have finished picking out try to place the hoof back on the ground rather than just dropping the leg as the horse may not be expecting it to be dropped and can put unnecessary force through the limb as it hits the floor.
Finish the job by using a hoof oil or moisturiser to ensure that the hoof is protected from cracks forming and to keep the hoof healthy.
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