A question about hoof picking

HaffiesRock

HaffiesRock

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Now this may sound like a very basic question, but what are the most important bits of a hoof to pick?

For example, my pony is out 24/7 and its been raining today. I picked his feet and they were packed full of mud. I always pick around the frog really well and use the brush on the pick to completely clean in and around the frog. I then use the brush to bush all the mud off the sole. Today it was really sticky and stuck on so I cleaned around the frog as usual and brushed off as much of the mud as I could, but there was a lot left stuck on.

Is this OK on occasion? Normally I am very particular and I get all the muck out as I like to check the whole sole for anything untoward, but today in my work gear in the rain I just did the frog. And it got me thinking about what is important when hoof picking?

Sorry if that's just drivel, just curious x
 
I once read field horses should or only need to have their feet picked out once a week, so wouldnt panic, the fact you have checked for any foreign material is the most important part, not like he is standing in a box and his feet are full of his poo and wee coming through the bed.
 
That's a relief then. He has a lot of mole hills in his field and they chuck out a lot of stones, so I like to check daily. Plus, when he came to me he wouldn't let me anywhere near his legs, never mid pick up a hoof so I've worked hard to get him to let me pick them so thoroughly, so its his routine now and I think my OCD! xx
 
I've read recently about horses not having their feet picked out - and the compacted mud protects the soles. very interesting to me as Shy suffers with thrush, so I pick out his hooves at least twice a day. But in the wild - they would never have their feet touched... hmm....
 
My tb never has her feet picked out unless she has shoes on before im about to ride or unless in giving her a big spring clean. Has has shoes off since start of sept last year, only picked out the snow build up occasionally through winter but she came out of winter with fantastic feet, farrier couldn't beleive it!! Who would pick their feet out in the wild on a regular basis? Lol
 
I'm really OCD about feet I would go as far as saying i pick swallows hoofs out atleast 3 a day probably more like 5 my farrier told me her feet are in really good condition and to continue doing what i do so as long as i have his backing I'm happy :)
 
Purple18 said:
I'm really OCD about feet I would go as far as saying i pick swallows hoofs out atleast 3 a day probably more like 5 my farrier told me her feet are in really good condition and to continue doing what i do so as long as i have his backing I'm happy :)
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I am glad I am not the only one :)

I know in the wild they wouldnt get picked, but my pony doesnt do the miles or the terrain that wild horses do so less chance of the muck coming out.
 
HaffiesRock said:
I am glad I am not the only one :)

I know in the wild they wouldnt get picked, but my pony doesnt do the miles or the terrain that wild horses do so less chance of the muck coming out.
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One brisk trot will get the clods flying out of their hooves. I rarely pick out the stabled horse's feet, and never the outside guys. Never had a case of thrush, or anything like it. Obviously if they are lame or footy the first thing to do is pick the feet.
 
I don't pick out every day. My horse also lives out and it just seems ridiculous to me as foot 1 and 2 will be filled with mud by the time I get to 3, etc! I would feel different if I was putting her in a stable or even on some non muddy ground for any period of time for them to get some air, otherwise its just more mud with the same old bacteria etc. I've never had a problem with thrush in horses I have been looking after and I've always had the same attitude with horses who live out.

I tend to do it more after riding as we are more likely to encounter stones. I've just had her shoes off for a bit as not doing much, so I will probably pay special attention after we've been out to also check how much they've been worn.

We did have issues with her picking up feet, kicking and with my broken arm I just couldn't do it, proud to say she is good now and was a good girl for the farrier yesterday, albeit with a lot of pony nuts :-)

I think the deep bits around the frog are the most important and if wearing shoes the bits between the ends of the shoe/heels. I think if unshod you could pay special attention to the white line area for tiny stones.
 
HaffiesRock said:
I am glad I am not the only one :)

I know in the wild they wouldnt get picked, but my pony doesnt do the miles or the terrain that wild horses do so less chance of the muck coming out.
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Same here most people laugh at me :P
Cortez said:
One brisk trot will get the clods flying out of their hooves. I rarely pick out the stabled horse's feet, and never the outside guys. Never had a case of thrush, or anything like it. Obviously if they are lame or footy the first thing to do is pick the feet.
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What i don't understand is how if you "rarley pick out the stabled horse's feet,and never the outside guys" how would you know if they have thrush or not ?
 
I pick out twice a day - and apply Silverfeet lotion once a day.

I'm partly OCD about it - and partly to keep up a routine as P was terrible with feet handling when I got him. We are contiuning our farrier de-sensitisation once or twice a week too as he is 100% better than he was, but he still isn't brilliant to trim.
 
There's no way I could leave my horse's feet. I'd feel way too guilty. Wha it here's a big stone lodged in there? He cow kicked and/or planted when I got him so just being able to get his feet up is great. I wouldn't leave him without doing feet.
 
Purple18 said:
Same here most people laugh at me :P


What i don't understand is how if you "rarley pick out the stabled horse's feet,and never the outside guys" how would you know if they have thrush or not ?
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'cos when I do pick 'em out, they don't (and never have had) have thrush.............and this is going on for 50 years now, and we live in a wet country. Pretty conclusive, I'd say. The only time I've seen thrush is in full time stabled horses (not mine), in dirty conditions, in a hot, damp country, or in negelected and run down horses kept full time in a bog. I fully understand that thrush is common, and can occur in many circumstances, but I don't pick out to the conventional schedule and have never had a problem. Works for me and mine.
 
I used to pick my horses' feet out weekly. But the other day I caught the tip of my Big Idiot's frog and it popped. :eek: I think there was a bruise under there as it went like a blood blister. V. messy and I'm glad I found it, the thought of it being open in all the mud, especially on a horse prone to swelling at the merest mention of bacteria, was a bit :eek:

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Like you OP I have noticed that the mole hills in the field contain lots of small stones just the right size to get stuck in ponies feet!

I do pick out feet each day, when I handle the youngsters, and the blacksmith has complimented me on how good they are when he trims them Have worked hard to get the youngsters to stand and let me pick up their feet so would not like to stop now!

I have found stones in their feet wedged in by frog and pressed into mud, so do not believe that they would just fall out.
 
I have been a bit lax over winter with hoof picking as the horses were out 24/7 in mud etc:o
But as both of my boys are youngsters (5 yrs and almost 3yrs) I have been making an extra effort to make it part of our routine for them so they get used to it being done and I can check for problems.:)
 
Horse stabled overnight in v clean bed. Out twelve hours a day on good enough grazing, poo picked daily. Some mud, round gates, not too bad at all. Otherwise, odd small stones, sticks from the big tree in the centre of the field. Ridden most days, roads tracks fields and sand school.
When I bought horse, two years ago,all four feet very poor, overgrown, splayed hooves, thrush, abcesses, cracks and crumbles all round. Horse had been neglected by previous owner, hurt, starved, turned out on the bog all summer,no hoof care at all. Now, no thrush, abcesses ( touches wood immediately) cracks gone and crumbles only on on one quarter of one foot, and continuing to get better.
All feet picked out on going out of stable, before and after sand school work, and any other excercise anywhere else. After coming in from turn out.
Feet picked out, attention paid to frog and creases either side, and, very gently, in middle. Soles brushed, and where shoe surfaces meet foot, especially the space between frog and heel. Excellent experienced farrier on a regular 5/6 weekly basis.
It's worked for us. Would pick out and check feet at least once a day on a routine basis for any horse/ pony/donkey in my care. It's was wot I woz brung up to do!
 
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I think the deep bits around the frog are the most important and if wearing shoes the bits between the ends of the shoe/heels. I think if unshod you could pay special attention to the white line area for tiny stones.[/QUOTE said:
My barefoot trimmer suggested using a wire brush after picking out the feet. This really exposes the grit caught in the white lines, which can cause cracks in the wall if left. It also helps exfoliate the sole and frog.
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I didn't used to pick their feet out until I randomly did a few months ago. Mine had terrible thrush so now I pick feet out at least once a day to keep an eye on them.
 
I live in a flinty area so I hoof pick every night as usually a stone in one of the feet. It also has helped him with the farrier as now he stands still and has taught him that he doesn't come straight in and gets food.
 
i pick before and after i ride ,we have funny terrain with loads of small stones ,if hes been out then i pick when he comes in :)
 
my 2 horses are out all day and stabled at night (all year) over winter they get there feet picked out whenever i go down to the yard (at least 3 days a week) in summer i'd say more like every day as i go down to the yard more :)

at the moment i pick their feet out when i bring them in and then again after exercise before i put them in their stables

I apply the kevin bacon hoof ointment (like tar) to the insides of their feet 1-2 weekly and this seems to help keep thrush/smelliness at bay or clear it up if it starts :)
 
no hoof no horse!

mine gets picked out every morning, then again when he comes in, then again when I get to the yard at night.

When I ride, he gets them picked out before and after being ridden.

There seems to be a lot of stones suddenly around and they are coming in from the fields with them packed in along with all the mud! I literally took a small rock out of Leos shoe the other day! :(
 
This might just be me but there must be a difference in condition of one that gets picked out alot and one that rarely gets them picked out ? there must be some sort of study out there for this.
 
Purple18 said:
This might just be me but there must be a difference in condition of one that gets picked out alot and one that rarely gets them picked out ? there must be some sort of study out there for this.
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Be interesting to know that too Purple18.

I dont tend to groom a lot as over winter he is naked so I leave him be and in summer he gets a quick flick over before riding. But I always pick his feet at least once, more if ridden and I carry a hoof pick while hacking just in case.

My friend doesnt pick her horses feet very often and it tends to have a lot of thrush. Maybe its a coincidence? But I just cant see how old mud and poo cant cause problems. Sometimes its so tightly packed in my pony's feet I struggle to pick it out! x
 
I pick my yearling's feet daily but that's mostly so shes used to me handling them. Our paths quite stony on the way to turn out so once I've picked out I lead her through some good thick mud to impact them! Read that somewhere and do that now as it makes sense as much more likely to get a stone lodged in the nice clean cleft. So far so good.
 
What's a hoof pick?

Well, I do sometimes pick their feet out. Like before the trimmer comes (that's just polite). Or when I'm having a nosey. But they pick their own feet out many times a day (judging by the amount of hoof discs I find messing up the place), so I think they have it covered.
 
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