How often do you pick out your horse's hooves?

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Hoshi

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I always thought you should pick out horses hooves before and after riding as a minimum.

Someone who I have an awful lot of respect for, and would usually not question in terms of horse know-how, has told me today not to pick small stones out of my pony's hooves, as the more I clear them out, the more room there is for bigger stones to go in.

To be honest I am completely confused now. As a VERY new horse owner, I thought I was doing the right thing, and now am wondering if I am potentially causing problems (I had some real issues after our hack today with tiny stones that were so tightly wedged I had to ask a friend to help me cos I couldn't get them out!).

Am grateful for all opinions because I need to make up my own mind about what to do.
 
mine get done before exercise and when I treat his feet (currently flossing and sudocreaming for thrush ) so generally at least once a day if not twice
 
Hoshi said:
I always thought you should pick out horses hooves before and after riding as a minimum.

Someone who I have an awful lot of respect for, and would usually not question in terms of horse know-how, has told me today not to pick small stones out of my pony's hooves, as the more I clear them out, the more room there is for bigger stones to go in.

To be honest I am completely confused now. As a VERY new horse owner, I thought I was doing the right thing, and now am wondering if I am potentially causing problems (I had some real issues after our hack today with tiny stones that were so tightly wedged I had to ask a friend to help me cos I couldn't get them out!).

Am grateful for all opinions because I need to make up my own mind about what to do.
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at the moment I do not pick them out



Normally my own gelding once a day max sometimes I leave them. The pony and donkey shamefully rarely.
 
Hoshi said:
Leviathan - can I ask you why you don't pick them out?
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because at the moment I have a broken humerus.
pony and donkey are bare foot and never seem to get clogged. The gelding gets done 2 times a week on average

The liveries get picked out 1 x a day
 
My pony is barefoot. In the last 2 months she has never had much to pick out until today and I made sure each hoof was completely clean. She's happy with the pick, but gets pretty cross if I use a brush.
 
I pick his feet out in the morning before he leaves the stable, when he comes in from the field and after he's been ridden :)
 
Every day when they come in from the field (in during day ).

Interestingly, my farrier reckons most people never pick their horses feet, even his own wife!
 
Once a day, used to be less frequently then had thrush issues so now making the effort! With the little gritty stones, i use a cheapy corkscrew to hook them out then dab a bit of keratex nail hole disinfectant in there.
 
Very rarely . The packed mud helps to protect the hoof.

Have one that is barefoot but because of bad treatment from an emergency farrier when she was shod I need to treat her hooves. Now have a good BF Trimmer.

One of my Endurance horses is padded up so I just brush the pads.
 
paulineh said:
Very rarely . The packed mud helps to protect the hoof.

Have one that is barefoot but because of bad treatment from an emergency farrier when she was shod I need to treat her hooves. Now have a good BF Trimmer.

One of my Endurance horses is padded up so I just brush the pads.
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Interesting theory that the mud helps protect the hoof- what about stones?

Personally once daily after turnout before ridden work they are checked, but she is barefoot so there is very little there!
 
I pick them out most days. But they weren't picked at all from Dec-March as it was too wet to do anything with them, they don't seem to have any ill effects other than a bit of thrush that would have been there anyway I reckon.

Where are the small stones getting stuck? If in the white line then its probably a bit stretched.
 
Always once and a lot of the times 2 or 3 times. If I am riding that day, he will get his feet picked out and turned out, picked out when brought in and then picked out again once I have ridden to get school surface out his tootsies.
 
checked over (there's not always anything to pick/clean) daily to see how the feet are. In addition always check before and after being ridden. It takes very little time, and the ponies are so used to the routine they lift their feet for me to see when they come into the stable.
 
Mine are done once a day (live out, barefoot). If I ride I also make a quick check after. They're currently being treated for thrush, so I do a proper job of it, whilst they munch their breakfasts.
 
As often as I can. At least twice if I'm riding, once at the start and at the end. I only ride a few times a week and he's out 24/7 but I try to do it on days I don't ride if I get chance. I spray them with Milton each time to prevent thrush, he's recently barefoot
 
paulineh said:
Very rarely . The packed mud helps to protect the hoof.
.
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One reason I leave the mud from the field in his feet, the urine and gunk doesn't impregnate his soles.

Mine have never had thrush very very very rarely have stones in - Ironically some of the livery ones do.
 
our two are both barefoot, my girl gets hers done most days when she comes in as their field is quite stoney but always after a ride as the driveway has lots of tiny stones that get stuck in the white line and was advised by the farriers on ym yard to pick them out.
My sister's cob gets his minimum once a day - he has very deep clefts and gets very bad thrush really easily, even when turned out 24/7 in the summer. As long as the feet are regularly picked it doesn't seem to be so bad
 
Before leaving the stable.. Every time, when they come in from then field, after hacking, before leaving the arena. I also was any mud off from field/ hack and oil daily before bed and before riding.
 
When he comes in from the field
before exercise
after exercise

He has hoof casts on the front feet at the moment though so that makes it easier :P just brush the **** off them!
 
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