Picking out hooves

I "do" mine's feet about once a fortnight or thereabouts, which includes a thorough pick / brush out and any trimming / tidying needed, and occasionally a lotion or potion (usually purple hoof spray or red horse artimud). I do sometimes pick them out after we've been out and about to check for foreign bodies, depending on where we've been. They live and hack on very stony ground and never pick up stones (not shod).

My cob did used to need very frequent picking out when I first took his shoes off as he had a very stretched white line and was always picking up small stones. I'm fairly convinced the pony had never had his feet picked out before we got him as an "aged" pony.
 
Before and after every ride, we go over a gravelly drive to get out the yard. Other than that I don't really.
 
Rarely with my old boy as he has quite shallow feet so nothing wedges in there,if he did have a stone in there you'd soon know about it. New mare I do as she was terribly difficult to do when I got her,20 mins plus to pick all 4 out as simply wouldn't pick them up!!! I made a point of doing them every day & with some help from the farrier as well she improved 100% with having them done so once the battle was won I stopped doing them every day,however I make sure I do them every 2-3 days currently just to reinforce the idea that if you're asked to pick your feet up you do!!!!
 
We have to pick out before leaving stable (yard rules) so also whenever I bring in, as packed dried mud is harder to pick out than when it's wet! So pretty much twice a day.
 
My own mare lives out and I rarely pick out her feet. I do pick them up more often just to check what's going on in there, but generally if she's walking okay I assume she's fine. She's not shod though, and is retired so basically lives in her field. However, I also work as an SJ groom and every horse on the yard must have its hooves picked out before it leaves the stable. We even have hoof picks outside each stable. It's our job to keep the yard swept and tidy, so we try not to make any more mess than necessary! Picking feet out before leaving the stable saves is a lot of unnecessary sweeping! Each horse also has it's feet picked out once exercised or once brought in from the field, basically before they are settled back into their stable until the following day. Often in the summer there is nothing in their feet, but we still do it anyway because obviously part of our job is to check the horses all over. Part of the reason they are brushed all over and have their feet picked out before being put away is so that we can pick up on any problems - lumps, bumps, heat in legs or feet, swellings etc - as soon as they arise. It also means we check their shoes and see straight away if anyone has any issues. Possibly it's not absolutely necessary, but all horses on the yard compete regularly throughout the year and it's how my boss makes his bread and butter. We need to make sure that any problems they have are picked up as soon as possible. Also, the horses need to be fairly smart at all times in case their owners or prospective buyers come to the yard. Owners don't want to turn up and find their (expensive) horses are being left with mud packed hooves.
 
Everyday and anything less is poor management. Why on earth would you not! No foot no hoss as an old farrier told me as a kid.
 
All the horses on the yard have their feet picked before they come out of the stable, when the come in from the field, when they come back from a ride and when they leave the school.
 
Everytime I ride start and finish, and before and after leaving the arena. I'm new to bf relatively though, so we're still working on it. He's lovely to do too, and picks his feet up before you get there, although won't tolerate you trying to cheat and do both from the same side.

Being a white grey these days the grooming is basically pointless so with that I do the bare minimum lol
 
Quite shocked to see people don't pick out feet daily but perhaps it's different if your horse is barefoot and lives out?
We have event horses that go out in the day and in at night, summer and winter. Feet picked out when they come in before putting in their stables, also in the morning before coming out of their stables.
 
Every day, before riding. I've picked out some massive stones before now. Just doesn't feel right to not pick feet every day!

The young lad who rides at our place came barging into the school in a panic just this week - the horse he has been riding was lame and he needed help. I got him to walk the horse up and down the yard, could clearly see he was sore. So I asked - have you checked his feet?

The reply was no, because he struggles to lift the horse's leg.

So feet were duly checked and picked - lo and behold, under the packed in mud a stone had wedged and had sliced into the frog.
 
I think it depends.
Both my horses are barefoot, living out at home. I ride once or twice a week. Would like to do more but circumstances are such that I don't have time right now.
Anyway... One of my horses had contracted heels when I bought her and raging thrush. They are de contracting really well, but I doubt she will ever have the lovely feet of my other horse. She needs her feet picked out every few days. All she has to do is stand in poop, it gets right down the sulci, and it often doesn't get removed on its own because they are narrow and deep. . So she routinely gets picked out and field paste put in there every few days. They are picked out before every ride. My other horse has lovely feet, she leaves nice muddy hoof casts in the field. So she seems to be able to self clean her feet more. I could easily go a long time without doing her feet, but I do them at the same time as the other horse out of routine. I think shod/ barefoot, hoof conformation and health are all factors which can influence the need to pick out with more or less frequency.
 
Feet checked every day, at least once a day, have a feel down the legs too.
Takes very little time as the ponies lift their feet for me to have a look. Mine are also at least lightly brushed over daily, again to check everything is OK.

PS these are never-been-shod native ponies.
 
Everyday and I do them myself even if they been done by someone else .
Pick out brush with wire brush check white line and pick out any grit to small stones .
Once a day is the minimum when they are stabled in winter I will do them much more .
 
At least once a day (she's on assisted, it depends how many times I go up). She has on a farriers nail before and if I hadn't picked her feet you'd never have known as she wasn't lame (seriously. Vet couldn't believe it), clearly if it hadn't been found eventually she would have been and it would have been serious.

She also has lovely concave feet which easily picks up large stones and she can get thrushy along the edges of her frog
 
For me it's not just about picking out his feet, although his is shod. It's about running my hands over his legs every time he comes in from the field, checking for lumps and bumps, scrapes and learning what is a normal temperature for his legs, heels and hooves. So if he does ever go lame I know what it's normal for him and what isn't. I pick his feet out everyday when he come's in as we have gravelly paths and lots of flint in some fields.
 
Every day when he comes in from the field! He is barefoot and quite often has stones stuck and tiny grit in his white line so would be uncomfortable otherwise
 
My four are all without shoes. Out at night in during the day. They have their feet done at least once a day. This is when I give them a quick check over by eye and run a hand down legs, under belly etc. to check for scrapes or sores. Ridden horse is done before ride and on return. Can't really understand why you wouldn't want to check all was ok.
 
marmalade88 said:
For me it's not just about picking out his feet, although his is shod. It's about running my hands over his legs every time he comes in from the field, checking for lumps and bumps, scrapes and learning what is a normal temperature for his legs, heels and hooves. So if he does ever go lame I know what it's normal for him and what isn't. I pick his feet out everyday when he come's in as we have gravelly paths and lots of flint in some fields.
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Snap:)
 
Same as above, plus I don't get why you wouldn't pick them out? It takes 2mins. Then again I really like grooming so I always do the full job, tail, feet oiled the lot. Mine is shod on the front but after riding it's the back barefeet that need the attention. Tiny rocks get stuck in the white line and sole, this caused an absess before on my girl. Sometimes a big one wedged in will leave a dent /hole after ive prized it out. How could you not pick that out? Maybe people don't ride anywhere with stones?!
 
I pick horses feet out everyday. Usually before I ride, as I've had a couple of completely sound horses come in but have found nails in their feet (not serious to date, usually just pull it out if the frog or from under the shoe) but I dread to think what would have happened had I not picked feet out. Plus while doing his feet on Monday I noticed that an abcess had burst out of his heel. He was completely sound and happy to work while this abcess was brewing, but I wouldn't have seen it unless I had picked foot out!

In winter he is out 24/7 & only gets fed once a day, and I always pick his feet out then while he's eating. He has 4 white legs and has never had mud fever!! I never oil feet unless at a show - and he has great feet :)

I'm quite surprised that a lot of people don't pick feet out before they ride. I'm sure everyone has had a stone in their shoe when walking & it's very uncomfortable, same with horses!
 
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Every time a horse comes in or is exercised. Barefoot or shod. If they are just in the field then every few days I will pick out their feet and check for thrush etc. I couldn't possibly ride a horse without picking out feet first, nor could I take it out of the field without picking out feet before stabling or returning to the field.
 
wow i check/clear them before and after every ride (for stones, bits of rubber wedged from arena), when they come into their stable (to clear out mud) and generally when they leave the stable (so they don't drag shavings, manure across the yard). If mud is left in them doesnt it get smelly - my unshod grass kept horse has smellier feet where he has his picked out less. Perhaps I am just OCD then
 
Mine get checked before and after every ride - so for Tartine that will be a foot check 4x per day; Blitz at least 5x per week.. They are barefoot, so often there is nothing to pick out. But I like to have a good look at the sole, so if there is any mud I'll pick it out, just to make sure it's not hiding any stones
 
At least once a day, more atm as I left them for a week when we got torrential rain, brought horse in to ride, picked out feet and thrush city in all four feet. I also do them again after I ride if I have been hacking as there are a lot of stones on the beach and gravel roads. Horse is also fully shod.
 
I always pick out feet before I ride, its a stoney area and it pays to check. If i'm not riding I check a couple times a week.

I've never understood people who scrub out feed bowls until they gleam for an animals that eat off the floor or people(my rider!!!) who tie up bridles into knots when hanging them up ......?
 
When stabled I do yes - otherwise she gets thrushy frogs and also I can't stand it when you can see clumps of straw stuck to feet! If living out and it's not muddy then generally less often. I do check reasonably regularly though (most days) as would want to check for loose shoes or stones in white line (shod in front only) and also the legs in general for any lumps and bumps.

We also have some flinty areas and I do check after riding/leading on those in case anything struck to avoid bruised soles as she is a bit sensitive to that.

Sometimes I use Kevin Bacon hoof dressing - obviously if I am using this I pick put feet first.

So in short - if I am short of time then it is something I will leave out - but I do do it once per day, most days. Sometimes more, occasionally less.
 
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