Picking out hooves

I can't remember the last time I picked out my youngsters feet as he is barefoot and stays in the field.

My mare, I pick out when I ride, but that's it.
 
I pick Sams feet out before he goes into his stable, as we have very stony lanes from his field to the yard. I also pick out before and after I've ridden, more because he is self trimming his own feet, so I want to see how they've coped on each ride and how much and how evenly he's worn them down.

But my retired mare Kelsey and mini Shetland Jezza only get their feet picked out occasionally.
 
Louby-Jay said:
I can't remember the last time I picked out my youngsters feet as he is barefoot and stays in the field.

My mare, I pick out when I ride, but that's it.
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I would consider it an important part of a youngsters education to have feet done. Learning from a young age to have feet handled makes life easier for farrier/vet in the future.
 
Really surprised at the amount of folk here saying "rarely".

I do mine everyday, more than once - in the morning when they have been stood in a box all night and in the evening when they come in. Wouldn't be quite so anal if they were out 24/7 admittedly.

I ALWAYS do it before riding. Quite frequently I will pick out stones which have had the potential to cause damage but once I found a screw in there which had penetrated the frog. Horse was very fortunate and it hadn't done any damage but I feel sure had I done any high impact work without checking it would have gone straight through her foot and been a serious issue.
 
huskydamage said:
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?!
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IME once the feet are healthy and conditioned the white line and sole no longer pick up stones. I do have to pick stones out of the cobs when he has a stretched white line (for instance when he went through a fence and stuffed himself on dairy grass).
 
I pick out every day I'm up, I kinda feel bad if I don't. Found some interesting things in there, including bits off a broken bottle some eejit had hoofed over the wall :( Luckily no damage
 
I do it before and after every ride and daily if I don't ride. I do a lot of trotting on tank tracks and get tiny stones in the white line which will abscess if not dealt with. It takes me 30 seconds to pick out her feet so I don't see the issue in doing it frequently. I was drilled in the pick out feet everyday mantra and just see it as a good habit and an effective way of monitoring hoof health.
 
I pick out everyday although i sometimes miss it out in the summer as there is nothing in her field. I feel its always good just to check and keep on top of it.
 
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