Picking out your horse or pony’s hooves regularly will help him to maintain healthy feet – essential if you want to keep him happy!
Follow these tips to pick out your pony’s hooves:
- Make sure you’re wearing a riding hat before you begin.
- Put a headcollar on your pony and tie him up outside your stable in a safe and quiet space.
- Once he’s standing quietly, start at his front feet.
- Run your hand gently down his side, all the way to his fetlock.
- Ask your horse to lift his hoof and if he’s being a bit stubborn, gently lean on his side to get him to pick his foot up.
- Using a hoof pick, remove any mud or stones out of your pony’s hoof, taking care around the triangle in his foot (this is called a frog) as this is very sensitive.
- Once you’ve cleared his hoof, gently set it down and repeat this process for his other three feet.
