Horse hoof picking should be part of a daily grooming schedule. This practice can prevent horse hoof problems caused by impacted stones and other debris. It is also an important preventative measure for conditions such as equine thrush, a bacterial infection of the hoof that produces a black discharge and foul-smelling odor.

With proper horse handling, cleaning horse hooves is an easy task. Horses who are not used to having their feet handled should be worked with, every day. Start out by touching the feet, and then slowly move on to asking the horse to lift its feet. The following is a short overview of how to pick horses’ feet.



How to Clean Horse Hooves with a Horse Hoof Pick

1. Stand in front of the hoof, put your hand on the horse’s leg, and run it down to the pastern. Pull the hoof up so you can reach it with a hoof pick. The front of the hoof should be towards you.
2. Remove debris from the bottom of the hoof by running the hoof pick from the heel to the toe.
3. Be sure to remove all debris from around the central portion of the hoof, called the frog.
4. If thrush is present, clean the hoof with soap and water and dry thoroughly. Apply an ointment for thrush.
5. Clean the hooves every day.

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