Hoof care

It's important to look after your horse's hooves and clean them out every day. Without this daily care, your horse could go lame and be unrideable, as well as being uncomfortable and in pain.  Check your horses feet as well before you ride.

To get your horse to pick up her feet, fun you hand down her leg. Most horses have been trained when they are young and will pick up a foot easily. Sometimes you may need to lean on your horse, to push her weight onto the other side, and encourage her to pick up.

Back feet can be slightly more tricky, and you need to support them carefully, and extend the leg slightly out towards you so that it's easier to get to the base of the hoof.

Use a hoof pick to clean out any build up of manure and shavings as this will prevent fungus which will make feet sore. Remove all stones - these can cause bruising and soreness and might make your horse lame. Your horse will have a 'frog' at the centre of the hoof - it's triangular and creates better blood flow as the horse moves around. Leave the frog alone, and clean out either side of it.

You can also keep a check on shoes - are they loose or worn?

It's also a good idea to condition your horses feet once in a while to stop them from cracking. Some people use hoof oil every day as it keeps them conditioned and healthy. It's also good to use before a show as it makes the hoof shiny.

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