How to Clean a Horse's Hooves

Even if you don't have time to fully groom your horse every day, you should always make time to pick out or clean his hooves daily. Something as simple as a small rock, or as dangerous as a piece of glass, can find its way into your horse's hoof. Manure and wet bedding left packed in the hoof also create a prime breeding ground for germs and can encourage fungus growth, which causes hoof decay.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Hoof pick

1. Stand on the left side of your horse, facing her tail.
2. Stroke down from her shoulder to fetlock, leaning slightly into your horse at the same time; this asks her to move her weight off the left leg and over onto other front leg. Most horses will not pick up their feet if they feel unbalanced. Squeeze firmly, but not roughly, just near the fetlock, and say "Up."
3. Hold the hoof up with your left arm. With your right arm scrape out any debris using your hoof pick. Work from heel to toe to avoid pushing any dirt under your horse's shoe, especially around the heel, which is the loosest part of the shoe. Remember to clean out the sides and the grooves around the center of the frog.
4. Check her shoe for any looseness by gently trying to fit the end of your hoof pick under the shoes (at the heel) and seeing if you can move the shoe. If the shoe is loose, contact your farrier.
5. Gently lower your horse's hoof to the ground and move to her left hind leg. To pick up the hind leg, stand facing your horse's tail (just like you did with the front leg) and stroke down the inside of her leg, once again pinching just above the fetlock and saying "Up." Hold your arm in front of the leg, almost like you're reaching under her and cradling it in your left hand. In this position, if she kicks out, she is less likely to hit you or pull you over. Clean out the back hoof, just like you did with the front leg, using the hoof pick.
6. Move to the right side of your horse and repeat the same process.

Tips & Warnings

• If your horse will not pick up his hoof, first try gently leaning your shoulder into his leg. This little extra push can help shift his weight onto his other leg, thus making it easier for you to ask him to lift his hoof. You can also try pinching his chestnuts, which are horny growths on the inside of his legs. If your horse is normally good about picking up his hoofs, but suddenly seems reluctant to raise his leg, check for any lameness. Most often the injury is not in the hoof you are asking him to raise but in the adjacent leg, onto which he would have to shift his weight.
• Tie your horse up if you or the horse is inexperienced with the process of picking out hooves. This is also a good idea if your horse is fresh and it does not appear likely she will stand still.