Hoof care: a practical daily routine

No foot, no horse

The old saying is true. A horse's hooves carry its entire weight, and they are built to cope with pressure, adapt to the ground and keep regrowing. But without proper care they can become vulnerable to infection and injury.

The British Horse Society's advice is that the best protection comes from three things: daily hoof care, regular farrier visits and prompt attention to any change. Defra's code of practice for horse welfare adds that every owner and keeper should understand something about the care of a horse's feet, and about the need to treat lameness promptly. To see how the hoof works inside, read Inside the hoof.

Picking out feet

Pick out your horse's feet at least once a day. Defra's code of practice says field-kept horses' hooves should be picked out and examined; stabled horses should have their feet picked out when they leave the stable; and horses in work should have them picked out before and after exercise. The British Horse Society suggests picking out hooves ideally twice a day, which helps prevent thrush.

To do it safely, the British Horse Society advises:

1. Tie your horse up securely, or have someone hold it.
2. Run your hand gently down the leg to let the horse know what you are going to do: down the back of a front leg, and down the front of a hind leg.
3. Use the hoof pick from heel to toe, avoiding the frog.
4. Clean thoroughly, especially around the frog and heels.
5. Pick into a bucket, or sweep up afterwards, so your horse doesn't step back into the mess.

What to look for

Picking out feet is your daily chance to spot problems early, while they are easier to deal with. Each time, check for:

• Stones and debris packed into the foot, which can bruise the sole
• Anything sharp, such as a nail, screw or thorn, in the sole or wall
• Cracks and splits in the hoof wall
• Thrush: a strong, foul smell, often with a black, oily or tar-like discharge from the grooves beside the frog
• Wounds, especially to the soft heel bulbs at the back of the foot
• Loose or worn shoes, if your horse is shod

Then feel each hoof for heat, comparing it with the others, and check the digital pulse.

Heat and the digital pulse

The digital pulse is the pulse in the arteries that supply the foot. World Horse Welfare describes feeling for it in the pastern, or towards the back of the fetlock, on either side of the leg, and has a video showing how. Practise while your horse is well, so you know what is normal for it.

A strong, bounding digital pulse and heat in the hoof wall or coronet are signs of trouble in the foot. The British Horse Society lists them among the signs of a hoof abscess and of a bruised sole, and among the early signs of laminitis. World Horse Welfare describes laminitis as an emergency: call your vet immediately if you think your horse might have it.

What a healthy hoof looks like

The British Horse Society describes a well-balanced hoof like this:

• The angle. On flat ground, the front of the hoof should slope at about 45 to 50 degrees in the front feet and 50 to 55 degrees in the hind feet, in line with the pastern.
• The wall. Smooth and free from cracks or lines. Horizontal lines across the wall can be a sign of past laminitis or poor nutrition, and rings that are wider at the heel than at the toe can be a sign of laminitis.
• The shape. Poor hoof shape can cause problems such as tripping or bruising, which a farrier may be able to help with by remedial shoeing.

Keeping hooves in shape depends on regular trimming or shoeing. See Working with your farrier.

Wet, dry and frozen: hooves through the year

Hooves are breathable and sensitive to their surroundings, so their condition changes with the seasons.

• Wet weather softens the hoof and makes it more prone to infections such as thrush. Give your horse somewhere clean and dry to stand for part of the day, such as hardstanding in the field or clean, dry bedding.
• Dry weather can make hooves brittle and more likely to crack and split. The British Horse Society suggests asking your farrier whether a hoof dressing would help.
• Swinging between wet and dry weakens the hoof. The British Horse Society notes that abscesses become more likely in winter because the hoof keeps expanding and contracting with the weather, which can trap bacteria inside.
• Winter. Hooves keep growing in winter, but more slowly. That doesn't mean the farrier can come less often: keep to your usual routine to prevent cracks and chips and keep the hoof balanced.
• Snow. Wet snow can pack into the hoof and freeze into a hard ball, which can bruise the sole and make a horse slip. Petroleum jelly or hoof oil on the sole and around the inside of the shoe may stop it building up for a while. Hoof boots or snow pads are another option, as long as they fit well and are taken off and checked daily. If your horse is doing less work over winter, the British Horse Society suggests asking your farrier whether its shoes could come off.

Feeding and movement

Strong hooves grow from a healthy horse. The British Horse Society recommends a balanced, high-forage diet, perhaps with a feed balancer so the horse gets all the vitamins and minerals it needs. Biotin (vitamin B7) can help strengthen hooves, especially where hoof quality is poor; talk to your farrier if you think your horse might need it.

Movement matters too. The hooves help pump blood back up the leg, and moving boosts this circulation and supports hoof growth. If your horse is stabled, the British Horse Society says daily turnout or regular exercise is essential.