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After
you brush your horse properly, it's time to pick out his hooves. Chances
are, if he's been out in the field or standing in his stall he's gotten
a buildup of wood shavings or dirt and even rocks in his hooves. It's up
to you to clean it out for him so you can ride.
Start
by picking out his right front hoof. Stand on his right side facing his
hindquarters. Run your hand down the inside of his leg and as you near the
bottom, lean into his shoulder a little and squeeze his leg. This is a signal
the you want his to pick up his hoof. Usually he'll do it. After he gives you
his foot, prop it up on your knee to he doesn't have to hold it up and you'll
have some support and stability. Using the hoof pick in whichever hand you
prefer, put the point facing away from you and stroke downward. There is a
"v" at the middle of the back of his foot that you shouldn't mess
with. This is the frog. Sometimes the
horse's frog can be mistaken for dirt and hay. Be careful of this when
you pick your horse's hoofs.
There
is an inverted V that you should pick out, though. make sure you get under his
shoes if he's wearing horseshoes. If there are any rocks stuck under his hoof,
he might come up lame after you've been riding him for a bit. You need to be
sure that you clean out his hooves completely before and after every time you
ride.
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Horse Care page |
