How do you pick out a horse's hoof?

Picking out means working a hoof pick from heel to toe across the sole, clearing packed mud, stones, and bedding away from the sensitive frog — the V-shaped structure that helps absorb shock with every step. It's usually done before and after riding, and at least once daily even for a horse that isn't being worked.

Left unchecked, trapped stones and dirt can bruise the sole, and wet, dirty conditions in the hoof can encourage thrush and other infections, so this small daily habit does a lot of preventative work. It sits alongside rugging as one of the basic, repeated jobs of ownership — see horse rugs for the other. For the person who never misses a day of it, see our gifts for horse riders.

Written by Craig Fearn, Stable & Hoof.