Picking out your horse or pony’s hooves regularly will help him to maintain healthy feet – essential if you want to keep him happy!

Follow these tips to pick out your pony’s hooves:

  1. Make sure you’re wearing a riding hat before you begin.
  2. Put a headcollar on your pony and tie him up outside your stable in a safe and quiet space.
  3. Once he’s standing quietly, start at his front feet.
  4. Run your hand gently down his side, all the way to his fetlock.
  5. Ask your horse to lift his hoof and if he’s being a bit stubborn, gently lean on his side to get him to pick his foot up.
  6. Using a hoof pick, remove any mud or stones out of your pony’s hoof, taking care around the triangle in his foot (this is called a frog) as this is very sensitive.
  7. Once you’ve cleared his hoof, gently set it down and repeat this process for his other three feet.