Basic horse care not only involves good grooming and a balanced diet. You should also pay attention to horse hoof care. Hooves need to be trimmed every six to eight weeks. Otherwise, hoof overgrowth can lead to pain and disfigurement.

To clean, slide your hand down the foreleg then squeeze the back of the leg along the tendons just above the pastern and say “up” or “hoof”, whatever your horse is trained to respond to. Hold the hoof and use a hoof pick to pry out any dirt, manure and anything else lodged in the sole of the foot. Check too for any injury and signs of other programs such as cracks in the wall of the hoof or signs of thrush. Place the foot down and continue to the other hooves until all four are done.