How to Trim Your Horse's Hooves: Using a Hoofknife, Nippers and Rasp

If you’ve never trimmed a horse hoof before, hire a farrier to do it first and observe them, or take a class. A bad trimming job could make your horse lame or worse. You should be able to comfortably, and safely, lift all the horse's feet and hold them, or put them between your knees as a farrier does. If he's pulling, it will increase your chances of making a mistake.

Tools to have on hand:

• a hoofknife (or pick)
•  a good pair of nippers
• a rasp

Cleaning and Trimming

First, clean out the hoof with a hoofknife or hoofpick. It doesn't have to be spotless, but make sure there are no rocks in the toe area where nippers will be used. Clean out the wall areas well, so that the hoof can breathe sufficiently.

Use the nippers to trim just the toe of the hoof. Hold the horse's leg between your knees and be sure it's secure. When starting out, take just a small amount of toe off at a time, as this allows you to see what you're doing and can prevent injury.

Start at the heel on one side and work your way around to the other heel. The heel of a horse's hoof is especially sensitive, so pay attention.

As you trim the hoof, a ring in the toe area becomes pinker. You'll know you've trimmed enough when the ring is a light pink color. If it's darker, you've trimmed too much.

Using the Rasp

After you've finished trimming, allow your horse to stand on all fours again, on a flat piece of ground so that you can see the foot is level. If not, rasp the higher side of the hoof. Use the less severe side of the rasp for this job.

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