A Clydesdale's hooves are picked out properly by treating feather, weight, and size as the three problems to solve: clear the long hair away from the foot, lift each large hoof with a deliberate cue and secure support, and pick strictly heel to toe through grooves that hold more packed mud than any riding horse's. Done in that order, the job is thorough without becoming a contest of strength.
Clearing a Clydesdale's feather away from the foot first
A Clydesdale's hoof work starts in the hair, not at the sole. His feather — the long hair flowing from the back of the fetlock — covers the pastern and the back of the hoof, trapping mud and moisture exactly where you need to see. Brush the feather upward and outward with a stiff brush, or lift and hold it aside with one hand, and look at the skin of the pastern before you ever ask for the foot. Crusty, scabbed, or greasy skin under a Clydesdale's feather is a common finding and a reason to slow down: picking the hoof still matters, but sore skin handled roughly teaches a very large horse to dread foot work.
Lifting a Clydesdale's big hoof with a clear, safe cue
A Clydesdale's foot is lifted by leaning your shoulder into him, running your hand down the back of the cannon, and squeezing the fetlock while he shifts his weight off that leg. When the foot comes up, it is heavy — get it positioned on your thigh or held firmly between your knees only if you have been shown how, and keep your own feet placed where a set-down will not land on them. If he leans on you, push back once and set the foot down rather than holding a losing position; a draft horse who discovers he can rest his weight on the handler will do it every time.
Picking a Clydesdale's sole from heel to toe
A Clydesdale's sole is picked from heel to toe, always in that direction, so the pick pushes debris out of the foot instead of wedging it toward the sensitive heel area. His grooves beside the frog are broad and deep and can hold a solid cast of mud and bedding that has to come out in pieces; work each groove fully, then sweep the sole and the frog itself. The wide, flat Clydesdale foot also packs material around the shoe's inner edge if he is shod, so run the pick along that rim and check the shoe for looseness by trying to shift it with your fingers. Smell the pickings as you work: a strong, foul odor from the frog's grooves is one of the earliest signs of trouble in the foot, and on a feathered breed it is often detected by nose before eye.
Checking a Clydesdale's hoof wall, heels, and coronet
A Clydesdale's picked foot should be inspected before it goes back down. Look at the hoof wall for cracks starting at the ground surface, at the heels for uneven wear or a sheared look where one side is being loaded more, and at the coronary band where wall meets skin for cuts or swelling.
Setting a Clydesdale's foot down and knowing when to call for help
A Clydesdale's foot is set down under control, guided to the ground rather than dropped, and he should stand squarely on it before you move to the next leg. Contact a veterinarian or farrier promptly if a hoof smells strongly foul with black, soft material in the frog grooves, if he is lame or reluctant to bear weight, if a shoe is twisted or a crack bleeds, or if the skin under his feather is raw, weeping, or spreading. Writing this Clydesdale's pick-out sequence into KinsLe with Care Teams assigns the feather clear-back, the heel-to-toe picking, and the skin check as one timestamped duty, so the hidden parts of a feathered foot are never skipped by a hurried helper.