From Listener & Really Bad Ads Winner Doreen: Hey guys! The hurricane that hit us here on Long Island didn't stop delivery of my illuminated hoof picks! Believe it or not during the storm Monday mail actually got delivered. It didn't even occur to me to check for mail in the middle of a hurricane so the package blew around my front porch throughout the entire storm. I found it the next morning, opened it and both hoof picks work perfectly. They actually came in handy at the barn today. We have no electricity but I could see my horse's hooves just fine.
Thanks again! Doreen Rose
"Love my Illuminated Hoof Pick! It's perfect for those dark barns and warm up pens I find myself in at the shows. What I first thought was a fun item to have, has turned into a valuable tool in my horse trailer."
"Barns can be dark, but the LED light on this innovative hoofpick ensures that everything gets cleaned out while giving me enough light to check out the health of the hoof as well."
Alex Warriner, Manager at Kent Farrington LLC
In the news with Polo's Player Edition for October 2012
The Illuminated Hoof Pick The hoof pick is a basic tool that is found in every horse owner's grooming kit. It's essential to horse hoof health. Not much has changed in the last century when it comes to hoof pick technology. But the makers of The Illuminated Hoof Pick has taken this simple tool and improved on it. This handy hoof pick solves the problem of not being able to really see what's going on in your horse's hoof when you're cleaning it.
Product Description The Illuminated Hoof Pick is made of a strong black plastic with a sturdy stainless steel pick, a very stiff nylon hoof brush and features a very handy LED light. The LED runs on two AAA batteries that are easily replaced. The end of the handle has a loop so the hoof pick can be hung up when not in use. The Illuminated Hoof Pick suggested retail price is $24.99 USD. It can be ordered online at the MJ Equine Tools Inc. website or can be found in some tack shops (listed on their website).
How The Illuminated Hoof Pick Works The Illuminated Hoof Pick works just like a traditional hoof pick, but with handy feature of a light built into the handle that shines a bright beam into the hoof, right where you need it for effective and thorough hoof cleaning. There is a pick, a brush and a light, all attached to a comfortable handle. The light turns on with a click of the push button on the side of the handle.
My Impressions I really liked the sturdiness of the pick itself. It was a bit sharp, but that helped really pull the dirt from frog and sole. I used it to scrape off the mud that was caked on the wall of my horse's hooves as well. It didn't flex or bend the way some hoof picks do, and did a very good job. I love the nylon bristle brush. It did a very effective job of whisking away the dirt and helped clean things up, so I could get a really good look at where I was cleaning.
I found the handle quite ergonomic. I've had other plastic handled hoof picks that had sharp edges where the handle attached to the pick. Not so with The Illuminated Hoof Pick. The rounded handle was quite comfortable, and I could grip it firmly. The best feature was of course the LED light. I wondered if one little beam was going to throw enough light into the hoof to make a difference. I found it was quite bright, and really helped me see what I was cleaning in the low light of the stable. This light will help you see stone bruises, thrushy spots and other problems more easily.
The handy thing about the light is, you can use it for other things like checking teeth or seeing into the bottom of your tack box. It isn't a bright as a regular flashlight. In an emergency, you should be able to see your horse in a dark stable, but you probably won't be able to find your contact lens. However, the one LED light is sufficient for clearly seeing the bottom of your horse's hoof. The power button is conveniently placed on the side and is sealed so dirt and moisture can't get in.
My one concern is the battery life in cold weather. I think the hoof pick will have to come home after every use, since the AAA batteries won't last long in extreme cold temperatures.
Over all, I think this is a nifty little device that has found a home in my brush box. I'll probably carry it back and forth in the dead of winter to prevent those batteries from freezing up.
Illuminated Hoof Pick at Equine Affaire, Ohio 2012 with "The Tacky Horse"
Hi Joanne! I just wanted to jot you a quick note to tell you that I am now a BELIEVER in your hoof pick! I had to hook up my horse trailer last night and needed to check the tire air pressure. My flashlight that I keep in the trailer had burned out so I thought, "MY HOOF PICK!" I ran to get it and the light was FABULOUS in the night! It was much better than my cheap flash light. I was able to do everything I needed to do with that little LED light. I am now a BELIEVER! Everyone needs one in their tack box AND one in their horse trailer! So, I need to order 2 for myself! The one I have I use to show customers, so I need to purchase 2 for my own use. Now I can sell with CONVICTION because that little light saved my night last night (and one of the tires was very low and I could never have read that little tire gauge without your light! Just wanted to share that with you.
Blessings, Joanna Goodwin, JoJo Sox's
Review by: Professional Equine Grooms
The Illuminated Hoof Pick from MJ Equine Tool, INC is quite the innovative little tool. You would normally think a hoof pick is just a hoof pick is just a hoof pick. Wrong. I recall years ago thinking the addition of a brush was over the top unnecessary. Turns out I was wrong about that one.
So, to be presented with a hoof pick with a brush AND light - I was a bit skeptical. After all, the brush was the end all and be all, right? No. Wrong again. You never know how much you want and need this light until you use it.
You will be able to finally determine the difference between hoof, footing, dirt, and frog as you are hunched over with a wiggly horse trying to clean those hooves. And, if you have a case of thrush, you know exactly where to clean and how much. Beats holding a flashlight in your teeth!
The other "wow" factor for me is the shape of the pick itself, which is stainless steel as it turns out. It's a bit more narrow that what I am used to, which turns out to be a great advantage when picking. There is that tricky intersection between shoe, heel bulbs, and collateral grooves where things get wedged. And usually they stay wedged. Not anymore! This is a great advantage for those horses with bar shoes.
I'm also impressed with the brush - it's quite stiff and a bit narrow - fits nicely into those collateral grooves.
The one thing you may need to get used to is the larger size of the pick/brush/light end. It takes a few pickings to find the best way to hold, but that's easy enough to work out.
Overall - a handy addition to the grooming box. And I'm waiting for some festive colors to come out!
Liv Gude
Professional Equine Grooms www.proequinegrooms.com
Illuminated Hoof Pick. Innovation at It's Best.
A revolutionary improvement on the most basic tool in the tack room. Say goodbye to dull barn lights, moving your horse about to catch the light and focus on this great LED light hoof pick that is built tough and water resistant too. The pick is stainless steel for durability and function. You can swap out the AAA batteries and can change the hoof brush if it wears out eventually. Super grip handle and light just where you need it, when you need it.
TheHorseStudio.com review: As an FEI rider and a horse breeder who also trims and does natural hoof care myself, I spend a lot of time working on my horses and pay a lot of attention to their feet. This hoof pick makes my job a lot easier. The pick is tough. The LED light is extremely useful. I can bring foals in from the field at dusk and pick snow and check their feet at the doorway. When I am setting up for trimming the pick light shows me clearly where the frog needs work. It is also very handy when I am giving students lessons. If a horse looks a little off, I pull the pick and can see into the hoof and check for any puncture wound, bruising, white line, thrush etc. Now I've used one I wouldn't go back. Who needs to be backing horses up to catch barn light or fetching a pocket torch when you have the pick and light in one. I don't need to be holding flashlight in my teeth or need assistance when I have this pick in hand. I use it on the show grounds too, those stalls are always badly lit. As the illuminated hoof pick is always in my pocket I've also used it to manage wound care, shining it into lacerations to ensure no puncture wounds or missed foreign material. A 'must have' item for every horse owner. You'll wonder how you ever managed without one. Kudos to the folks at MJ Equine Tools. Very innovative. Highly recommend.
A uniquely designed technological improvement is shedding new light on the most basic tool in the tack room.
The Illuminated Hoof Pick from MJ Equine Tools provides a top of the line stainless steel pick and stiff nylon brush, but what sets it apart is that it is the first to also sport an innovative battery powered LED light on the tip.
We discussed this latest example of American equine ingenuity with Joanne Stoynoff, one of the owners of MJ Equine Tools.
From Listener & Really Bad Ads Winner Doreen: Hey guys! The hurricane that hit us here on Long Island didn't stop delivery of my illuminated hoof picks! Believe it or not during the storm Monday mail actually got delivered. It didn't even occur to me to check for mail in the middle of a hurricane so the package blew around my front porch throughout the entire storm. I found it the next morning, opened it and both hoof picks work perfectly. They actually came in handy at the barn today. We have no electricity but I could see my horse's hooves just fine.
Thanks again!
"Love my Illuminated Hoof Pick! It's perfect for those dark barns and warm up pens I find myself in at the shows. What I first thought was a fun item to have, has turned into a valuable tool in my horse trailer."
"Barns can be dark, but the LED light on this innovative hoofpick ensures that everything gets cleaned out while giving me enough light to check out the health of the hoof as well."
Alex Warriner, Manager at Kent Farrington LLC
In the news with Polo's Player Edition for October 2012
The Illuminated Hoof Pick The hoof pick is a basic tool that is found in every horse owner's grooming kit. It's essential to horse hoof health. Not much has changed in the last century when it comes to hoof pick technology. But the makers of The Illuminated Hoof Pick has taken this simple tool and improved on it. This handy hoof pick solves the problem of not being able to really see what's going on in your horse's hoof when you're cleaning it.
Product Description The Illuminated Hoof Pick is made of a strong black plastic with a sturdy stainless steel pick, a very stiff nylon hoof brush and features a very handy LED light. The LED runs on two AAA batteries that are easily replaced. The end of the handle has a loop so the hoof pick can be hung up when not in use. The Illuminated Hoof Pick suggested retail price is $24.99 USD. It can be ordered online at the MJ Equine Tools Inc. website or can be found in some tack shops (listed on their website).
How The Illuminated Hoof Pick Works The Illuminated Hoof Pick works just like a traditional hoof pick, but with handy feature of a light built into the handle that shines a bright beam into the hoof, right where you need it for effective and thorough hoof cleaning. There is a pick, a brush and a light, all attached to a comfortable handle. The light turns on with a click of the push button on the side of the handle.
My Impressions I really liked the sturdiness of the pick itself. It was a bit sharp, but that helped really pull the dirt from frog and sole. I used it to scrape off the mud that was caked on the wall of my horse's hooves as well. It didn't flex or bend the way some hoof picks do, and did a very good job. I love the nylon bristle brush. It did a very effective job of whisking away the dirt and helped clean things up, so I could get a really good look at where I was cleaning.
I found the handle quite ergonomic. I've had other plastic handled hoof picks that had sharp edges where the handle attached to the pick. Not so with The Illuminated Hoof Pick. The rounded handle was quite comfortable, and I could grip it firmly. The best feature was of course the LED light. I wondered if one little beam was going to throw enough light into the hoof to make a difference. I found it was quite bright, and really helped me see what I was cleaning in the low light of the stable. This light will help you see stone bruises, thrushy spots and other problems more easily.
The handy thing about the light is, you can use it for other things like checking teeth or seeing into the bottom of your tack box. It isn't a bright as a regular flashlight. In an emergency, you should be able to see your horse in a dark stable, but you probably won't be able to find your contact lens. However, the one LED light is sufficient for clearly seeing the bottom of your horse's hoof. The power button is conveniently placed on the side and is sealed so dirt and moisture can't get in.
My one concern is the battery life in cold weather. I think the hoof pick will have to come home after every use, since the AAA batteries won't last long in extreme cold temperatures.
Over all, I think this is a nifty little device that has found a home in my brush box. I'll probably carry it back and forth in the dead of winter to prevent those batteries from freezing up.
Illuminated Hoof Pick at Equine Affaire, Ohio 2012 with "The Tacky Horse"
Hi Joanne! I just wanted to jot you a quick note to tell you that I am now a BELIEVER in your hoof pick! I had to hook up my horse trailer last night and needed to check the tire air pressure. My flashlight that I keep in the trailer had burned out so I thought, "MY HOOF PICK!" I ran to get it and the light was FABULOUS in the night! It was much better than my cheap flash light. I was able to do everything I needed to do with that little LED light. I am now a BELIEVER! Everyone needs one in their tack box AND one in their horse trailer! So, I need to order 2 for myself! The one I have I use to show customers, so I need to purchase 2 for my own use. Now I can sell with CONVICTION because that little light saved my night last night (and one of the tires was very low and I could never have read that little tire gauge without your light! Just wanted to share that with you.
Blessings, Joanna Goodwin, JoJo Sox's
Review by: Professional Equine Grooms
The Illuminated Hoof Pick from MJ Equine Tool, INC is quite the innovative little tool. You would normally think a hoof pick is just a hoof pick is just a hoof pick. Wrong. I recall years ago thinking the addition of a brush was over the top unnecessary. Turns out I was wrong about that one.
So, to be presented with a hoof pick with a brush AND light - I was a bit skeptical. After all, the brush was the end all and be all, right? No. Wrong again. You never know how much you want and need this light until you use it.
You will be able to finally determine the difference between hoof, footing, dirt, and frog as you are hunched over with a wiggly horse trying to clean those hooves. And, if you have a case of thrush, you know exactly where to clean and how much. Beats holding a flashlight in your teeth!
The other "wow" factor for me is the shape of the pick itself, which is stainless steel as it turns out. It's a bit more narrow that what I am used to, which turns out to be a great advantage when picking. There is that tricky intersection between shoe, heel bulbs, and collateral grooves where things get wedged. And usually they stay wedged. Not anymore! This is a great advantage for those horses with bar shoes.
I'm also impressed with the brush - it's quite stiff and a bit narrow - fits nicely into those collateral grooves.
The one thing you may need to get used to is the larger size of the pick/brush/light end. It takes a few pickings to find the best way to hold, but that's easy enough to work out.
Overall - a handy addition to the grooming box. And I'm waiting for some festive colors to come out!
Liv Gude
Professional Equine Grooms www.proequinegrooms.com
Illuminated Hoof Pick. Innovation at It's Best.
A revolutionary improvement on the most basic tool in the tack room. Say goodbye to dull barn lights, moving your horse about to catch the light and focus on this great LED light hoof pick that is built tough and water resistant too. The pick is stainless steel for durability and function. You can swap out the AAA batteries and can change the hoof brush if it wears out eventually. Super grip handle and light just where you need it, when you need it.
TheHorseStudio.com review: As an FEI rider and a horse breeder who also trims and does natural hoof care myself, I spend a lot of time working on my horses and pay a lot of attention to their feet. This hoof pick makes my job a lot easier. The pick is tough. The LED light is extremely useful. I can bring foals in from the field at dusk and pick snow and check their feet at the doorway. When I am setting up for trimming the pick light shows me clearly where the frog needs work. It is also very handy when I am giving students lessons. If a horse looks a little off, I pull the pick and can see into the hoof and check for any puncture wound, bruising, white line, thrush etc. Now I've used one I wouldn't go back. Who needs to be backing horses up to catch barn light or fetching a pocket torch when you have the pick and light in one. I don't need to be holding flashlight in my teeth or need assistance when I have this pick in hand. I use it on the show grounds too, those stalls are always badly lit. As the illuminated hoof pick is always in my pocket I've also used it to manage wound care, shining it into lacerations to ensure no puncture wounds or missed foreign material. A 'must have' item for every horse owner. You'll wonder how you ever managed without one. Kudos to the folks at MJ Equine Tools. Very innovative. Highly recommend.
A uniquely designed technological improvement is shedding new light on the most basic tool in the tack room.
The Illuminated Hoof Pick from MJ Equine Tools provides a top of the line stainless steel pick and stiff nylon brush, but what sets it apart is that it is the first to also sport an innovative battery powered LED light on the tip.
We discussed this latest example of American equine ingenuity with Joanne Stoynoff, one of the owners of MJ Equine Tools.
AUDIO: Joanne Stoynoff (3:00 MP3)