YOU’VE gone out to the paddock to bring in your horse and find them to be suddenly limping. They were absolutely fine when turned out a few hours earlier. You look at the affected leg but there’s no obvious wound, swelling or other sign of injury. You pick up the hoof; it’s cool to the touch but to your alarm, you see the head of a nail lodged in the sole. Do not pull the nail!

Everyone wants to do right by the horse, and the impulse to remove the nail immediately is completely understandable. But also potentially extremely problematic due to the risk of dirt and bacteria being carried into the vital tissues in the centre of the hoof.