Livestock farmers spend a lot of time and money preventing their animals from becoming lame and treating those that have.

Horses have their hooves regularly checked and pared when new horseshoes are fitted to protect them when walking on hard surfaces.

Drovers did much the same to protect the hooves, or feet as we call them, of their cattle, pigs and even geese as they walked them long distances, sometimes hundreds of miles, to the main meat markets.

Pigs had little woollen boots with leather soles fitted to each trotter, while the feet of geese were protected by driving them through a mixture of tar and sand, which would form a very hard-wearing coating when it set.

Cattle were regularly fitted with curved iron shoes like small horseshoes cut in half, with sections either side of the cloven hoof. Those special shoes sometimes had to be replaced on a long journey over very rough ground, and a blacksmith would often travel with the drovers. Such practices ended with the advent of railways and modern systems of livestock haulage.

Keeping the feet of cattle sound to prevent lameness is very important, particularly in dairy herds. The average dairy herd loses 1p per litre annually from lameness due to lower milk yields, treatments and higher culling costs. That doesn't sound much but it adds up to a hefty £15,000 a year or so for a typical herd of 200 cows.

One of the first things to prevent lameness in a dairy herd is to breed cows with sound feet and legs that walk "properly". The next important thing is to ensure that all the farm roads and tracks that the cows walk on as they make their way to and from their twice-a-day milking are well maintained. Sharp stones and uneven surfaces hidden by mud take their toll on cows feet. Concrete floors in the cowsheds and yards should also be well-maintained and regularly scraped clean.

Most dairy farmers, and an increasing number of beef producers, regularly give the feet of their cows and bulls a regular check and "once over". That involves putting them in a special catching crate, or "crush" as we call it, located at the end of a narrow passage or "race". There the animal is securely held by the neck so that its feet can be examined and pared. Some can even be hydraulically rotated onto their side. The operator then secures the legs so that he can't be kicked and pares the hooves in comparative comfort.

It's much the same for sheep producers who also have to regularly check the soundness of the feet of their breeding flock, and trim those hooves that are overgrown or infected with disease. Lameness in sheep is not only a serious welfare issue, it is also estimated to lose the sheep industry around £35m a year in added costs and reduced productivity.

Sheep thrive best in sunny, dry conditions, and often struggle with Scotland's wet climate. Many of the bugs that cause lameness flourish in Scotland's damp pastures and it takes a lot of effort to keep sheep walking soundly on all four feet.

The most common causes of lameness include foot-rot, contagious ovine digital dermatitis (CODD), and scald.

I seemed to fight an almost endless battle with foot-rot when I was farming. It is caused by a bacteria that is spread via pasture, bedding and handling pens. It can remain inactive, but potentially dangerous in cracks and crevices of the foot for prolonged periods - at least nine months. The cure is to pare the sheep's feet to expose the infection to the air. That kills it as it is an anaerobic bug.

I can tell you that turning every ewe onto its bottom in the "shearing" position and bending over to pare its feet was an extremely back-breaking task. Nowadays there are special catching crates that allow the sheep to be firmly held in the correct position for ease of handling.

Once the feet have been dealt with, the flock is then run through a footbath containing a solution of chemicals like zinc sulphate.

Recently bought rams are often more prone to lameness at this time of year as a result of being heavily fed prior to sale.

The problem with lame rams is that they are not as amorous as nimble-footed ones with sound feet. They sullenly shelter alone at the back of a dyke or hedge ignoring ewes in season. that end up barren.

I believe that one of the tenets of livestock farming is sound feet.