How to Achieve A Sounder Horse

appropriate trim method and benefits the movement and workload of the horse at the time of shoeing and over the weeks to come.
This method of cold shoeing is not wrong its simply not as accurate because it does not allow the shoe to be customfit to the hoof. A shoe that is forged to fit or made from scratch affords a better fit. Fitting and shoe size will otherwise almost always be compromised due to the restrictions of machinemade shoe sizing and what is available right out of the box. Shoes most often fit hooves best in quarterinch increments and even though there are many good brands of machinemade shoes most only come in halfinch increments. Also horses rarely have a matched pair of feet.
The hoof wall grows downward at an average rate of approximately onequarter to onehalf an inch per month. The minute a shoe is applied this hoof growth no longer wears down hence the importance of regular farrier appointments. As the hoof length increases the appropriate HPA deviates toward a lessor angle causing stress.
Many farriers have a basic knowledge of anatomy but greatly lack the forging ability and skill on the anvil that is required to support the horses anatomy through application of customized shoes.
A farriers ability to manipulate steel is a vastly underappreciated talent. Most horses are extremely stoic and soft tissue can be very forgiving for a time. Many horses end up compensating and performing even though the shoeing job is not correct or adequate. Horses will tolerate wearing almost anything on their feet but this does not mean that this substandard shoeing wont cause debilitating soundness issues at some point and in the worstcase scenarios early retirement or euthanasia.
The most common issues seen with poor farriery are toes left too long heels and or