South Carolina certified farrier Bryan Baire uses a variety of modalities with horses, depending on their needs. Years ago he was turned onto casting and views the use as another tool in the box. He was turned onto the practice years ago after being called into a case in which the veterinarian wanted to use casting with clogs.

Typically he uses casting as a solution for a sore footed horses horse that was trimmed to short by someone else, a hoof wall you don’t want to nail into and chronic laminitic cases. Oftentimes he will use Equicast EVA wood and leather shoes. Here are a few quick tips on casting from Baire.

• “Lay everything out ahead of time and be prepared,” he says. “One you break the seal the clock is ticking. So make sure the foot is prepped and ready to be wrapped, and all materials are ready.” On warm days, he may soak the tape in ice wtter for those valuable extra seconds.
• He likes to use 1.25- to 1.5-inch stainless steel screws because they won’t rust. Pre-drill the holes, even if using the screw(s) as an anchor.
• Apply coper sulfate powder or Vettec Equipak CS before wrapping the foot.
• Take precautions to clean and dry the foot before wrapping.
• He will use plastic wrap in addition during the curing process.
• To remove the casting, he will cut down the center of the dorsal wall and pry the casting material back. He says that after 5 to 6…