Farrier science has been noted in literature for the beneficial effects in supporting lower limb pathology for hundreds of years. The farrier’s selection of shoes, approach to workmanship and focus on pathology is still relevant in today’s modern, progressive farrier industry.

When evaluating a veterinarian’s proposed shoeing prescription for the horse, considerations such as limb and hoof capsule conformation, diagnosed pathology, environment, discipline and the substrate the horse will be working in can be great places to start when creating a shoeing guideline.

With the development of analytical, slow-motion software, hoof-care providers are not only able to visualize the distal limb’s ability to dissipate significant amounts of concussion efficiently, but they are also able to appreciate the ground’s passive interaction with the hoof capsule’s solar surface.

It is important to consider the relationship of dissipating limb weight, coupled with the opposing ground reaction forces, to offer some resolution to the loading forces that are caused through locomotion, when putting together a shoeing…