Every farrier faces complicated cases. Dr. Scott Morrison certainly has throughout his career. Based at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., his work comprises mainly Thoroughbred athletes, stallions, broodmares and foals.

Showing progressive images of his work on a broodmare with underrun heels (Figures 1a and 1b top of page), the farrier and Hall of Fame veterinarian touches on his footcare approach, and the goal in mind for helping the horse reach its potential.

“We will go through a process of shoeing the horse for a cycle or two with a roller motion glue-on shoe to build up sole depth and sole callous, and then go barefoot as quickly as possible,” he says. “I want to improve her longevity, enhance her sale value, and provide a better foot and happier horse.”

Morrison’s goal is to help each horse according to the animal’s needs. To further illustrate his philosophy, he shared three cases during Rood & Riddle’s 2019 Equine Podiatry Conference.

Solving Complicated Issues Always Begins with the Trim

Regardless of the complication presented by a case, everything is based on the fundamentals of farriery, as applied in the trim. In describing his trim, Morrison acknowledges that it…