Radiological and radiographic examinations to evaluate hoof conformation are frequently performed in equine practices. The difference between both techniques is their use and aim, according to Dr. Jenny Hagen, a veterinarian, farrier and faculty member of Leipzig University in Germany. “Radiology is a medical specialty that uses X-rays as an imaging technique to diagnose diseases and guide their treatment. In the clinical context, radiological examination is a diagnostic tool and is mainly performed to discover pathologies of bones, joints or connected structures and monitor the progress of healing or degenerative diseases,” she writes.

“In contrast, radiographic examinations use X-rays for measurements to evaluate their conformation and take morphometric parameters as a reference for further treatments. Radiographic measurements are widely used to assess morphometric parameters for evaluation of hoof conformation and as a basis for trimming and shoeing protocols.”

Objective assessment of geometric hoof balance with the use of radiographic hoof measurements and quantitative description of the position of the digital bones in relation to the hoof capsule have been proposed to achieve ideal trimming for an individual horse’s conformation.”

Radiographs are useful tools for hoof care, but they are complicated and require precision to do properly. 

To learn more about radiographs, their uses and limitations, as well as how to properly perform them, read “Using Radiographs to Evaluate Horse Hoof Conformation” in the May/June 2026 issue of American Farriers Journal.