This is it. The final shoe for our display. There are only two modifications left at this point, the toe clip and “the pad as if on foot.” Both are easy to do, so we are going to crease this shoe to increase the difficulty slightly.

At one time, an American Farrier’s Association (AFA) Certified Farrier candidate could use a wedge pad to satisfy both the pad as on the foot and the shoe to raise the angle requirements. Since that is no longer the case, I suggest using a thin pad.

Function

As with all of the shoes made for this shoe board display, understanding the function of these two requirements is very important. Without being able to understand and explain the use of the different modifications, your chance of passing the test are diminished.

Pads are often used for protection or in an effort to add length to the foot or change the angle. Pads are called for whenever a foot has been damaged to an extent that it needs an extra thickness of material to keep it from further damage as it heals, or if a horse is going to be used in extremely rough terrain. A thin plastic pad like the one we’ll use here is enough in cases where added protection is the goal.

Pad Options

In instances when a farrier is trying to extend the length of the foot, there are a number of pad options. Double-nail pads and packages or nailing on several…