Over the past 28 years of my shoeing career, clients, veterinarians and other farriers have asked three common questions about hoof angle. What is the ideal hoof angle? What angle do you like the front hooves? What angle do you try to achieve for hind hooves, etc.?

When Burney Chapman reintroduced the heart bar, it revolutionized equine hoof-care. Countless horses have survived the scourge of laminitis and founder as a result of the work put forth by the late Lubbock, Texas, shoer.

There’s an old saying that time heals all wounds. It is overstated, but it certainly applies to equine athletes. Although not true in every case, many horses recover from a myriad of foot and lower limb problems if given ample time off from training and competition so they can recover. That’s a wonderful thought, but a luxury few track shoers enjoy. Georgetown, Ky., farrier Steve Norman knows that reality all too well. For more than 45 years, he’s handled footcare for Thoroughbreds on the track and at farms. He’s built a practice to where he now primarily works for larger barns and farms.