Q: I recently had a new client contact me who has racing Quarter Horses and he wants them shod with race plates. I don’t have any experience with racehorses and racing plates. I imagine they’re shod the same way — by making sure the foot is balanced and level — followed by putting the shoe on.

From 1996 to 2004, the number of horses in the United States jumped by 2.3 million. While this figure includes all horses, it’s unlikely that wild horse numbers have increased much.

At first glance, a toe grab seems like a very little thing. Even the toe grab on a Quarter Horse racing plate (the highest type of toe grab) is less than 1/3-inch high.