With the annual Keeneland yearling sale getting underway in mid-September, it reminded me of the May/June 1998 article we did in American Farriers Journal that detailed how these young horses were trimmed and shod to look their very best at the sale held at the Lexington, Ky., racetrack.

Paul Goodness, chief of Farrier Services at Virginia Tech’s Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va., says there are many therapeutic farrier options that can be employed, as well as different types of shoes that might help if conformation of the hoof is not good.

Palm Beach Equine Clinic Staff Surgeon Weston Davis operated on a severe lameness case on July 5 that had quickly progressed into an emergency situation.

It’s no secret that laminitis is a complex condition, and its treatment is even more complicated as farriers and veterinarians try to keep a horse comfortable when it stands on the very source of pain. It’s a condition that has forced podiatrists to get creative with the construction of therapeutic horse shoes.

The transition that happens when bringing a horse from the track to the farm often requires more intense farrier care than the average farm resident can provide. Clearly, a farrier working at a farm shoeing yearlings or broodmares will not have the same objectives that he or she does when at the track. At the farm your farrier will generally use larger nails, heavier shoes, and a tighter heel fitting. While this is not necessarily ideal, it is highly practical.