I had a customer call me tonight asking about putting a hospital plate on a young horse that has an abscess. I have an idea that I need to fit a shoe and cut an aluminum plate to fit it, drill holes through the plate, drill holes in the shoe and tap them. I need to use bolts in holes — careful not to go through to hoof. Do I have all of this right?

AT TIMES, there are good reasons for using a plate to cover the sole area of a horse’s foot. It may be to protect a bruised sole or frog or for keeping medication in the proper place.