With his work in Kentucky, Craig Lesser finds management of club feet to be a common issue. Practicing out of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., the equine veterinarian and American Farrier’s Association certified farrier approaches these cases from that dual perspective. He presented on the subject at the 2018 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention in San Francisco, Calif. And while the review was for veterinarians, his thoughts specific on the shoeing of club feet will benefit farriers who are called in to help provide a shoeing solution for these cases.

Identifying and Grading the Condition

As with anything in farriery, a one-size-fits all approach does not exist. Therefore, it is important to first understand on the outset of helping with these cases that there are varied degrees of club feet. Realize that this condition will appear in horses from foal to maturity, and the issue could be congenital or acquired. However, for the best outcome of treatment, it is crucial for the veterinarian to identify and begin a strategy as early as possible. That strategy must be influenced by the severity of the club foot,

Dr. Ric Redden’s provided the four-grade system to measure this severity:

• “Grade one is classified by having a hoof angle that is at…