American Farriers Journal
American Farriers Journal is the “hands-on” magazine for professional farriers, equine veterinarians and horse care product and service buyers.
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How to Achieve the Benefits of a Frog Support Horseshoe
Intermediate to skilled farriers are well-positioned in therapeutic cases
Second in a Series
In this series, we will examine different shoeing applications and various alternatives for achieving the same desired outcome. In this installment, we explore the frog support shoe.
Farrier Takeaways
- The benefits of a sidebone shoe are essential for reducing leverage and allowing the affected side to sink into the ground to relieve pain.
- A modified bar shoe package that features a compressed foam pad will help reduce painful concussion when the horse is in motion.
- Although the choices are affordable, the skill level required to build a sidebone shoe or modify a keg shoe is quite high.
The frog plays an important role in hoof function and rehabilitation because of its ability to absorb a percentage of load, pressure and weight from the sole and wall, while also re-engaging blood circulation when necessary.
While heart-bar shoes are a popular application to achieve frog support, there are other options that are available to accommodate your skill or education level, as well as financial considerations.
Key Factors
Over the next several issues of American Farriers Journal, we will detail different shoeing applications and various options for how to achieve the same desired outcome. Each application presents a different journey that is influenced by a set of variables — skill set or education, price, availability and environment.
Skill set or education. Each farrier has a particular set of skills. One who has been providing hoof care for 40 years will have significantly more experience and knowledge than a…
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