As equine hoof care providers, we are often tasked with the challenge of interpreting the hoof’s response to neglectful husbandry or the horse’s adaption to load-bearing or pain.

There can be a multitude of factors that ultimately change the morphology of the horse’s hoof capsule. These variables can be difficult to assess and navigate as the nuances around every case can be completely different. Footcare may need to be addressed in a variety of ways to resolve different case presentations.¹

Identifying Changes

In many ways, the horse’s foot is an amazing piece of bioengineering. The complexities of the internal mechanisms of perfusion, energy distribution and locomotion are all intricate pieces of the puzzle of overall foot health.² Many of these internal structures also provide detailed services to the overall external health of the foot.³ For hoof-care providers, identifying the earliest onset of any change in exterior hoof health can be advantageous. It allows the hoof-care provider to start to make necessary changes and communicate…