Horses in the service of police departments, such as those I shoe in Israel, require sole protection from various objects and weapons that could cause significant harm. The package described below is similar to a hospital plate. While most farriers do not provide hoof care for mounted police officers, this step-by-step demonstration can easily be incorporated into your footcare practice.

1. Heating the Shoe Selecting a ¾-fullered horseshoe with a toe clip, I brought it to a yellow heat.

2. The Source Place a punch at the center of the toe bend on the hoof surface.

3. Creating the Source The source is created with a couple of hammer blows on the punch.

4. Leveling the Source Turning the shoe over to the ground surface side, level the source to create a tab that will secure the hospital plate.

5. Final Source A look at the source that was forged from the shoe’s hoof surface.

6. Preparing for Traction Drill stud holes in the heels of the shoe and apply tungsten pins at the beginning of the fullering in each toe quarter.

7. Creating the Template After drilling the stud holes, trace the inside of the shoe from the one end of the fullering through the toe bend to the other end of the fullering onto a 3 mm piece of stainless steel. On the outside of the shoe, trace from the end of the fullering, around the heels to the other end of the fullering.

8. Creating the Plate The plate is cut along the lines to fit the shoe.

9. Hospital Plate The plate is slightly bent to allow it to cover the heels from the end of each fuller. Drill the stud holes that will secure the plate to the heels of the shoe. Since Israeli mounted police officers carry the plates with them and apply them as necessary, they are marked for each foot.

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