Pads may not have been around quite as long as horseshoes, but they are far from a new invention. Farriers have been adding materials to horseshoes for years — to change a hoof angle, provide added protection, to attempt to alter a horse’s gait — and from just about the first time a farrier added a pad, there was someone else that though he’d made a huge mistake.

“The Love ’Em Or Hate ’Em Relationship With Using Pads” was the topic of a panel discussion during the 4th annual International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, earlier this year. Participating in the discussion were a quintet of farriers: Red Renchin of Mequon, Wis.; David J. Nicholls of West Sussex, England; Joe Ludford from Baltimore, Md.; Lim Couch, of Hernando, Miss.; and Blake Brown from Penryn, Calif.

The title of the discussion may have been just a bit misleading. All five of the farriers said they make frequent use of pads in their practices for a variety of purposes. They agreed that problems arise not from the use of pads — but from misapplication.

Each of the five participants tackled the use of pads from a different perspective. Here’s a look at what they had to say.

PAD USE WITH