Just about any equine veterinarian who specializes in hoof care or farriers who do a lot of therapeutic shoeing will tell you the thing they most rely on to do their work isn’t found in a toolbox, mounted on a shoeing rig or installed in a workshop or veterinary clinic.

It’s between their ears and maybe in their heart as well.

These hoof-care professionals always tell us they rely on their knowledge and understanding of anatomy, on their own observations, on what they’ve learned from others and from experience and from a willingness to consider each horse individually.

We also repeatedly hear that vets and farriers — as well as their equine patients — benefit from working together as a team.

All that being said, therapeutic work also requires a high-level of technical skill and a knowledge of certain types of products and how they can be best used. Here is a list of some of those types of products, as well as some of the advice on using them that’s been offered to American Farriers Journal editors over the years.

• Specialty Shoes. These are shoes that may provide additional support, more protection, or are useful for treating specific conditions.
• Aluminum. Aluminum shoes are lighter in weight, which can be a vital factor in therapeutic situations. They also can be easier to glue-on than steel, which can be important in cases of badly damaged hooves or when you don’t want to pound on an overly sensitive foot.
• Adhesives. Using adhesives…