Most farriers agree that radiographs of the hoof and lower leg are valuable tools when shoeing a lame horse. But some clients opt out when they realize the vet has to come out, take the pictures, go back to the clinic and develop them, then come out to the barn a second time to diagnose the problem. Or that they might even have to take the horse to the vet clinic for a lameness workup.

Thirty-year shoer Harry Krippes of Ocala, Fla., a graduate of the Hillcroft School of Horseshoeing in Golden, Colo., decided to change all that. With valuable advice from equine veterinarian Ric Redden of Versailles, Ky., he set up an X-ray processor in his shoeing rig so clients could see their X-rays on the spot and get a quicker diagnosis.

Keeping Busy

With several years of training Morgans behind him, Krippes works mainly horse shows including the National Show Horse Finals and the Arabian Nationals. He usually keeps busy shoeing during the early part of the shows and then spends a lot of the latter part watching horses work instead of working. 

“The X-ray machine helps pick up the slack towards the end of the show,” he says. “Early in the show, people are watching and evaluating the horses. During the last half, I develop a…