There is more to farriery than just looking at the horse’s hoof. To treat horses properly, it’s necessary to look at the whole horse and consider its gait, conformation and body weight and how those factors affect the hooves and how the trimming and shoes that are applied can affect the rest of the horse.

A September clinic at the Cinder Rock Veterinary Clinic in Redmond, Ore., emphasized the importance of looking at the entire horse. Three presentations and a demonstration offered multiple looks into the factors and solutions for trimming and shoeing horses, specifically those with laminitis.

Consider Nutrition

Lisa Jones, a representative of Boehringer Ingelheim (B.I.), one of the clinic’s sponsors, gave a presentation on how the company’s drug Prascend can help manage pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, which can lead to laminitis.

Paul Edmonds, a veterinarian at the Cinder Rock Veterinary Clinic, says that while Prascend is available by prescription only, it’s important for farriers to be aware of what it is and how it can help horses.

“Farriers see the horses more often than I do as a veterinarian and it’s important that they have this kind of knowledge to at least be able to share with their clients,” he says. “Having a team atmosphere between the vet, the horse owner and the farrier is very important. We can do the best work for the horses when we work together.”

This was also highlighted during Shelly O’Hara’s presentation on equine nutrition for Nutrena, another of the clinic’s…