The guidance of good radiographs is invaluable in providing the vital information for formulating a shoeing prescription to realign the displaced phalanx.

Abscesses are internal infections of the foot, like a blood blister or a pimple. But because they are internal and there is no room for swelling within the foot, they are excruciatingly painful for the horse.

I've recently been called to trim a horse and noticed that the hoof on the off-side front has separated from the coronet front by about 3 inches. After pointing out this problem to the owners, they told me that the horse was totally lame about a week prior and it's now sound and putting full weight on the foot. There's no sign of infection, and during trimming the horse shows no signs of discomfort. There's a lot of movement in the separation opening and you can see a sensitive area that appears to be healthy.

Round 4 of the “What’s This?” contest drew another good series of answers from visitors to the American Farriers Journal Web site

IN THE September/October issue, we described the process of how to make a clip shoe. Now let's discuss how to fit the clip on the foot.