A client has obtained a rescue horse, which I trimmed about 10 weeks ago. At that time, the frog was gone from three hooves. I didn’t think anything about it since most horses were shedding frogs at that time.

Horses aren’t uniform creatures. Each one has a slight — or not so slight —deviation in conformation that affects the way it travels and performs. That’s why Michael Wildenstein stresses the importance of evaluating everything —from the hairline of the hoof to the muscling in the shoulders — when trimming and shoeing.