Farrier-Veterinarian navigates through minefield of potential problems to remove and treat the first of two non-cancerous masses

The ideal racehorse foot, as presented in textbook illustrations, rarely occurs in nature. Each foot, even on the same horse, is influenced by a number of variables, including the horse's conformation, the structure of the individual leg, moisture content of the hoof components, and athletic demands.

Some common problems of the hind limb involve the foot and fall in the realm of farriery. In this age of specialization, some of these problems are breed or discipline specific.One common issue is forging.

While it is true that increased weight exaggerates motion, the cost of that added motion is fatigue. Fatigue is due to the increased energy required to put that weight into motion. Horses with heavier shoeing packages work harder than those shod light; it is as simple as that. There is no better support to this point than the fact that so many trainers elect to race barefooted in big races, especially in second-heat races. A few special horses gait better with added weight and overcome the fatigue factor to win. Donato Hanover was a great example of this.