There’s an old saying that time heals all wounds. It is overstated, but it certainly applies to equine athletes. Although not true in every case, many horses recover from a myriad of foot and lower limb problems if given ample time off from training and competition so they can recover. That’s a wonderful thought, but a luxury few track shoers enjoy. Georgetown, Ky., farrier Steve Norman knows that reality all too well. For more than 45 years, he’s handled footcare for Thoroughbreds on the track and at farms. He’s built a practice to where he now primarily works for larger barns and farms.

From time to time, farriers must provide screw-in studs in aluminum shoes for our clients. We want to make sure the task remains easy for the client and our work is reliable. However, when we drill and tap holes in aluminum, they can become worn rather quickly. Then we’ll hear from our riders that the studs have fallen from their aluminum shoes during training or competition.

Shoeing the racehorse has taken on a new set of challenges with the new Polytrack synthetic surfaces being used on many racetracks.