The Foundation Hoof Care

In their lifetimes, most horses will suffer from lameness, at some point or another. Lameness itself is a change in a horse's gait,
whether caused by a physical injury or congenital. This causes a shift in the horse’s conformation away from it's normal
movement.|t’ could be caused by many different things, possible over trimming, laminitis, a nail that was set too close to the
hoof wall, congenital club foot, or club foot developed after birth - not to mention hoof damage that may have happened in the
pasture. There are many reasons your horse may be lame or may have gone lame.

After the cause of the lameness is discovered, usually by radiography or ultrasonography, quite often we'll work with your veterinarian to arrive at a solution, using a corrective shoeing technique. The veterinarian will want to look inside the hoof to get a clear idea of the cause, check the angles of the interior of the hoof and clearly understand the severity.

Treatment of the lameness is determined by understanding the cause and knowing the activity level of the horse. To effect a successful treatment, there are usually three of us involved. The vet, the farrier and the owner or trainer.

Therapeutic or “corrective” shoeing is a form of custom shoeing to address a variety of equine hoof issues. Each shoe is tailor-made, either hot or cold, in an attempt to correct an existing condition. It’s a custom-made solution for the type of hoof problem it mitigates. It's not uncommon for a horse to have problems with their lower legs and hooves, and many times, these problems develop over time. Sometimes horses are born with hoof or lower limb issues that may or may not be corrected.

Our experienced farrier is very familiar with the appearance of a healthy hoof - no matter the breed, age, or job of the horse. We thoroughly understand the function of an equine hoof, having knowledge of the internal structure, the bones, and the angles of a healthy, well-balanced hoof. After attending to thousands of hooves, we have a comprehensive understanding of how the hoof grows, heals, responds to exercise, and the various diseases that can impact the health of the equine hoof.

A successful therapeutic treatment will include a tailored plan, specific to your animal, the injury, and/or condition. We'll be happy
to provide that for you - please give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you.