This was my first experience having vet and farrier consult over xrays to best trim and shoe my horse. Really interesting.
Background: Horse was lame in December 2018. MRI revealed some disruption in the DDFT way down by the coffin bone and some “navicular changes”, predominately soft tissue. He had been barefoot but was then shod by my farrier (who shoes international level performance horses) according to radiographs and vet recommendations with trim adjustments, rolled toe and 2 degree wedge pads. He was sound in this setup and has remained so after rest and rehab.
At this point I wanted to check for progression of his issues and the balance of the trimming/shoeing. Good news! The navicular looked pretty good with what looked like the same enlarged invaginations he had at the start. Farrier really enjoys getting into the details guided by radiographs. Everything was discussed. Trim adjustments were made, shoe lightly tacked on, more radiographs, more adjustments, reshoe!
So now I have a vet and farrier on the same page about what is happening in the hoof and how to best manage it. And I have peace of mind knowing that my horse’s internal hoof structures look good with no hidden boney changes.
