Suboptimal shoeing doesn’t always cause obvious lameness. Often, the effects are subtle, such as a limitation in a dressage horse’s ability to move laterally for a half-pass or a jumper’s willingness to turn following a big oxer. | Photo: iStock

“Multiple factors relating to the foot can affect performance, including balance, trim, shoes, pads, support materials, and accessories,” said Mark Silverman, DVM, MS, of Sporthorse Veterinary Services, in Rancho Santa Fe, California. described shoeing horses to optimize performance and extend longevity at the 2018 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in San Francisco, California.

“It all goes back to a performing a complete, basic physical examination and anticipating musculoskeletal problems based on conformation,” Silverman said. “We need to ask, ‘What story is this foot telling us?’”

He said a practitioner’s approach to optimizing a horse’s performance should involve careful examination of the foot, looking for problems such as capsular deformities (e.g