A Remedy for Toe Dragging

Good morning! Today we're bringing you a remedy for toe dragging known as the Toe Cap Shoe Modification.

Many horses drag their hind feet due to laziness, injury, or fatigue. This can damage the hoof wall and cause lameness if the horse damages sensitive structures within the foot. A simple modification, called a toe cap can help prevent further wear at the toe, and allow the horse to remain in work without doing further damage and in some cases, even allow for the wall to be grown out and restored to optimal length.

This is a good example of needing a toe cap:

This horse is in training to pull a carriage for a living and when fatigued drags its toes behind. Drew Morales decided to apply the toe caps and had good success with them. These modifications will hopefully be short term, as its muscles strengthen it will most likely engage its hind end more and not need these toe cap shoes. However, until then Drew prefers to have it continue to work without damaging its hooves. This is just a small example of how a simple shoe modification can make a big difference and help horses keep going. 

Check out the hoof after a 5-week cycle! The foot looks much healthier in the toe and excessive wear was considerably minimized.

Drew Morales of Morales Farrier Service offers a variety of services to keep your horse's feet sound and healthy including: Trims, Front Shoes, Full Sets of Shoes, Equi-Pak Pour-in pads, Glue on horseshoes, Therapeutic horseshoes and Corrective horseshoes to name a few. Drew can also create custom horseshoes to suit your horse's individual needs. Located in Richmond, VA, Morales Farrier Service serves the Eastern Virginia area including Richmond, Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Chester, Chesterfield and Powhatan.

Learn more about his services by visiting his website: www.moralesfarrierservice.com