Introduction Navicular syndrome remains one of the most important causes of chronic forelimb lameness in horses and continues to represent a major challenge within equine veterinary medicine and farriery practice. Historically referred to as navicular disease, the condition was once believed to involve degeneration of the navicular bone alone. Modern research has demonstrated that the syndrome is considerably more complex and includes pathological changes involving the navicular bone, deep...

Introduction The frog is a highly specialised and often underappreciated structure within the equine hoof. Despite its relatively small size compared to the overall hoof capsule, it plays a central role in locomotion, shock absorption, circulation, and proprioception (Bowker, 2003; Clayton and Gray, 2011). In clinical farriery, the frog serves not only as a functional component of the foot but also as a vital reference structure for assessing balance, symmetry, and internal alignment (O’Grady...

Introduction The use of hoof boots within modern farriery represents a significant evolution in how practitioners approach hoof protection, performance, and rehabilitation. Traditionally, the farrier’s primary method of protecting the equine foot has been the application of a nailed shoe, a method that has proven effective for centuries in enhancing durability and managing wear. However, advances in understanding hoof physiology, biomechanics, and the role of natural hoof function have led to...