Current Practices and Considerations in Therapeutic Farriery for Equine Tendon and Ligament Injuries.
Authors: Beasley
Journal: The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Therapeutic Farriery for Tendon and Ligament Injuries Beasley's 2025 review examines how farriery interventions can be strategically applied to manage equine tendon and ligament injuries by modifying the biomechanical loading environment of the distal limb. The author synthesises current evidence on therapeutic foot manipulation techniques and their rationale, grounded in detailed consideration of limb anatomy and the pathophysiological response of soft tissue injuries to strain. Key findings emphasise that reducing tension on compromised tendons and ligaments through foot manipulation—rather than simply addressing superficial clinical signs—forms the logical foundation for effective therapeutic farriery. For equine professionals involved in rehabilitation, this work underscores the importance of understanding *why* specific shoeing modifications reduce tissue strain, rather than applying standardised protocols without anatomical reasoning. Practitioners should recognise that successful management of distal limb soft tissue injuries requires close collaboration between farrier, veterinarian, and rehabilitation team, with farriery tailored to the specific injury location and healing phase, ultimately creating conditions that genuinely support tissue repair rather than merely compensate for lameness.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Use foot manipulation strategically to offload tension from injured tendons or ligaments during the healing phase
- •Ground your farriery decisions in solid understanding of limb anatomy and how injuries progress—this knowledge makes the approach logical and predictable
- •Therapeutic farriery is a key part of the rehabilitation toolkit for soft tissue injuries in the distal limb when combined with appropriate rest and veterinary management
Key Findings
- •Therapeutic farriery reduces tension on injured tendons and ligaments through foot manipulation to create a biomechanical environment conducive to healing
- •Understanding equine limb anatomy and tendon/ligament injury pathophysiology is essential to the rationale behind therapeutic farriery interventions
- •Limiting excessive strain on injured structures is the primary objective of therapeutic farriery applications