My most interesting times as a Farrier have been when I am given the opportunity work with a Veterinarian and an owner to help resolve a situation stemming from neglect or improper hoof care.
A particular case is a Dutch Warm Blood , 12 years of age ,who has had a history of poor hoof quality and constantly losing shoes further magnifying the problem of not enough growth and little hoof to nail shoes .
This is a situation where it is necessary to encourage the owner that it will take time and patience to grow out the hoof and develop appropriate depth of sole to keep the horse sound.
The process we used was shoeing every four weeks , paying attention to the hoof mass and the steady growth.
Trimming the hooves from the top, backing up the toe and pulling the heels back under the leg so as to give a good platform for the horse to stand on and at the same time not diminish the depth of sole.
We have been working with this horse for three years and have arrived at the point that he is sound, has gone from a size two shoe to a size four shoe and is now successfully competing in cross country carriage driving.
So I guess the moral of the story is to be in a position to have a Veterinarian who trusts your work and your judgement and an owner who is willing to give the care and take the time to bring her horse around.