Foot & Farrier X-rays – part 1

We love a collab at Kentaro Vet, and we’ve had the pleasure of working alongside some fantastic local farriers recently

Ask any farrier if they’d like X-ray vision and the answer would be a big HELL YES.

If they could see inside the foot at every shoeing, it would absolutely super-charge what they do.

Realistically, that’s not practical (or cheap) for every horse — but for horses that are a bit more complicated, or those with ongoing issues, having a look inside the foot can make all the difference.

There are a few different types of foot X-rays we use:

Diagnostic X-rays – to identify what’s actually going on inside the foot

Farrier X-rays – calibrated and marked up to guide trimming and shoeing

Contrast X-rays – used to highlight tracks, voids, and the depth of pathology, such as seedy toe or white line disease

The key difference with good foot X-rays? Accuracy.

To correctly assess a foot, we need to be able to cross-reference what we see on the image with real life. That’s why:

Markers of known length are used to calibrate the image

A true ground line is essential

Angles are measured accurately — not guessed

When imaging is done properly, farriers can make informed, precise decisions that support the structures inside the hoof, not just what we see on the outside.

And the best bit?

My X-ray unit is completely wire-free, making it fast, safe, and easy to use out in the field.

And yes… I was calibrating this marker…

to infinity and beyond!

This blog post was provided by Dr Lauren Jones of Kentaro Veterinary Services servicing the Coffs Harbour District in NSW