Good approach ;~D
You could also see if the vet will talk to him directly... that it's "doctor's orders" and that she's trying an unusual approach.
I've often wondered if my vet and Mark (my farrier) should talk. Although Mark's an excellent farrier, but he doesn't really believe Bay has Navicular symptoms, and I wonder if that's keeping him from doing everything he might otherwise suggest doing if he did believe it. Bay's doing fine, but he's only in thin leather pads, not in wedge pads or bar shoes or the other steps I see people take for a horse with Navicular.
She told me to have him call her if he didn't understand what I tell him. She said she wouldn't have a problem with that at all.
Becky
Teri, the vet said, that farriers can usually fix any foot problem, the thing about that tho is they never learned to think of the "whole" horse and how changing something like the horses stride affects other parts. Makes sense to me, just because I know how changing shoes, like wearing heels (which I don't do:), can make your whole darn body hurt.
As far as Bay I'd say, if it's not broke don't fix it:) Nothing the vet or the farrier could do will cure it. So if he's not having problems I'd leave it alone.
Chris is a good farrier. I know you all seem to be skeptcal of him, don't blame you. But he has shoed for me for 8-9 years. In that time, I'd say he only screwed up twice, last year and then a few years ago when I quit him for awhile, but that really wasn't over a bad shoe job. And in all that time, I bet I've only had horses loose shoes maybe 10 times. That's almost only once a year. That's not bad considering how much I use to ride. What I learned yesterday, may be as new to him as it was to me. But after watching him trot by me and being so short strided, it makes sense. So I want to try this approach.
Becky