I wanted to add that at some point a couple of weeks after the incident I described I called Gregg, who disavowed that he could’ve done such a thing – though obviously the mare didn’t do it to herself and no one else had trimmed or shoed her. I invited him to pay my vet bills but he clearly was disinclined to cooperate and I didn’t pursue it. He was polite, but he simply refused to admit that he was at fault. Eventually I was able to locate another farrier who put her in «natural balance» shoes and she improved from that point. Though she is now sound to ride on grass, there does seem to be some permanent damage – separation at the toe on one foot.