Mike Ratermann (New Carlisle, Ohio)
A farrier is a crucial part of maintaining a healthy horse, but in my eyes, they are under-appreciated for all the work they do. The work and dedication that is done by a farrier contributes to a well-rounded horse. I have owned horses my entire life, but it wasn’t until this past year that my appreciation for farriers was raised to a new level.
My mare of 8 years had a trauma to her front right hoof. The cause of the internal trauma to this day is still unknown, but she started to rotate her coffin bone. I was desperately looking for a farrier that specializes in founder. My mare is a difficult horse to shoe since she has never liked the vibration of nailing a shoe.
I then found Mike Ratermann. He has an extremely busy schedule already, but he was able to fit me in to assess my mare. Mike and my veterinarian, Dr. Chuck Savini, worked together and aligned their schedules to work on my mare at the same time. Assessing my mare, we could not find the reason for the rotation, but she was aggressively continuing to rotate, even with appropriate corrective shoeing and treatment. I had to take her to Rood & Riddle in Kentucky for evaluation.
Mike went above and beyond by contacting the doctor at Rood & Riddle and helped report what was happening to my mare. He then continued to get updates and a treatment plan for her return home. After returning home, my mare had to have weekly X-rays and correction. This required my veterinarian and farrier to meet at the same time and treat my horse together. I have never seen such great teamwork and dedication from a farrier and veterinarian.
Little by little, my mare continued to improve with the work Mike put into her: adjusting wedge boots, decreasing angles as needed and transitioning her into a shoe. Mike would patiently work with my mare that has a fear of having her feet messed with. He never got frustrated or lost his temper with my horse. He would constantly contact me for updates and wanting to know how she was handling the shoe. We would be checking her digital pulses, swelling, and lameness daily through pictures, phone calls, or texts.
At the start of this ordeal I was praying that I would keep my horse alive, even if it was just as a pasture horse. I never thought that I would be able to ride this horse again, not to mention return her to full function as an active trail horse. Even though we are still continuing to improve, I have been on multiple trail rides and she has no restriction on turnout or riding, as long as she can handle it. We are shoeing every 5 to 6 weeks and I can now say I have my horse back.
I want to nominate Mike Ratermann for this recognition because of the work and dedication he has given me. He did not have to be so dedicated to my mare and her problems. I truly feel that it is because of the passion and love he has for his career that I can honestly say I would not have my horse today if it wasn’t for the effort that he and my veterinarian exhibited.
His skill level and knowledge shine through his work on my horse and her feet. He is constantly pushing himself to learn new information that will help his work and clients. Mike went above and beyond what was asked of him by responding to texts and phone calls immediately, following through with reports and updates with veterinarians, multiple visits to my stable for emergency shoeing and X-rays and overall looking out for the wellbeing of my horse.
He always stops and explains what he is doing and ensures that I understand and agree. Even to this day, he is constantly thinking about what will work best for her. He picks up corrective shoeing at conventions and seminars. I have come to truly understand what a dedicated farrier should be like, and Mike Ratermann is one of them. I will forever be indebted to him. After all, the feet of a horse are one of the most important part of its body. Why would we neglect something so important to the health of the horse?
— Laura Busteed (Vandalia, Ohio)