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Establishing a rhythm and working at the appropriate heat are critical to working efficiently at the anvil. “You should be putting your shoe back [in the forge] when it’s still red,” Bob Marshall says. “That’s a rhythm. When it’s still red, it means you’re working under the appropriate heat.”

Bob Marshall Emphasizes the Fundamentals of Hoof Care

Hall of Fame Farrier Shares 60 Years of Experience with Forging and Shoeing Tips

Back in 2003, Bob Marshall told American Farriers Journal, “What I constantly see with guys is a need to go over the basics. It’s the same every year. No one has even shown some of them how to hold a hammer.”

Fifteen years later, the Mission, British Columbia, farrier still sees the need to focus on the basics.

“I’m involved in the hunter-jumper world a little bit, and what I see is absolutely disgusting,” Marshall told attendees at the Indiana Farriers’ Association annual fall clinic in early November 2018 at Janssen Veterinary Clinic in Sheridan, Ind. “Low heels, long toes — and it’s accepted now. I’ve heard people say, ‘Oh, that’s the breed of them.’ That’s absolute garbage. It’s because we have gone past and we’re not doing the basics anymore.”

Farrier Takeaways

  • Farriers trim the foot for support, while the shoe protects the hoof
    and provides traction.
  • Proper hammering mechanics will take stress off your elbow and
    increase stamina while forging.
  • A good rhythm has been established when you’re returning the shoe
    to the forge when it’s still red. It means you’re working under the
    appropriate heat and it takes less time to get hot.

The trim is the foundation for keeping the horse sound.

“When you trim the foot appropriately, the whole leg moves — the whole horse changes,” says the member of the International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame. “You’ve got to remember that you trim the foot for support. I believe that there are only two…

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Jeff cota 2023

Jeff Cota

Maine native Jeff Cota joined Lessiter Media in January of 2014 and serves as the current editor of American Farriers Journal. Jeff enjoys photography, baseball, and the “opportunity to meet and learn from some great people in a fascinating trade.”

Contact: jcota@lessitermedia.com

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