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American Farriers Journal is the “hands-on” magazine for professional farriers, equine veterinarians and horse care product and service buyers.
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Successfully Talking to Clients about Equine Health
Share your observations to help your customers and your practice
Pictured Above:Drawing a correlation between sweet feed and candy in metabolic cases can better help your clients understand the seriousness of the situation. Photo: Danvers Child
The following article is based on Danvers Child's presentation at the 2019 International Hoof-Care Summit. To watch the presentation, click here.
Farrier Takeaways
- Become a good resource for your clients by welcoming questions.
- Document your observations and point them out to your clients.
These observations could be an indicator of a problem before it
becomes serious. - Avoid crossing boundaries that should be handled by other equine
professionals. Use these opportunities to make referrals that will boost your standing with clients and your fellow professionals.
The most important job that a farrier has is providing sound hoof care for horses. Yet, an integral part of providing that service is communicating with your clients about the health and well being of their horses.
Ideally, hoof-care clients are attentive to their horses. They groom their horses, regularly pick out their feet and rely upon the equine professionals to learn more about how to keep their animals healthy and sound. Alas, that’s not always the case.
“Unfortunately, a lot of our clients believe they are more of an expert in hoof care and nutrition issues than we are,” Danvers Child told attendees at a How-To Hoof-Care Product Knowledge Clinic, sponsored by SmartPak, during the 2019 International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio. “If you’re dealing with this, it often makes your job much more difficult.”
During this…
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Life Data Labs Inc
Life Data Labs Inc. is a dedicated product manufacturer committed to producing premium quality animal nutrition and health products through continuous product improvement and new product development. First-class ingredients, fresh products, consistent high quality and scientifically proven effectiveness are the principal features of Life Data Labs animal health products. And that's why they've produced the #1 recommended hoof supplement by farriers for 12 consecutive years.
Kawell USA
Kawell develops and produces copper alloy horseshoes and inserts, giving horses the care that they need to fight issues associated with white line disease, seedy toe and thrush.
SmartPak
From the feed room to the tack room, SmartPak offers innovative solutions to help riders take great care of their horses. SmartPak was founded in 1999 with the introduction of the patented SmartPak™ supplement feeding system. The revolutionary, daily dose SmartPaks are custom-made for your horse, individually labeled and sealed for freshness.