Each day, American Farriers Journal encounters a variety of articles, social media posts, podcasts and videos that offer a unique look at an aspect of the equine industry. Our favorite content for "This Week" is aggregated here. We hope it offers a useful tip to improve your hoof-care business, expands your knowledge by giving you something new to ponder, or entertains you when you need a break most.   

Hoof Moisture Management

Moisture can be a greater challenge for farriers in certain geographic regions than others. For members of the Alabama Professional Farriers Association it is a frequent concern. Clinician and resident farrier at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Travis Burns presented about the need to minimize hoof moisture before trying to apply adhesive materials when he met with the group as part of a broader discussion on shoeing with modern materials.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Stifle

Understanding the mechanics of the stifle joint and best practices for the rehabilitation of injuries is the focus of this webinar presented by veterinarian/ educator Melissa King in the free series, For the Love of the Horse. For the Love of the Horse features an in-demand video library as well as live, interactive sessions that offer a great resource for horse owners and clients. The next live session is with Rood and Riddle veterinarian and farrier Raul Bras on July 12.

Melissa King

 

Demo: California Classic Mail-in Shoe Specimen 

The Western States Farriers Association is hosting the 2020 Virtual California Classic. Petaluma, Calif., farrier John Sagaria demonstrates how to build the the specimen shoe for each division. Sagaria will judge the shoes Aug. 16, live on Facebook. In the video below, Sagaria demonstrates how to build the division 1 specimen: a pair of hinds, plain stamped with a hammer drawn toe-clip. 

 

The Business Side of a Farriers Life

Spanish Lake Blacksmith Shop hosted part two of the summer Shop Talk series "The Business Side of a Farriers Life," in which Nathan Essary of the Missouri Farm Bureau discussed insurance for farrier tools and equipment, as well as liability and other protections. 

 

Forging a Heel Caulk on the Double Dobber

International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame member Craig Trnka provides a lesson on how to properly get the heel caulk set up. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot of repetition — going over the same steps over and over until it’s right. This is a great exercise to improve forging skills from the founder of World Championship Blacksmiths.

Check out "This Week" from June 28 for other interesting information found from around the web. Is there something you want to share in "This Week"? Send us an email.

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