Throughout the past 9 months, COVID-19 has negatively affected society. Regardless of how you align politically, this is undeniable. Obviously, there are the lost lives and diminished health cases. There are lost businesses that will never come back.

For a silver lining, many farriers remain busy because circumstances related to the virus have resulted in clients spending more time with their horses. There are downturns, such as fewer activities with racing or show horses, but our industry surveys show the majority of farriers nationally are reporting the same level or greater numbers of horses worked with today compared with early March 2020.

And many businesses serving the farrier industry report stronger numbers in sales. Naturally, the more that farriers work, the more products they need.

However, COVID-19 has halted large-scale farrier gatherings. Unfortunately, the International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati is another event forced to cancel in 2021 because of the virus.

Why the 2021 In-person Summit was Canceled

Through summer, we were optimistic about holding the Summit because of the enthusiasm shown by registered attendees. Registrations for the event were pacing ahead compared with years of strong attendance.

Behind the scenes, planning a large scale conference requires months, if not years, of work before the event. It is hard to predict what COVID-19 restrictions for large gatherings will look like next week, let alone months ahead. Furthermore, even with the best planning and commitment to holding a live event, a state or municipal government can place new restrictions at any…