Walt Taylor

Besides the existence of the American Farrier’s Association as a structured organization since 1971, there has been nothing else as important to the renaissance of footcare and farriery as the American Farriers Journal.

The two organizations, working in concert with each other, have fostered the well-being we enjoy today. By and large, the work we do now is light-years ahead of what it was 50 years ago, and as different as the proverbial “chalk and cheese.” 

There is no question that the time was right for birth and robust youth of both enterprises. Those of us who were fortunate enough to be part of this growth and development enjoy an advantage over those whose careers began later. 

Not only have we had the opportunity to share with and lead others in learning and skills development, we had the opportunity to develop and share a whole new dimension of learning and practicing this facet of equine care and welfare. 

– Walt Taylor is the founder and first president of the American Farrier’s Association. He was inducted into the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame in 1994.

Simon Curtis

Although farriers had been experimenting with glue-on shoes for many years, it was not until the early 1980s that there was a viable product. That shoe was manufactured by Mustad and was attached using cynoacrylate, better known as a Super Glue.

These had only recently been engineered. With the right care and attention to preparation, they did glue very well but…