The 2024 American Farrier’s Association Convention drew hundreds of equine professionals eager to learn, network and compete in Chattanooga, Tenn. Here are some highlights from 4 days of back-to-back presentations, including tips on measuring feet from Bodie Trnka, CJF, discussing club feet in foals with Dr. Simon Curtis and building a fulfilling career with Chad Chance, CJF. 

Measuring Feet

Some farriers measure the foot as it is when preparing to forge shoes. Bodie Trnka takes a different approach.

“I measure the foot as if my shoe is on there,” says the Jordan, Minn., farrier. “I’m giving myself some grace in width and length for where I want my shoe to fit. The exact measurement of the foot is just over 5 inches, but I’ll give myself some leeway to fit with some expansion. I’ll give myself ⅛ or ¼ of an inch, depending on the size of the foot. ”

The left front foot that Trnka uses during the demonstration measures 

5 ¼ inches wide. Next, he wants to determine its length.

“I measure from the center of the toe diagonally across to the outside heel,” he explains. “Again, I’m going to go where I want my shoe to fit and not the exact buttress of the foot, which is 5 ½ inches. Combining the 5 ¼-inch width with the 5 ½-inch length, the measurement of the foot is 10 ¾.”

Generally, Trnka wants the heels to be in the ballpark of half the width of the foot.

“If the…