Serving unofficially as Florida farrier Jeremy Zackowski’s apprentice, Phrog Frog Diggity Dog Tyrone (“Frog”) has been named the 2025 Farrier Dog of the Year after an enormous response from American Farriers Journal (AFJ) readers.
Photos of Frog and 11 other top dogs are featured monthly in a 2025 calendar, downloadable for free here.
The response to the call for entries in the 2025 Farrier Dog of the Year contest was overwhelming with 68 dogs nominated. Over 3,000 AFJ readers voted for who should be recognized as the top farrier dog. The competition was fierce, but Frog won the title by 20 votes.
Loyal Canine Companions
The intention of this program is to have a little fun while honoring the unique bond between farriers and their truck-traveling canine companions, who play a crucial role in the equine community.
“We felt it would be fun to showcase the faithful dogs who serve as daily work companions for farriers as they travel between barns,” says Frank Lessiter, AFJ editorial director. “Our goal was to personalize the special relationship farriers have with their dogs, and based on the remarkable response we received, I’d say we exceeded our goal.”
Zackowski and his wife were awarded two free 4-day registrations to the 2025 International Hoof-Care Summit in Kansas City, Mo. There, he and Frog will receive special recognition during the conference with a short video, plaque and a one-of-a-kind 2025 Farrier Dog of the Year t-shirt.
Farrier Wife Comes Through
Phrog Frog Diggity Dog Tyrone Zackowski was nominated by Amy Zackowski on behalf of her husband, Jeremy. Located 30 miles north of Ocala, Zackowski operates Diamond Z Trimming and Shoeing in Hawthorne, Fla. He concentrates on a mix of backyard and trail horses, with a few amateur show horses added to the mix.
“Named after a horse’s frog, Frog is an unknown breed that we adopted as a rescue,” says Amy Zackowski. “His personality has made him famous among Jeremy’s clients, and he’s made friends with every client’s dog he’s ever met.
“Everybody loves Frog and treats him like their own dog … ” – Jeremy Zackowski
“He’s often greeted with ‘Hey Frog’ when he walks into local establishments, and he keeps my husband entertained and chilled out during Florida’s hot and strenuous days.”
While on the job, she says Frog enjoys trying to drive the truck, rounding up chickens, helping catch horses and, of course, cleaning up the hoof chips after every trim. In his free time, Frog likes to wrestle his Catahoula brother, Rueben, and captain the family’s boat on the lakes of Melrose, Fla.
Told in Zackowski’s own words, the following comments about Frog and the family’s farrier business came from a recent video call conducted by AFJ staffers.
Meet Phrog Frog Diggity Dog Tyrone Zackowski
Age & Weight: 2 years old, 55 lbs.
Adoption Story: I was rescued at 8 weeks old. My mom is a beagle/Catahoula mix.
Favorite Meal While on the Road: McDonald’s chicken nuggets & fries
1. What’s the story behind Frog’s name?
Frog is what everybody knows him by, but his official name is Phrog Frog Diggity Dog Tyrone Zackowski.
I wanted to name him Rufus, but Reuben is my wife’s dog, and every time I’d say Rufus’ name, Reuben’s ears would perk up. When he realized I wasn’t talking to him, he’d pout in the corner. So that wasn’t going to work.
My middle name is Tyrone, so that was my name choice. But Amy wasn’t crazy about it and wanted us to keep thinking. She and a friend came up with the idea to name him after part of a horse’s foot. We started calling him Frog Diggity. Then my wife spelled it P-H-R-O-G and wanted to shorten it to P Dig.
Jokingly, we agreed to put his full name on the vet papers as “Phrog Frog Diggity Dog Tyrone Zackowski.”
2. Does Frog stay in the truck or come into the barns with you?
Ninety-eight percent of the time, Frog gets out and plays with the owner’s dogs. With a new client or nervous horses, he says in the truck. I roll down the truck windows, and he hangs his head out and watches me work.
With new horses or new clients, Frog stays in the truck and looks out the window, constantly checking the quality of Jeremy Zackowski’s hoof-care work. Photo by: Amy and Jeremy Zackowski
3. Any liability concerns?
I play it safe by knowing the horses and the barn environment before I let him out. Everybody loves Frog and treats him like their own pooch. When I’m working, he’s usually playing with their dogs.
4. What’s the craziest thing Frog has done while on the road with you?
He seems to have herding instincts. I was working on a horse, and the client said, “Well, Frog’s only got one more to go.” When I asked what was going on, she replied that Frog had herded every one of her chickens back into the coop.
Another time, a usually easy-to-catch horse decided to run a few laps around the pasture upon my arrival. Frog quickly figured out its pattern, and when I let him go, he moved the horse along the fence line so I could catch him.
He wears a corrective remote collar, but I’ve only used it a few times when he chases cats or his playful mood gets too aggressive.
5. Does Frog help you clean up at barn stops by eating those extra-nutritious hoof scraps?
Yes.
6.Do you also treat him to dog food, or does he only eat hoof scraps?
It’s a combination. I had to cut back on the dog food because he was eating so many hoof scraps. He was getting chunky.
Meet Frog’s Loyal Sidekick Farrier Jeremy Zackowski
How long have you been shoeing: 15 years.
What’s your hoof-care specialty: Backyard and trail horses with some amateur show horses. I also do some corrective shoeing — changing hoof angles, adding wedge pads and getting these horses to stand up better.
Perfect workday breakfast for you: Cereal or oatmeal.
7. How did you get started?
My dad raised Tennessee Walkers, and I helped train and show as a teenager. When I entered the College of Central Florida equine program in Ocala, my goal was to graduate, write a business plan, buy property and build a training facility.
My first class was farrier science, and the first assignment was to find a horse with bad feet and present the case to the class. Fortunately — well, really unfortunately — one of my horses had a nasty case of thrush, along with contracted heels, under run heels and super long toes. She never took a lame step, but getting up on her toes changed the shape of her foot.
I took pictures and showed them to the class instructor, Dr. Brent Barret, who is a veterinarian and farrier in Ocala. He said this was a perfect class project and asked how often the horse was trimmed, which was every 6 weeks. He suggested cutting the heels as short as possible, rolling the toe and medicating the thrush.
I had the horse fixed in 5 months. After that, training clients liked the way my horse’s feet looked and asked me to do trims.
Soon after, I apprenticed with area farrier Kenny Clark, where I picked up new skills and eventually went into business for myself. When I’d saved enough money, I enrolled in the Casey and Son Horseshoeing School in Lafayette, Ga., that’s owned and operated by Jarvis Bowen.
8. Do you want another person in the barn when trimming & shoeing? (Frog doesn’t count.)
It depends on the environment and the horses. I don’t mind working alone if a client has a good setup, the horse is easy to catch and the two of us get along well. If the horse is too much to handle, I expect the owner to be there.
9. What was your first farrier truck, and how long did you drive it?
I started with a used 1996 Ford F-350 dually that had 130,000 miles on it. When I traded trucks after 4 years, it had 250,000 miles. Since then, I’ve gone through five more trucks.
10. Your wife’s got a couple horses, so I assume you do her footcare work?
Two horses that get trims.
11.Do her horses get done on a regular schedule?
Nope. I’m like the mechanic whose own cars and trucks always come last.
12.Does she pay on time?
Never. She sees this footcare work as part of my contribution to a happy marriage.
13.If you could have dinner with anybody in the hoof-care world, who would it be and why?
British farrier Simon Curtis. His videos have really helped me, and I’d love to talk over dinner with him. (NOTE: Hopefully, the AFJ staff can arrange a dinner when both Simon and Jeremey are at the 2025 International Hoof-Carer Summit in Kansas City.)
14.Any last thoughts?
I’m having shoulder surgery in March of 2025, so I’m looking for apprentices and farriers who could help me stay caught up with my horses. If interested, contact me at diamondzhorse.com
