Mike Bagley

I have had my OTTB for 15 years and gone through a number of farriers. My horse has thin, shelly feet with flat soles. He is a tenderfoot and always had trouble keeping shoes. He torques them off spinning in the mud. We did some rugged trail riding. He forges and clips his front shoes off with his hind hoof. I had glue ons and rebuilt hooves and mesh. You name the expensive solution. I tried to use the farrier everyone else at my barn used. My horse threw a shoe every month, usually within a week or two of being shod. Then, I got online with the National Farrier's Association, took down numbers of people in my area and started calling. I explained my concerns and problems. Some farriers wouldn't touch us. I described my horse as having "problem feet." Then, I met Mike Bagley.

Mike lives about an hour from me in Canton, Ohio. He returned my call immediately, spent time talking with me, offered to come out right away, had THE BEST prices, had tons of knowledge and talked the talk while walking the walk. He stays current on the field, is addicted to farrier books and reads to educate himself. He drove up and did my horse for less than I have ever paid. He told me my horse's feet aren't that bad and he has ones that are worse. That was more than a year ago, maybe two by now.

He is quiet and calm. He is good to the horse. He responds immediately. In all that time, I lost one shoe because it was muddy and the barn owner turned the horses out. Mine did a pirouhette and twisted the shoe. Mike was out to fix it in a day or two.

My horse has good feet. He keeps shoes on. His owner is happy. This is because of an amazing farrier who drives all that way for one horse.

We thank him.

— Gina Tabasso (Brunswick, Ohio)

— Idyll Threat (Hinckley, Ohio)