American Farriers Journal
American Farriers Journal is the “hands-on” magazine for professional farriers, equine veterinarians and horse care product and service buyers.
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Wet Climate Fails To Dampen The Joy Of Farriery
Soggy conditions present plenty of hoof-care challenges for Virginia farrier
Pictured Above:Darren Owen of Suffolk, Va., has been shoeing horses for 18 years. He special-izes in therapeutic work and is a big believer in the use of hoof supplements to promote healthy hooves.
The skies have opened and a steady rain falls on a September morning in the southeastern Virginia countryside.
Folks in the Tidewater region are no strangers to a wet day. They get more than 46 1/2 inches of rain a year, which is almost 8 inches more than what falls on Seattle annually.
While it’s by no means a frog-strangling gully-washer, the rain is steady enough to add more than 1 1/2 inches when the day is done. And, as it is in most corners of the world, a significant rain such as this is the main topic of conversation at Thunderhorse Farm in Zuni, Va.
Farrier Takeaways
- Leaving a proper amount of heel is critical in a wet climate since the horn has a tendency to fold under.
- Pushing in the toe quarter with a rasp helps keep the foot from dragging out and provides the horse with a purchase point.
- An antifungal and antibacterial hoof dressing not only helps keep hooves healthy in a wet environment, it also provides the shine that clients come to expect.
“We’ve had our fair share of rain lately,” says Darren Owen, owner of Indian Fields Farrier Service in Suffolk, Va. “It rained so much one day last week that some downtown Norfolk streets were shut down because they…
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Kawell USA
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