It is generally agreed that attending as many clinics as you can will benefit your practice.

The subject matter is the underpinning of a workshop, but there is much to learn simply by being present and networking with other farriers, even for experienced veterans.

“I enjoy working the anvil and making specialty shoes,” says Jim Smith, a 40-year-old American Farrier’s Association certified journeyman farrier. That’s part of the reason Smith made the trip to Meader Supply in Rochester, N.H., to attend a recent clinic featuring Chris Gregory, a member of the International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame and a Fellow of the Worshipful Company of Farriers of Great Britain.

“I’m always aspiring to be more efficient, but I don’t get a chance to do as many things on the job as I would like because of time restraints. I think I speak for a lot of us in this regard,” Smith, of Milton Mills, N.H., says. “What I found to be particularly helpful was when Chris pointed out that as we trim the foot, we should make a mental picture of the desired shoe. With years of practice, we can come to a close approximation; it becomes automatic.”

Good Clinicians Interact

Smith was impressed that…