We heard from readers lining up on all sides of the toe dubbing controversy after we printed the article by Oklahoma farrier and equine veterinarian Jack Roth in the January/February issue of American Farriers Journal. As is the case with many hoof-care techniques, there wasn’t any agreement on what is the best approach.

Offered as A Farrier’s Viewpoint, “A Plea To Stop Dubbing The Toe,” appeared on pages 75 to 77 in the January/February, 2005, issue. The following are among the comments we received from readers regarding dubbing the toe and natural balance trimming and shoeing.

Keep An Open Mind

In response to several comments in the March Letterbox column in the March, 2005, issue of American Farriers Journal (Pages 8 and 101) concerning Natural Balance Shoeing (NBS), I sometimes wonder about farriers bashing each other and not evaluating good or bad advances in technology. 

Why not keep an open mind? Any good farrier examines other techniques and learns what to apply or discard. Have these farriers read the educational literature regarding the technique they are bashing??Try to understand or apply any theory before you accept or disapprove it.

Both respondents in the March Letterbox claim to be farriers for more than 40 years. Have they learned all they can??It’s called “new technology.”

—Richard Bruner, Millsap, Texas

Stop Looking For Horseshoes To Replace Shoeing Skill

Recently, Jack Roth wrote an opinion piece on dubbing the toe and NBS in American Farriers Journal and part of Doug Butler’s talk on this…