Quickly now, what is a “sticker” in the world of horseshoeing?

Try again. Where would you most likely find a toeing knife?

OK, one more. What’s a “Ralph?”

The answers can be found in the fourth, latest edition of The New Dictionary of Farrier Terms and Technical Language, a collection of basic and not-so-basic words that could come up during the workday of a farrier.

The New Dictionary contains words and definitions from the realms of horseshoeing, veterinary medicine, horsemanship, zoology and metallurgy — all of them relevant to farriers.

Even experienced horseshoers might learn a new word or two with this 10th anniversary edition of the book. It includes 80 terms not contained in the edition printed just one year earlier.

As noted in the preface, “Terms unique to farriery have come down to us through the generations and are still being coined as needed to communicate the concepts of the evolving art and science today.”

Beyond the learning of a few new words, however, lies a more fundamental reason for owning such a book.

As Samuel Johnson, an 18th century literary figure and social commentator, is quoted in the introduction, “Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it.”

Said another way, owning a book like this puts a world of shoeing knowledge within easy reach. Or at least it serves as a starting point.

Being a dictionary, this book offers concise descriptions of most every…