In the current world of shoeing fads and gimmicks, it has become quite easy for younger farriers to move away from traditional practices. Unfortunately, monetary gain has made quantity more important than quality. As a result, I find that many lameness cases that I am involved in have been created or, at the very least, made worse by an unskilled or careless farrier.

As a case in point, one farrier in my area has built a great practice using Dr. Ric Redden’s “banana shoe” on numerous competitive horses. He identifies this shoe as a cure-all for whatever ails the horse — something the shoe’s developer never intended or advocated. The only good that comes from the practice is that I’ve been making a lot of money fixing his mistakes.

I have never been in this profession merely for the money. There is no feeling greater than knowing you have made an owner happy or a horse comfortable. That being said, don’t forget that we are in business, so be sure to charge accordingly when doing any corrective work.

Anatomy Knowledge Needed

I assume that most of us have gone to farrier school or through an apprenticeship (or both) and that virtually everyone has read — at some point — an anatomy book.

However, how many of us truly understand what is going on in the distal limb?

Many of us are aware of the bones, tendons and ligaments, but how many of you know at least a handful of farriers…