Crouching under a horse and banging on an anvil 8 hours a day, 5 or more days a week wears down the body over years of work. Farriers’ backs become stiff and sore, tennis elbow can develop and carpal tunnel can debilitate hands and wrists. In such a physical profession, any injury can mean time away from work and money lost. These worries may seem like a long way off to farriers who are just starting out, but certain practices put into effect now can help prevent ache and injury later.
Versailles, Ky., farrier Steve Stanley offers his advice for keeping fit in order to prevent injury. Exercising regularly and stretching before and after a long day of work are key, the industry veteran says.
“You take care of your tools, your truck, your machines, but sometimes we neglect the most important tool we have — our body,” he says. “It’s a strenuous job that we do and we take our share of beatings. If you’re hurting enough, your income will be compromised.”
Flexibility Is Key
Many farriers are strong, Stanley says, but you don’t have to be big and powerful to be a horseshoer. What you do need to be is flexible.
“I don’t care how strong you are,” he says. “You aren’t going to hang in there if the horse doesn’t want you to.”
Stanley describes the case of an apprentice he had years ago who tried to muscle his way through the work.
“Once I had a fella who was a power lifter ask me for advice,” he says. “He could lift a house. He got a call from a client who wanted him to trim some yearlings that were kind of rough and he asked if I thought he ought to do that. I told him to be very careful about that kind of situation. And he said to me, ‘I can dead lift 600 pounds. I’ll just hold them still.’ He had a very brief horseshoeing career.
Flexibility is important for preventing injury while working under the horse and a regular stretching routine should be added to farriers’ daily schedules.
A strong core, including lower back, hips and abdomen, can help improve stability and balance.
Speak with your doctor or physical therapist to develop an exercise routine that’s right for you.
“It doesn’t matter how strong you are if your muscles are tight and not flexible. When a horse snatches you sideways, those tight muscles can throw off the alignment of your spine and pelvis, leaving you in pain for days or even weeks. It’s critical to keep loosened up and supple.”
Stanley provides a few key points about stretching that apply to all.
“First and most obvious is to warm up the muscle and then stretch before getting under a horse,” he says. “Dr. Emily Gampper of Versailles, Ky., who has gotten me out of pain more than once, recommends holding a stretch for 30 seconds to allow the muscle time to relax and lengthen. This will also help you gain in range during the stretch.
“Many people stretch for 5 seconds until it hurts and think, ‘That’s good.’ Dr. Gampper adds that breathing is equally important. Muscles release on exhale so holding your breath while stretching inhibits the benefit. Taking three deep breaths in one 30-second stretch is very helpful.
“She also says tight hamstrings are the single most common cause of lower back pain in her practice and adds that she rarely sees lower back pain with individuals having loose hamstrings. The last point is stay hydrated,” he says.
Stanley recommends stretching the following muscles every day to stay loose and flexible:
Adductor muscles. The adductor muscles are those in the inner thigh attaching to the bottom of the pelvis. Stanley says these muscles can be stretched by lowering into a squat position and then using your elbows to apply pressure to the legs.
Stretch before getting under a horse …
Hip flexor. The hip flexor is the muscle found where the thigh meets the pelvis and can be stretched by lowering into a lunge position and driving the pelvis down toward the heel. Stanley notes that the hip flexor muscles are attached to the spine and if these muscles are weak and inflexible, back problems are more likely to occur.
Hamstrings. The hamstring muscles are those found at the back of the thigh. To stretch the hamstrings, Stanley recommends bending at the waist and trying to touch the floor, or at least reaching as far down as you can to your knees or ankles.
“It is not about trying to touch your head to your shins,” Stanley says. “The key is to bend at the waist while keeping the curve out of your back and neck while keeping your knees straight. Dr. Gampper says if the knees buckle, you have reached your point of flexibility and are not doing as much good.
“When I feel my lower back becoming too tight, I can often get relief simply by stretching the hamstrings,” Stanley says. “Not stretching them in that situation is taking a big risk, especially when working on young horses that are not always predictable.”
Quadriceps. The quadriceps are the muscles at the front of your thighs, and while Stanley says they don’t get as tight as some other muscles for farriers, it is still important to stretch them. To stretch the quadriceps, stand on one foot and pull the other foot toward your butt. Stanley says this move also can help improve your balance.
Gluteus. The gluteus muscles are those in your rear end and Stanley says they are the engine for all athletic movement.
“Shoeing horses is athletic,” he says. “It’s not as dynamic as what people see in the sports you watch on TV, but you still need to keep good muscle tone from the waist down. And you need to keep those muscles flexible.”
To stretch the gluteus muscles, lay on your back with your knees bent. Then cross one foot over the opposite knee and pull that knee toward your head.
Iliotibial band. The iliotibial band, or IT band, runs from your gluteus to your knee on the outside of your thigh and can become irritated and inflamed after exertion.
“If I have a very busy day, when I’m driving home, the outside of my knee will begin to hurt,” Stanley says.
To prevent this and stretch this area, he recommends rolling a foam roller up and down the outside part of the upper leg. Another way to stretch this area is to sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you. Then take one leg and cross it in front of you so your knee is chest level. Use your opposite side’s elbow to exert pressure on the knee, pushing it farther toward your chest.
Core And Cardio
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Stretching and strengthening the muscles of the lower body, like the hamstrings (left) and gluteus (right), is especially important for farriers and can help increase the efficiency and longevity of your career.
Maintaining a strong and flexible core is central to staying physically fit for farriers.
“If you can strengthen and tone your lower back, hips and abdomen, you’re going to be safer under the horse,” Stanley says.
A strong core also means improved balance and stability.
“Any exercise that strengthens your core muscles is going to help you do your job as a horseshoer,” Stanley says.
He warns against only doing one exercise, however.
“A good core routine made up of multiple exercises can be finished in 15-20 minutes,” he says. “Doing 1,000 sit-ups only works one muscle group, takes longer and has limited benefit compared to a good core routine.”
Stanley recommends yoga as an exercise routine that can help muscle tone in the lower back, hips and abdomen, among other areas, while improving balance, but also says your exercise routine doesn’t need to be that specific. Doing anything to be active for 30 minutes a day will help keep your muscles strong and flexible.
“Walking, running, swimming or biking for 30 minutes a day will help,” he says. “Or you could use the Wii Fit or exercise DVDs. The key is to make exercise and stretching part of your daily routine.”
Stanley won’t suggest a specific exercise routine for anyone.
“It’s different for every person,” he says. “Talk to a doctor, a physical therapist or anyone at a gym with a degree in exercise physiology who knows what they’re talking about to start a routine that suits you.”
However you get your exercise, Stanley says, “Make it fun and do it with people you like. Make it something you look forward to in your day. One of the most fun things I do is workout with my kids, though my 15-year-old soccer player is beginning to make his old man suffer.
“The benefits of exercising are you will have less pain at the end of the day and you will live longer, and I think both of those benefits alone are pretty high on everyone’s priority list.
“You also will extend your career,” he says. “With exercise, you could work 5 or 10 years longer. More time working means more money. Over 10 years, you could make half a million dollars more in your career even by very conservative estimates, while still allowing you to slow down as you get older. Would you stay in shape for half a million dollars? You’ll do better work because you’re more stable under the horse and, in the end, more money because of efficiency and longevity.
“Our body, much like the tools of this trade, follows the same rule of ‘pay me now or pay me later,’ and like anything else in the world, those late fees are much higher.”