With more than 1,000 pounds of mass traveling at 35 miles per hour, the demands placed on each tendon and ligament in an equine limb can seem overwhelming.
For several years, we’ve been adding a boxed list of important points to many of the feature articles that appear in American Farriers Journal. We call these points, “Farrier Takeaways.”
This 384-page work by Professor Russell has been a source of valid information for farriers for nearly 140 years. Hardly an article or research paper is written today without containing some reference to his work. That in itself speaks to the necessity of every farrier having this book on his or her bookshelf.
Paul Goodness, chief of Farrier Services at Virginia Tech’s Equine Medical Center in Leesburg, Va., says there are many therapeutic farrier options that can be employed, as well as different types of shoes that might help if conformation of the hoof is not good.
Flip-flops are the footwear of choice for a great number of people around the world. Now, they are becoming increasingly popular in the equine world, as well.
Several years ago, Dave Ferguson decided he no longer wanted to dedicate an expensive pickup truck 100% to shoeing work. As a result, the Cambridge, Md., shoer switched to a shoeing trailer that he could unhook when he wanted to use the truck for other purposes.
We received an overwhelming response when AFJ editors asked readers what their primary considerations were when selecting therapeutic shoes. Making the horse comfortable and keeping it simple were common themes among the responses. Below are some additional tips we received on therapeutic shoe selection.
There are many shoes used by farriers in therapeutic work and not all of them are specifically designed to treat an injury. Rather than simply reaching for a heart bar shoe for a laminitis case, or a straight bar shoe for palmar heel pain, it’s important to first think about what you want the shoe to do and why.
Greg Martin, CJF, of Boerne, Texas, takes the unique approach of marketing his hoof-care practice with a Christmas parade float in Boerne and Comfort, Texas. The award-winning float boasts a variety of surprising features.
Life Data Labs Inc. is a dedicated product manufacturer committed to producing premium quality animal nutrition and health products through continuous product improvement and new product development. First-class ingredients, fresh products, consistent high quality and scientifically proven effectiveness are the principal features of Life Data Labs animal health products. And that's why they've produced the #1 recommended hoof supplement by farriers for 12 consecutive years.
Kawell develops and produces copper alloy horseshoes and inserts, giving horses the care that they need to fight issues associated with white line disease, seedy toe and thrush.
From the feed room to the tack room, SmartPak offers innovative solutions to help riders take great care of their horses. SmartPak was founded in 1999 with the introduction of the patented SmartPak™ supplement feeding system. The revolutionary, daily dose SmartPaks are custom-made for your horse, individually labeled and sealed for freshness.