Among the most common problems farriers deal with are thrush and white line disease. Thrush, affecting the sulci of the frog and sometime deeper tissues, is generally caused by bacteria. The most common culprit is fusobacterium necrophorum, which causes a variety of diseases, including navel ill/joint ill in foals, diphtheria in calves and foot rot in cattle.
Biting flies and other insects can be a tremendous irritation to horses and humans alike, especially for someone trying to handle or shoe a horse that is more concerned about ridding himself of these pests than standing still or allowing his foot to be held.
For the past 2 years, one of the door prizes at the International Hoof-Care Summit has been the chance for an attendee to spend a week at Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., with equine veterinarian Scott Morrison and his podiatry crew.
Paul Goodness is one of those farriers who’s dedicated to trying to find ways to help horses’ feet and keep them healthier. He is also dedicated to helping novice farriers get started in this business — passing along the things he’s learned over the years, to give them a leg up in their budding careers.
This is a primer on hoof trimming, shoeing and overall care written primarily for horse owners, though it might serve as a starting point for someone interested in becoming a farrier.
Necessity is the mother of invention, as the old saying goes, and someone once said that ranching is the mother of necessity. In other words, to survive in ranching, a rancher has to be innovative and a jack of all trades.
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.