Trimming a horse's foot and nailing on a shoe aren't the only duties of a farrier - it's about ensuring that the hoof is healthy, comfortable and can perform optimally.
The hoof capsule comprises the hoof wall, sole, frog and bulbs of the heels; which, through the unique continuous bond between its components, form a casing on the ground surface of the limb that affords protection to the soft tissue and osseous structures enclosed within the capsule.
Although an uncommon condition, keratoma formation beneath the horse's hoof wall or sole can cause lameness, recurrent abscesses and damage to the laminae and coffin bone.
When it comes to hot shaping and fitting, the shoe you pick will directly influence the success of your results. You have to remember there are two parameters that should fit before nailing on a shoe.
The ideal racehorse foot, as presented in textbook illustrations, rarely occurs in nature. Each foot, even on the same horse, is influenced by a number of variables, including the horse's conformation, the structure of the individual leg, moisture content of the hoof components, and athletic demands.
An article in our January/February issue features quick tips harvested from stories that ran throughout 2014. Here are just a few of these "Farrier Takeaways" from this article:
Wire likely sliced through the back of the pastern and into the distal cushion, detaching the back portion of the hoof. Long-term injury situations often lead to both an emotional and a financial commitment for the horse owner.
Todd Allen believes aggressively addressing the high foot is the key to bringing high-low feet more into alignment. This horse's feet are coming closer to matching following their third shoeing cycle.
Unlike infections in soft tissue, which typically erupt with dramatic heat, swelling and pain, infectious conditions of the hoof capsule may present more subtly.
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.