Ken Scott of PurdyBilt by UPSCO tells American Farriers Journal about their many options in caps and trailers, including the F3 they were displaying for 2013 International Hoof-Care Summit attendees.

Do you pack more than you need just in case or is your farrier rig lightly packed? How do you maintain the inventory for your farrier practice?

Fredrick, Colorado farrier James Downs ("J.D.") discusses the value in working with mentors and trainers, including his personal learning experiences, with American Farriers Journal managing editor Pat Tearney during a Shoeing For A Living outing.

His clients have funny, unusual names - Kokakoka Ocean, Teambdancing and Half Foxy - but they also have four feet and wear aluminum shoes. For Hutch Holsapple, 42, of Rolling Meadows, the horses with those names and their owners and trainers make up his everyday life on the backstretch at Arlington Park racetrack, where he's worked for nearly 11 years.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the release of its final rule requiring uniform mandatory minimum penalties for violations of the federal Horse Protection Act. USDA-certified horse industry organizations operate alongside the USDA to enforce the Horse Protection Act by conducting inspections at Tennessee Walking Horse competitions. The final rule also clarifies that the agency can decertify a horse industry organization for any failure to comply with the regulations.

The abuse of Tennessee walking horses has been in the news since The HSUS released video footage of one of the industry's top trainers striking a horse in the face with a wooden handle and pouring injurious chemicals onto the feet of a horse. It was four decades ago that Congress passed the Horse Protection Act to prevent and criminalize soring and other abuses of horses. Tennessee state representative Janis Sontany wrote in a column in The Tennessean on Sunday: Soring has been a well-kept dirty secret in this industry and it's time for this nonsense to end.

Farrier Dean Johanningmeier of Cross Plains, Wis., explains how farriers can improve communications with the vets, trainers and horseowners they work with.