Practice makes perfect.
Although it’s a glib cliché, to be sure but it serves a purpose. One cannot truly master a task without repetition. It’s certainly true for forging shoes — and golfing.
If you’re interested in shoeing draft horses, you’re in the minority. A lot of farriers, though, have a token team that they work on. They’re usually a nice pair of horses that stands pretty well.
Managing a horse with mismatched feet can be a challenge for both the veterinarian and farrier. At last winter’s American Association of Equine Practitioners’ convention, a session undertook both the veterinarian and farrier’s role in these cases.
It’s all about the trim.
It’s a common refrain among farriers, but is the practice receiving its due diligence or is it merely lip service?
In Fabio Gnoatto’s Wellington, Fla., practice, trimming is the mainstay.
Former students, fellow farriers, suppliers and friends of Danny Ward made their annual pilgrimage Nov. 6 and 7 to Martinsville, Va., for the annual Eastern Farrier Conference, hosted by Ward and the North Carolina Horseshoers Association (NCHA). It was the 38th consecutive year that the gathering has been held at Ward’s horseshoeing school in the Virginia Piedmont country.
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.
How many horses in your practice battle palmar foot pain, riding that razor edge between working soundness and days off? Pain originating in the palmar or rearward section of the foot isn’t a very specific diagnosis, but it certainly affects a lot of horses — and thereby a lot of farriers.
The following case study involves a National Show horse named Jack. I began working on him 2 years ago after he suffered a nearly career-ending suspensory injury.
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.