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.
Tim Shannon has some succinct advice for farriers who deal with quarter cracks. “I’d suggest whoever wants to get into it to find somebody who knows a lot about [handling quarter cracks] to walk you through it,” advises the San Moreno, Calif., farrier. “There is a lot to crack repair.”
It’s natural for hoof-care professionals to focus primarily on a horse’s lower limbs as they work, but a general knowledge of equine anatomy and conformation is also important. This knowledge becomes more critical for those who work on performance horses. The higher the level of performance, the more critical that knowledge becomes.
A record number of footcare professionals invaded Cincinnati, Ohio, for the 13th annual International Hoof-Care Summit for the sole purpose of “Working Together For Healthy Hooves.”
The information, ideas and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Veterinarians in Belgium examined the dorsopalmar and mediolateral hoof balance of five toed-in warmbloods that weren’t lame at the time of the study. They used a pressure plate to assess the symmetry of vertical ground reaction forces as a measure of hoof balance and limb loading symmetry at a walk. Their hypothesis was that toed-in conformation primarily affects mediolateral balance.
Hoof flare is one of the most common issues facing farriers today. Yet as often as it’s seen, hoof flare is also potentially crippling to the horse. Recognizing hoof flare and treating it can be crucial to keeping your clients’ horses healthy and sound.
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.