The author, Yehuda Avisar, states at the outset that this book is written for veterinarians, farriers and students of both professions who are interested in the therapeutic aspects of farriery. “Its aim is to increase the collaboration between the two professions by providing information common to both fields,” he writes.

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.

If you’re on the lookout for time-tested trimming and shoeing techniques, you’ll have a hard time finding many that have stood up through time better than those featured in American Methods Of Horseshoeing.

Here's a book to help farriers who want to move beyond knowledge of the foot to a more complete understanding of horse anatomy, function and health.

Author Heather Smith Thomas shoes horses regularly, but she says she’s not a farrier. By that she means she doesn’t make a living shoeing horses.