When he was a young man, being a farrier wasn’t on Drew Golden’s radar. Born on Long Island, N.Y., he didn’t even have much interaction with horses. Instead, his passion rested elsewhere. Golden was an accomplished musician, studying the subject and playing saxophone in bands. He still plays in a band today, making the time between a busy work schedule and family time.
A pair of Hall Of Fame farriers headlined the annual Cornell University Farrier Conference on Nov. 14-15 in Ithaca, N.Y. Grant Moon and Bob Pethick performed a number of forging and live shoeing demonstrations, as well as several lectures over the 2-day event.
It seems that every few months a new pad is introduced to the equine market. For inexperienced farriers, the overwhelming options can create confusion, which discourages pad usage in a practice. Understanding what's available in pads and how they are used will help determine the appropriate pad for the intended use.
During a presentation at the 2006 International Hoof-Care Summit, Blake Brown discussed using various hoof pads in therapeutic situations. Here’s some of what he had to say.
Frog-support pads have become one of the most commonly used pads for therapeutic purposes since their introduction. They are now available in a variety of sizes and configurations, including in both egg bar and wedged-heel patterns.
Pads may not have been around quite as long as horseshoes, but they are far from a new invention. Farriers have been adding materials to horseshoes for years — to change a hoof angle, provide added protection, to attempt to alter a horse’s gait — and from just about the first time a farrier added a pad, there was someone else that though he’d made a huge mistake.
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.