The practice of farriery is one firmly based in tradition, yet modern solutions have provided farriers with more options for helping horses. Nailing on a steel shoe made from bar stock remains a helpful option for many hoof-care needs, but so do adhesives, urethane shoes and other contemporary tools.
A West Coast farrier says she is much more careful about charging in today’s tougher economy for some of the small things that she used to let slip by for the sake of effective customer relations.
The Mustad Hoofcare and Delta Horseshoe families are joining forces to create an integrated team dedicated to the hoof-care industry and to the welfare of the horse.
While he’s learned many things in his horseshoeing lifetime, Lee Green continues to analyze shoeing techniques and how to work smarter to make more money, save time and minimize labor. He encourages younger farriers to learn from older farriers’ war stories and to avoid the mistakes they’ve made.
Based on the price ranges given for treating this horse, you might be, but most farriers believe you need to immediately get a vet involved in this case
WHEN 18 FARRIERS described how they’d tackle the therapeutic shoeing case described at right, there were a wide variety of answers and prices that ranged from $75 to $750 for the first visit.
There can't be anything more frustrating than pulling up to a barn, shoeing a horse and then not getting paid. You’ve put in your valuable time and strenuous effort only to leave the work area with no more money than when you showed up.
Jimmy Gifford uses his e-mail and Web site as business tools for scheduling shoeing appointments, answering questions about general customer concerns and communicating with other farriers about hoof problems.
Texas A&M University equine veterinarian Robin Dabareiner told attendees at the late November American Association of Equine Practitioners meeting in San Diego, Calif., that they’ll learn much more about the hoof by paying more attention to it. “Just by looking at the hoof more, I’ve learned an awful lot and realized that trimming is more important than shoeing,” she says. “With better trimming, horses are staying sounder longer and doing so with less drugs.”
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.