Ric Redden, equine veterinarian and farrier from Versailles, Ky., told attendees at the annual convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners in New Orleans in November, that the physical examination is the most important part of evaluating the equine foot.

NOTHING DISHEARTENS a farrier more than extreme neglect of a horse’s feet.

Mark your calendars now! The 33rd annual American Farrier’s Association Convention in Rochester, N.Y., is drawing closer! The convention will officially start at at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, with the opening of the AFA-Farrier Industry Association Marketplace.

“C’MON IN AND HAVE A SEAT,” says Donald Jones, showing the way to a barber’s chair in the middle of the room. Jones sits down in an old office chair and turns away from a messy desktop in a corner of the slightly cluttered, dark-paneled office.