The American Farrier’s Association held its 49th annual convention in Chattanooga, Tenn. Farriers gathered to compete at the 2020 National Forging and Horseshoeing Competition, attend educational programs and visit the Farrier Industry Association (FIA) Marketplace. Music City Horseshoers Association was the host chapter of this year’s event.

Pads and pour-ins offer farriers a variety of options when servicing hoof-care clients. Nick Denson, a farrier in Sagamore, Mass., works on many therapeutic cases and relies on these products regularly. During the 2020 International Hoof-Care Summit, Denson presented “Shoeing Tips with Castle Pads and Pour-in Urethanes” during a How-to Hoof-Care Product Knowledge Clinic, sponsored by Castle Plastics.

Veteran farrier and founder of the Crawford, Neb., Butler Professional Farrier School, Dr. Doug Butler is credited with saying, “Hoof quality may relate more to the hoof’s ability to regulate moisture content than anything else.” Although Lafayette, Ind., farrier Danvers Child jokes that he and Butler, both members of the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame, sometimes have disagreements, they see eye-to-eye on this point; the key topic of client discussion should center around regulating the moisture content in hooves.

Most, if not all, farriers are already familiar with the chain of bones that forms the equine forelimb: scapula, humerus, radius-ulna, carpal bones, cannon bones and splints, pastern bones and coffin bone. Added to this list are the three pseudo-bones called sesamoids, which lie behind the ankle and coffin joints.

When evaluating the horse’s sole before trimming, there are many things we need to consider and have the presence of mind to ask ourselves some important questions — even when our tried-and-trusted methods suggest the horse has enough sole depth.

Hall of Fame farrier Dave Farley was working for the large animal hospital at Ohio State University when he first realized the profound impact that point of view can have on evaluating the equine limb. “One of the tools we had was a fluoroscope,” he says, noting that it had a fluorescent screen and was used for viewing X-ray images without taking or developing X-ray photographs.

A show horse farrier’s job is to keep the athlete sound and in the ring. The hard truth of it is that if the farrier can’t keep the horse sound and showing, the client will replace them with someone who can. Coshocton, Ohio, and Wellington, Fla., farrier Dave Farley has been shoeing equine athletes for more than 4 decades and strives to do his part so the horse can perform at a high level.