Frank Lessiter

Frank Lessiter

Frank Lessiter has spent more than 50 years in the agricultural and equine publishing business. The sixth generation member to live on the family’s Centennial farm in Michigan, he is the Editor/Publisher of American Farriers Journal.

ARTICLES

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More Toe Grabs Being Banned

The impact on track shoers from banning toe grabs over 2 millimeters will be minimal, but it may have serious implications for trainers

A move that started last summer to ban toe grabs on the front feet of Thoroughbreds continues to gain momentum in a number of states.


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Soring

Time To Eliminate Soring

The use of new technology is going to make it easier to detect soring and pressure shoeing violations during show inspections
Whether soring is less of a concern than it used to be pretty much depends on whom you are talking with. But many of the folks who maintain that soring and pressure shoeing are still major concerns in the Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) industry and with several other breeds, readily admit that the practice has gotten much more sophisticated and tougher for inspectors to identify.
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Farrier Finances

Farrier Finances Toeing the Line

Data from last summer’s American Farriers Journal survey indicates the shoeing business is reflecting the country’s economic problems
Reflecting the overall economy of the United States, the average American farrier has struggled to gain financial ground over the past 2 years.
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Get Paid for Driving

An e-mail survey of American Farriers Journal readers indicates that many respondents are adding trip fees, fuel charges or mileage fees to footcare invoices
Call it a trip fee, barn call, flat mileage charge, fuel surcharge or whatever. Regardless of how you define it, more farriers than ever before are looking at charging the fee as a means to keep fuel and other costs in line.
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Soring

Serious Challenges To Ending Soring

It will take a large amount of additional dollars and more industry and government intervention to solve today’s pressure shoeing and soring concerns

While soring has been banned for 38 years under the government’s Horse Protection Act (HPA), Donna Benefield maintains there’s been a lack of desire to bring about needed change.


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Tom Trosin

Avoid These Costly Errors!

Paying attention to these guidelines will help you avoid costly mistakes in your footcare operation
After 22 years of shoeing, Tom Trosin maintains he’s made almost all of the mistakes a farrier could possibly make in running a business.
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Soring

Pressure Mounts To End Soring

Some members of the Tennessee Walking Horse industry maintain only a few bad apples are involved, but for others, soring is still a major concern
Many in the Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) industry maintain less soring and pressure shoeing is taking place than in the past. Others aren’t so sure, citing evidence that indicates that the banned practices are still all too common among high-level horses.
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Calgary

Brazilian Captures Mail-In Forging Exercise Honors

This unique forging exercise helps shoers improve their forging skills and leads to higher quality day-to-day hoof-care work
After participating in the Calgary mail-in forging exercise for 6 years, Flavio Souza captured top honors this year. The Brazilian farrier from Serra Negra, San Paulo, says earning this honor is one of the highlights of his shoeing career.
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