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Articles by Heather Smith Thomas

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Texas Farrier's Timesaving Tips

A few minutes spent organizing and planning your shoeing day will get you home earlier and feeling better
By Heather Smith Thomas posted on January 1, 2013 | Posted in Business Practices, Shoeing, Trimming
Tommy Boudreau, a Mineral Springs, Texas, farrier, at work making shoes in his shop so they'll be ready for the next day's shoeing. Whether shoeing one horse or a dozen, improving your efficiency in trimming and shoeing is an important key to success.
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You and Your Horses's Feet

The Basics of Hoof Care

What you need to know about keeping your horses feet healthy
By Heather Smith Thomas posted on January 1, 2013 | Posted in Education, Shoeing
It’s an old saying, but still true: “No foot, no horse.” As a horse owner, you may get tired of hearing it, but it should serve to remind you that a sound hoof is crucial to the health and function of the horse.
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Bowed Tendons: The Farrier's Role in Prevention and Treatment

Regularly scheduled hoof-care appointments and cooperation with a veterinarian are important aspects of dealing with these injuries
By Heather Smith Thomas posted on November 1, 2012 | Posted in Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing
Modern ultrasounds are useful for diagnosing bowed tendons and other soft tissue injuries, particularly minor tears that aren't obvious during palpation. It may take an experienced person to spot less obvious tears in the tendons.
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Horses Are At Risk For Rabies And You Can Be, Too

Know the warning signs and urge your clients to vaccinate their animals against this deadly virus
By Heather Smith Thomas posted on May 1, 2012 | Posted in Diseases
We generally don’t think about horses when someone mentions rabies. The first images that come to mind are “mad” dogs frothing at the mouth, or wild animals such as skunks, foxes, raccoons and coyotes becoming aggressive and attacking people.
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Product Knowledge

Wrap It Up Right

Farriers dealing with first aid situations should know how to properly apply a bandage — but also know when a vet needs to be called in
By Heather Smith Thomas posted on April 1, 2012 | Posted in Therapeutic Shoeing
There are times a farrier must administer first aid for a foot or leg injury, and it's handy to know what products/materials might be helpful, and some do's and don'ts for proper bandaging.
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Balance: More About The Trim Than The Shoes

Montana vet-farrier has found trimming to conformation is often enough to restore lame horses to soundness
By Heather Smith Thomas posted on January 1, 2012 | Posted in Anatomy
Whenever farriers talk about feet, there's a lot of discussion about hoof balance. For sound, healthy feet, balance is crucial, but the concept of balance is not always understood.
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Deciphering Gait Irregularities

Not all faults are foot related, but farriers will often be the first people asked to do something about them.
By Heather Smith Thomas posted on July 1, 2011 | Posted in Therapeutic Shoeing
Gait faults are not always due to issues in the leg, but farriers will often be the first people to be asked about them by trainers and horse owners. Farriers can greatly enhance their value to their clients by learning to read shoe wear and how to differentiate between gait faults that are due to conformation defects, and those that might be related to a lameness issue.
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Product Showcase

A Sampling of Soaks and Poultices

Hoof treatment manufacturers and distributors list what they find are the benefits of using their products
By Heather Smith Thomas posted on April 1, 2011 | Posted in Lamenesses, Therapeutic Shoeing
Hoof poultices and soaks are used for hoof injuries, abscesses, puncture wounds, thrush, white line disease and other foot problems. Not a recent discovery, poultices of various types of clay and mud have been used for human afflictions for thousands of years, and eventually for their animals as well.
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Hoof-Care Focus

Dealing with Wounds on Horses' Feet

Fast and accurate assessment often required
By Heather Smith Thomas posted on April 1, 2011 | Posted in Anatomy
Often, horse owners call farriers first whenever there’s a problem with a horse’s foot. Farriers may find themselves being asked to do the first aid or wound assessment when a horse suffers a puncture, cut or some other injury to the hoof, coronary band or lower leg.
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Remembering Red Renchin with Mark Ellis: Part 3

Remembering Red Renchin with Mark Ellis: Part 3

In this episode, Mark Ellis, a Wisconsin farrier who learned the ropes with Renchin, recalls Red’s relationships with area veterinarians, his legacy and the second career as American Farriers Journal’s technical editor.

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Life Data Labs

Life Data Labs Inc

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.
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Kawell USA

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.
Smart Pak

SmartPak

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.
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