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Articles by Chris Gregory

Shoe Boards

Raising The Angle

Relying On Shoes, Not Pads
By Chris Gregory posted on September 1, 2001 | Posted in Shoeing
At one time a farrier could kill two birds with one stone when making a shoe for the American Farrier’s Association (AFA) shoe display. A candidate was able to use a wedge pad on a shoe to raise the angle. This technique may still be popular in some circles, but I think it’s unacceptable to use just one modification to satisfy two requirements when qualifying for the AFA shoe display.
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Back To The Basics

Overcoming Your Fears Of Aluminum

Care is needed in working this light and highly useful metal
By Chris Gregory posted on September 1, 2001 | Posted in Forging
When it comes to aluminum, a lot of farriers would prefer leaving the making of a horseshoe to the manufacturer. But there are ways to help simplify working aluminum bar stock into a good, useable shoe.
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Shoe Boards

Passing the Bar

When starting your shoeing display, the bar shoe is the place to begin
By Chris Gregory posted on July 1, 2001 | Posted in Forging
Cut five pieces of 5/16-by-3/4-inch bar stock, 14 inches long. By making at least five shoes, there is a good chance that you will have one that is worthy of your display, and the rest can probably be used in your business.
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Shoe Boards

Forging Your Shoe Display

Taking the time to make shoes for your own display board is more than a step toward certification, it's a great learning experience
By Chris Gregory posted on July 1, 2001 | Posted in Shoeing
Here is a topic that can be very controversial. It seems that the rules on how shoe displays are supposed to look have either changed or have just begun to be enforced.
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Back to the Basics

Anatomy of a Nail Hole

Punching a nail hole seems simple, but plenty can go wrong
By Chris Gregory posted on July 1, 2001 | Posted in Forging
Most top forging hands will agree that making a perfect plain stamped shoe can be one of the toughest things to do. While it seems like this should be one of the easiest shoes to make, it isn’t.
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Firing Up the Forge

Building and maintaining coal and coke fires
By Chris Gregory posted on May 1, 2001 | Posted in Forging
Learning this skill was tough. I read every text I could find on the subject, but nothing spelled it out in a way I could get my mind around.
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Forging The Calgary Mail-In Shoes

Co-sponsored by the Calgary Stampede’s World Championship Blacksmiths’ Competition and American Farriers Journal, being part of this unique mail-in exercise will earn you $422 in valuable prizes and a fantastic opportunity to continue your forging skills education
By Chris Gregory posted on May 1, 2001 | Posted in Forging
They picked two great shoes for this year’s mail-in forging exercise that’s part of the Calgary Stampede’s World Championship Blacksmiths’ Competition.
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Back To The Basics

Perfecting The Useful Art Of Hammer Clinching

There are still instances when using this technique works better than the best clinchers
By Chris Gregory posted on March 1, 2001 | Posted in Equipment, Shoeing
Hammer clinching is not as popular as using clinchers among modern farriers. One reason is that it can be a little difficult to learn. Another downside is that some horses do not stand as well for hammer clinching as they do when clinchers are used.
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Back to the Basics

Measuring Feet For Handmades

This skill is vital, not only for earning certification but for better shoeing
By Chris Gregory posted on January 1, 2001 | Posted in Education, Shoeing
Measuring feet for handmade shoes is a complicated and controversial subject. As is so often true in this industry, any way you get a well-fit shoe on a horse’s hoof is the right way.
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Back to the Basics

The Art of Heel Fitting

Proper heel fit requires attention to the horse being shod
By Chris Gregory posted on December 1, 2000 | Posted in Shoeing
Shoeing is a lot more than simply covering the bottom of a horse’s foot with pieces of metal, although some horseshoers don’t seem to realize this.
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