Bright green grass is one of the signs of spring, but all that green is also a red flag for hoof-care professionals. It means it’s time to remind your clients of an increased danger of certain forms of laminitis, as well as keeping an eye peeled for the early warning signs of the disease.
When experienced farriers check the wear on horseshoes they’ve just removed from a horse, it isn’t just to see whether they can reset them. They’re also looking for valuable information. Four veteran farriers took time to share some of what they’ve gleaned from studying the wear patterns on horseshoes over their careers.
Hoof mapping is not a new idea. During a 2016 presentation at the International Hoof-Care Summit (IHCS), Steve Foxworth traced its origins to the work of pioneering farrier William Russell, as well as to more recent work by David Duckett and others.
While non-metal horseshoes may never make up a huge share of the overall market, they have carved out a well-established niche that is substantial enough that it makes sense for farriers to know how and when to use them.
It’s natural for hoof-care professionals to focus primarily on a horse’s lower limbs as they work, but a general knowledge of equine anatomy and conformation is also important. This knowledge becomes more critical for those who work on performance horses. The higher the level of performance, the more critical that knowledge becomes.
Many veteran farriers still recall the days when some of their colleagues kept what they’d learned about hoof care under lock and key. Stories are still told about a horseshoer packing up his tools and leaving a barn, rather than take a chance that a newcomer might learn any of his hoof-care secrets.
Farrier Hannah Simms demonstrated some simple ornamental blacksmithing techniques during Danny Ward’s Eastern Farrier Conference in early November of 2015. The Statesboro, Ga., farrier says that mastering the techniques involved not only helped improve her hammer control, it has also provided her with a nice source of additional income.
Former students, fellow farriers, suppliers and friends of Danny Ward made their annual pilgrimage Nov. 6 and 7 to Martinsville, Va., for the annual Eastern Farrier Conference, hosted by Ward and the North Carolina Horseshoers Association (NCHA). It was the 38th consecutive year that the gathering has been held at Ward’s horseshoeing school in the Virginia Piedmont country.
A Bloomington, Calif., farrier recently tried a treatment on a canker case that demonstrated promising results — but also some of the frustrating aspects of dealing with the hoof problem.
Greg Martin, CJF, of Boerne, Texas, takes the unique approach of marketing his hoof-care practice with a Christmas parade float in Boerne and Comfort, Texas. The award-winning float boasts a variety of surprising features.
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