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Articles by Pat Tearney

Getting the Right Fit With Aluminum

Solid tips from people who have learned their way around working with these important shoes
By Pat Tearney posted on December 1, 2012 | Posted in Shoeing
Aluminum horseshoes are not new. They've been around for several decades now and are the shoe of choice at racetracks and for many disciplines. Trainers choose aluminum shoes when they want less weight, more flotation or because they think they absorb shock better than steel.
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Shoeing for a Living

Shoeing Along the Colorado Front Range

Farrier J.D. Downs is becoming known for his work with reining horses, in part because he never hesitates to seek advice from his mentors
By Pat Tearney posted on December 1, 2012 | Posted in Shoeing
J.D. Downs shapes a shoe at a ranch along the Colorado Front Range. The farrier from Frederick, Colo., north of Denver, says shoeing in the high, dry climate means dealing with hard, dry feet.
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Hoof Boots Earning Expanded Role in Hoof Care

As more horse owners express an interest in boots, more farriers add them to their services
By Pat Tearney posted on November 1, 2012 | Posted in Therapeutic Shoeing
Hoof boots must be carefully fitted and it's also important for horse owners to know how to take them off and put them back on. Farriers may not exactly be lining up to stock their shoeing rigs with a hoof boot selection, but an informal survey indicates boots are gaining increasing acceptance among shoers - driven in part by customer demand.
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Pat Tearney
From The Desk Of AFJ

Beyond 'Monkey-See, Monkey-Do' Hoof Care

Developing your ‘farrier vision’ is one way to become a better horseshoer
By Pat Tearney posted on October 12, 2012 | Posted in Business Practices, Education
A big factor in separating the truly exceptional farrier from the competent might be developing your “farrier vision.” That’s the ability to “see” inside the foot, as well as to visualize not just the hoof, but also the hoof as part of the entire horse.
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Changes are Coming to the Hoof Care Industry: Are you Getting Ready?

Veteran farrier Gerard Laverty outlines some of the challenges he thinks farriers will face in the not-too-distant future.
By Pat Tearney posted on September 1, 2012 | Posted in Business Practices, Education
Gerard Laverty, who teaches farriery at Kwantlen Polytechnical University in Surrey, British Columbia, says the recent economic downtown is the first one he's seen that will have a major effect on the horse and hoof-care business since he came to North American from his native Northern Ireland in 1981.
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The Backyard Horse

Problems Tend to Pile up on the Feet of Backyard Horses

Informal survey of most common issues for these horses indicates that when owners fail to address one problem, it often leads to others.
By Pat Tearney posted on September 1, 2012 | Posted in Clients, Therapeutic Shoeing
Farriers who spend a lot of time providing hoof care of backyard horses should be forgiven if they sometimes feel as if they're being swamped by a cascading torrent of foot problems. It seems to go with the territory.
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Pat Tearney
From The Desk Of AFJ

You Don't Have to Go it Alone

Horse owners and trainers expect you to be the hoof-care expert, but a real expert also knows when to ask for some help
By Pat Tearney posted on August 26, 2012 | Posted in Business Practices, Shoeing
J.D. Downs has been shoeing full time since 2006 and has built a pretty successful practice near his Frederick, Colo., home. If he has one particular piece of advice for young shoers, it's â"Don't get in over your head."
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Hoof Care on Parade

Hoof Care on Parade

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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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.
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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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