When a farrier starts opening up a shoeing rig at a clinic, a curious thing occurs. The stories that are being swapped among the small pockets of congregants in the parking lot begin to lose their allure, and an easygoing migration begins.
Like moths to a flame, farriers can’t resist checking out someone else’s shoeing rig. They amble on over, greet the farrier who graciously offers the welcome distraction and casually explore the mobile office.
One of the stone cold, lead pipe locks in the industry is that the overwhelming majority of farriers work on backyard horses. Only 8% of all farriers do not have a single backyard horse client, according to American Farriers Journal’s 2016 Farrier Business Practices Survey, which starts on Page 22. That percentage has not moved appreciably in 14 years. It’s a safe bet that the needle won’t move in the foreseeable future.
The public comment period for the proposed amendments to the Horse Protection Act has come and gone. All parties within the horse industry have had a chance to let their voices be heard.
As the public comment period for the proposed amendments to the Horse Protection Act came to an end last week, nearly 200 influential people banded together to urge action from the United States Department of Agriculture.
For some farriers, modifying tools can lead to some anxious moments.
“The whole fear of changing a tool comes from, ‘Oh no, I’ll mess it up. I’ll go buy another one,’” says Robbie Hunziker of Hurricane Forge Tools. “I did that and a lot of us have.”
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.
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.
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.
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.