Bench and angle grinders have become a common tool for most farriers. The power tools, when properly used, can improve the appearance of shoes and also save wear and tear on a farrier.
Dave Farley’s late January day of “Shoeing For A Living” starts at Brooklyn Bagels, a deli-coffee shop, not far from his home in Wellington, Fla. There he meets his son and shoeing partner, Jay. He also hooked up with Red Renchin, the recently retired farrier who also serves as technical editor for American Farriers Journal, and me.
Just as the smell of coal smoke in the air brings back memories of farrier events of the far past, the chatter of conversation sprinkled with words such as bad quarters, underrun heels and white line disease brings back more recent memories.
To say that shoeing show hunters and jumpers is a challenging job is an understatement. The competition is intense. Owners, trainers and riders are constantly vigilant to ensure that horses are presented at their very best.
It's been said that horseshoeing is a necessary evil, but the same can be said about farrier accounting. The thought of sitting down to do my bookwork is about as appealing as working on an old broodmare in a muddy lot. If you find equally distasteful, it is essential to make keeping your books as easy and efficient as possible.
Have you ever picking up a plate at an upscale dinner buffet and perused the offerings when you are very hungry? Your first impulse is to try to devour everything before you because it all looks so good. After you realize that is impossible, you have to make some difficult decisions on what to load on your plate.
The image of wild horses running free appeals to nearly everyone. The sight of their beauty, strength and grace are magnificent to watch. I think it invokes that inner wish in all of us to be free and independent.
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.