I doubt there is a profession whose practitioners are more passionate about what they do than farriers. While passion fuels our drive, it can only be sustained for so long.
This past weekend, I attended the Cornell Farrier Conference. Steve Kraus and the team at Cornell deserve much praise for putting together a great agenda. Nearly 75 farriers returned home from the university with great hoof-care information from the leading farriers and veterinarians.
The signal-to-noise ratio of the Internet requires filtering by the equine enthusiast. The accessibility of information has empowered horse owners, which has advantages and disadvantages for the farrier.
Criticism creates a very definite reaction when it's offered.The best farriers evaluate their own work, and more often than not, find flaws in each job. The judging starts to get tricky, though, when others offer their 2 cents.
Whenever I would hire someone to work for me in my farrier business, the very first thing they would get was the safety lecture. This subject is important, and overlooked.
It's time for the terrible practice of soring Tennessee Walking Horses for the show ring to come to an end. And doing so not only rests on the shoulders of folks in the equine industry, but also involves members of Congress.
Nine American farrier schools are members of an exclusive group. The federal government allows them to teach foreign nationals who obtain student visas. Yet, some inexplicably believe that these educators are nothing more than a risk to national security.
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.