The slide is the most recognized maneuver in reining, yet there’s much more to the sport than making dirt fly. Keeping that in mind, the farrier must shoe the reiner for all of the maneuvers, all the while playing a pivotal role in keeping the reiner in the show ring.

Keg shoes typically come with a crease in the ground surface, but are they worth the effort to craft into your handmade shoes? And if so, what are the keys to proper fullering? Chad Chance, a veteran farrier in Pilot Point, Texas, 30 minutes north of Dallas, creases 95% of his shoes and says, “I’m fullering every day.”

Chad Chance has built a solid reputation as a farrier who can address the footcare needs of reiners. Back in August 2013, about 100 farriers gathered at an Anvil Brand clinic in Lexington, Ill., to hear Chance deliver insight he has learned from working with top reining horses. But before he performed a live demonstration on trimming and shoeing those horses, the Pilot Point, Texas, farrier took time to explain the strategy that helped him build the type of practice that allows him to work with that level of horse.