Not knowing very much at all about horses or their footwear, I had always fallen into the trap of thinking of the ancient art of horseshoe-making as something quaint and traditional, belonging in the past.
When a student learning horseshoeing commits to his craft, he (or she) is entering a traditional profession that has been around since the 5th century and was once considered to be an essential part of the Blacksmith's services. The core skills of the farrier today are relatively unchanged since medieval times, and the student falls into the same role of the Blacksmith's apprentice as many others have before him during the past 800 years.
A school for horseshoeing and blacksmithing has some special guests for the next few weeks. Soldiers from the Honor Guard stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas are attending Shurshod Horse Shoeing School in Grovespring. They're learning skills to help the Honor Guard maintain its own horses. Sergeant Christopher Frost has been to Iraq and Specialist Cody Abshire to Afghanistan. They'll be riding in the inaugural parade this year and need to learn how to care for the horses.
The American Farrier’s Associa-tion Education Committee, which I chair, has been given the task of developing a plan to increase the pass rate of AFA Certification testing. This is a standing mandate for the Education Committee.
Few farriers have had more success in both shoeing horses and in forging competitions than Jim Poor. Here are a few of the shoeing philosophies and tips that the American Farrier’s Association Certified Journeyman Farrier from Midland, Texas, shared last year during a clinic at Centaur Forge in Burlington, Wis.
In this episode, Mark Ellis, a Wisconsin farrier who learned the ropes with Renchin, recalls Red’s relationships with area veterinarians, his legacy and the second career as American Farriers Journal’s technical editor.
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.