Just in case you haven’t noticed, shoeing horses is a lot of hard work. If you let it, the job will break you down and wear you out. Being a practical person, I have — from the beginning of my career — sought ways to preserve my body by making the job as easy as possible.

Jim Ferrie ranks among the world’s best possible sources for advice about bar shoes. He’s earned his way into the International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame during his more than 30 years as a farrier, and he specializes in therapeutic shoeing while working in Newmilns, Ayrshire, Scotland.