This Week: Hoof-care professionals across the country and the ocean are sharing what they know with others in the industry through social media, webinars and videos. Here are a few of our favorites.
Who has directly influenced your farrier career? If you’re just starting out, your list likely isn’t long. A little time and initiative will eventually fill the gaps. If you have some skin in the game, your list might resemble the one compiled by Chris Gregory in his book, For Want of a Nail, the Shoe Was Lost.
Kevin Hatridge, President of the Rocky Mountain Farrier's Association, describes one of the goals of the new Colorado Classic, creating a welcoming and learning environment for farriers new to shoeing competitions.
I have a client with a large barn who shoes halter horses. The client wants wedge pads on her yearlings, which I don’t agree with. What’s the best way to tell her no?
Q:I have a client with a large barn who shoes halter horses. The client wants wedge pads on her yearlings, which I don’t agree with. What’s the best way to tell her no?
— Michigan Farrier
The only thing you can really do for older horses is to shoe them the way they go. If there’s an interference problem, you can help resolve that concern with your shoeing. Anytime you see the hairline pushed up, the horse is out of balance. If they’re going crooked, I just try to give them as much support as I can with a bar shoe or whatever is needed.
Some Quarter Horse trainers and owners want aluminum shoes with a lot of backup and squared-off toes. But won't this hurt the knees if the toes roll over?
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.