Tom Curl told attendees at last winter's 6th annual International Hoof-Care Summit that farriers must develop special skills to effectively use heart bar shoes. The Vero Beach, Fla., farrier says this means learning to place the right amount of pressure on the bar and where to set the bar so it's not setting too far forward on the frog.
With horse owners requesting more product information and advice on managing their horses, there's a great opportunity for you to share your experiences and ideas with hoof-care clients.
You have a busy day ahead which means that keeping on track depends largely on having mannerly horses with clean, dry feet waiting when you arrive. Someone on hand ready to hold each horse for the duration without interruption is a plus, as are aisles clear of debris, dogs locked up and - of course - and payment waiting for you at the end of it all.
Regardless of a farrier's client base, confidence in one's ability is necessary. Whether it is your first shoeing job or hundredth, you need to gauge your level of knowledge and go about your practice with certainty.
If you want to grow your business, you better be prepared to invest in your education, develop strong customer skills and be ready for self-evaluation.
Farriers frequently run into situations when they want to keep the hoof of a horse low as they trim and work on it. It's a fairly common practice with older horses or those experiencing joint soreness or that have suffered hock and fetlock injuries.
Being fearful of back pain is fine since your farrier business depends on getting under horses each day. While back pain is significant, it is often not due to the fact that you did something wrong, lifted wrong, lifted too much weight or had a bad stance.
Before you launch a Web site for your farrier business, you have to determine its purpose. Will you use it to attract new customers, address your current clients or sell products? Like any other project, you need to have a clear set of goals before heading down the path of building a Web site.
Once considered outside the realm of commonplace medical procedures, complementary equine therapies, such as acupuncture and animal chiropractic are undergoing a growing acceptance. Both topics were included on the agenda of the American Veterinary Medical Association annual convention held in Seattle, Wash., during July.
Although horses 20 years and older have special nutritional needs, your clients can keep them healthy through their golden years by paying attention to their special needs
The major concern among farriers working with geriatric horses is normally whether their arthritic joints have made it difficult for them to hold their feet up long and high enough to be trimmed. But while you're working under an equine senior citizen, it's difficult not to notice when they begin to get ribby.
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.