From the category archives:

Customer Service

Major Challenges Confronting Today’s Farrier

May 20, 2011 2 comments

It’s important to realize that our present situation is a result of our past activities and decisions regarding the challenges that confront us. Many people tend to focus on the past instead of the future. They think about what could have been or should have been. Because they spend their present in the past, they [...]

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Happiness is Starting Your Own Business

March 22, 2011 0 comments

A recent Gallop poll reported by CNN and USA Today revealed that 61% of currently employed Americans, if given the choice, would rather own their own business, rather than work for someone else. Only 38% said they would rather work for someone else. Yet, at the moment, only 10% of adults are self-employed. Why? Unfortunately, [...]

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What goals have you set as a farrier or veterinarian for 2011?

January 11, 2011 0 comments

January brings a renewed hope for personal and family progress in the new year.  Starting with New Year’s resolutions, this is the time of year when people tend to set goals and make commitments.   Using this traditional time of the year to evaluate the past and plan for the future are worthwhile, healthy pursuits. However, [...]

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Farrier Competency for Horse Owners by Doug Butler

June 15, 2010 0 comments

I’m often asked how I would define farrier competency. “What should a competent farrier look like?” “How will I know one when I see one?” In the British Isles, they would call such a person “a qualified farrier.” The way a person starts out is generally the way he or she ends up. Attitude is [...]

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Farrier Competency for Farriers by Doug Butler

June 8, 2010 6 comments

Farrier work is a craft skill. It takes many years to master any craft. Farrier school is only the beginning. You must study and practice to become competent. You must train your eyes, your brain, and your motor nerves and muscles to do this precision work. You must obtain the knowledge and develop the skills [...]

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Foal Hoof Care

June 3, 2010 0 comments

Assess the foal’s limbs soon after birth. Most mild limb deformities can be helped by stall rest that limits exercise. Many problems are due to lack of cartilage and bone maturity and will improve with time if the affected areas are not stressed. If there is more than a 5- degree deviation in the limb, [...]

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The “Shoeless Experiment” Cripples Horses by Doug Butler

March 26, 2010 19 comments

More than one hundred years ago farriers were confronted with the same problems as farriers are facing today. The “shoeless experiment” was then proposed as a one size fits all solution by “the barefoot people.” (See page 2 of William Hunting’s, The Art of Horseshoeing, published by W. R. Jenkins in New York, in 1898). [...]

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Horse Owner and Farrier Expectations

February 5, 2010 0 comments

What should horse owners expect from their farrier? You, the horse owner, have a right to expect a well-trained and experienced professional to care for your valuable horse(s). Unfortunately, some farriers short-change their education by not acquiring a firm foundation of basic knowledge about their craft. Even those who make the sacrifice to attend a [...]

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FAQ #13 Why does a horse get nail-quicked?

January 22, 2010 0 comments

Hoof wall thicknesses vary. There is a very small margin for error. The farrier must pay close attention to selecting and driving each nail.  Not all nails are manufactured perfectly, and misshapen nails might not drive straight. However, nail quicking isn’t the only kind of quicking that can affect a horse – he can also [...]

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Trustworthy Farriers Horse Owners Can Depend Upon

January 15, 2010 3 comments

Farriers perform a valuable service for people who care about their horses. It’s important to be trustworthy and do the job right. Let me share a true story. A stone mason was laying very large stones for the walls of a large church building. One of the stones had a crack on the very inside [...]

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