From the category archives:

Equine Soundness

How to Manage Foals for Soundness

May 18, 2010 0 comments

Foal limb soundness begins before a foal is born. It involves considerations of nature (genetic) and nurture (environment). Genetic factors include inherited conformation and behavioral traits from the stallion and mare. Environmental factors include physical space in the mare’s uterus, nutrition, training and disease prevention.
Choosing a mating that has a good chance of producing a [...]

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Learning to Learn – An Important Skill for Equine Professionals

April 29, 2010 0 comments

Learning to learn applies to every phase of life.
Recently I became aware, through an article titled “Divided Attention” by David Glenn published February 28, 2010, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, that many students today are having greater difficulty learning and applying what they’re being taught due to inattention and the illusion of competence that [...]

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FAQ #16 – Can you tell me what to look for when looking at the heel?

April 22, 2010 1 comment

“Doug, I attended your Horse Expo seminar this past March in Lincoln and really enjoyed your lecture.  I never thought that I would have to bring out notes from what you talked about in such a short amount of time, but we ended up having a horse go lame on us this spring.  We saw [...]

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The “Shoeless Experiment” Cripples Horses by Doug Butler

March 26, 2010 11 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).
It [...]

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Opportunity to see Doug Butler in person!

March 10, 2010 0 comments

If you live in the vicinity of Lincoln, Nebraska, we invite you to attend Dr. Butler’s Nebraska Horse Expo program on “Humane Hoof Care,” at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 13, 2010!  His 2:00 p.m. program is scheduled in the Nebraska Room of the Lancaster Event Center, Lincoln, Nebraska.
And there’s more “March Gladness” to share, because [...]

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New Farrier and Horse Owner Resources

March 9, 2010 0 comments

“Share a little March Gladness…”
We’d be “glad” if you would check out each of our newly designed websites …
www.dougbutler.com – for horseshoeing books and training DVDs
www.butlerprofessionalfarrierschool.com – learn about our facility, staff, curriculum, class schedules, admission requirements, tuition
www.butlerhorseshoeingschools.com – sign up today to receive weekly blogs on humane horse foot care for owners, farriers, and [...]

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Celebrating “March Gladness” at Doug Butler Enterprises

March 2, 2010 0 comments

March is a special month for many reasons – from basketball teams and their March Madness to the glories of Springtime, such as new baby calves on our neighbors’ ranches, early flowers popping their heads up through the lingering snow, and pastures and yards turning green to announce the long winter is over. Yes, Spring [...]

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7 Farrier Fundamentals

January 29, 2010 0 comments

It’s important to have a memorized sequence of performing farrier skills so  nothing is left out.  This is the sequence we teach at Butler Professional Farrier School.  The image in the mind guides the craftsman’s hands.  This sequence must be practiced until it becomes a habit.
1. ASSESSMENT
Consider horse, shoe wear, and conditions
2. TRIMMING
Consider position of [...]

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5 Tips to Select a Sound Horse

December 9, 2009 2 comments

We all value our animals — both in terms of money and our emotional attachment to them. Although there are fewer horses today than a hundred years ago, there are more people who own horses, and individual animals have a much higher value.
Many well-meaning people buy a horse just because they become emotionally attached [...]

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FAQ #9 What’s normal hoof size?

December 7, 2009 0 comments

Answer: A hoof that is proportional to the horse’s body size allows for ideal distribution of body weight over the foot’s laminar surface. (Laminar surface refers to the area where the sensitive laminae, attached to the coffin bone, interlocks with the horny laminae at the hoof wall.) When the foot is proportional [...]

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